Dell has continued to add elements to its Apex as-a-service portfolio, with more cloud compatibility, storage, data management tools and PC subscription options.
The firm is holding its Tech World event in Las Vegas, and used that as the forum to roll out the latest series of updates that will have an impact for partners.
Apex has added Microsoft and Red Hat offerings as collaborative cloud platforms that should support more public cloud choices among customers.
On the storage front, the vendor is rolling out more options for public cloud, providing block and file enterprise features for partners to pitch. Dell also announced Apex Navigator, which helps data mobility, storage and container management across multicloud environments.
The channel will also be interested in the PC-as-a-service (PCaaS) offering that provides hardware through a subscription model. Customers will be able to choose offerings across the vendor’s PC portfolio, with one- to five-year terms and the option to scale up or down when necessary. Dell has found that those using PCaaS call the helpdesk 50% less and save around 30% in support costs.
“Our customers continue to look for a simpler technology experience to easily manage and access their assets and applications with predictable costs and greater flexibility,” said Chuck Whitten, co-chief operating officer at Dell Technologies. “That’s where Dell Apex comes in. Now, Dell Apex spans the breadth of our portfolio to give customers greater freedom for technology to support businesses as their needs dictate – from PCs and IT on-premises to public clouds and edge locations.”
Even before the current economic headwinds started to blow through the UK customer base there had been a shift towards a subscription model, with more flexible payments seen as an attractive alternative to large capital expenditure lump sums. Dell has tapped into that mood and the expansion of Apex has got the thumbs-up from market watchers.
“Dell Apex spans the breadth of our portfolio to give customers greater freedom for technology to support businesses as their needs dictate”
Chuck Whitten, Dell Technologies
“Organisations are looking to streamline their IT environments so that data and applications can live in the right place to deliver the most value for their businesses,” said Matthew Eastwood, senior vice-president at IDC. “Dell Technologies has delivered a significant expansion of its Dell Apex portfolio that creates commonality between public cloud and on-premises environments to simplify workload placement.”
From a channel perspective, Apex has always been pitched as a big partner play, and Dell has been clear that it always intended to add more depth to the options that could be put in front of customers.
Apex was launched in October 2020 at the vendor’s World Experience event, as Dell pulled together all of its as-a-service efforts under one banner. It was made clear from the start that the plan was to expand the offerings over time, and in January 2022 it announced more data storage and protection options, followed that up last May with greater cyber security options.
Since taking the decision to unify as-a-service offerings under the Apex name, the vendor has seen consistent growth on that side of the business as an increasing number of customers take up the subscription payment option.
