PRESS RELEASE

Alstom and Cisco to Develop Secure Digital Substation Automation Solution

CIGRE 2012, Paris, France – August 28, 2012 – Alstom Grid and Cisco today announced the signing of a commercial and technology agreement to develop the next generation of digital substation solutions for electrical grids. This collaboration utilizes Alstom's smart grid expertise in digital substation solutions with Cisco's leadership in connected grid solutions and Internet Protocol (IP) communication technologies; together providing a solution that further supports the industry's grid modernization efforts. 

The solution, which integrates Cisco's ruggedized substation-grade Connected Grid™ routers and switches with communications and cyber-security functions along with Alstom's cutting edge DS Agile™ control system for substation automation, will create a new level of IP-based communication performance for integrated cyber security, distributed monitoring and controls.  This will provide key energy and information transfer hubs within modern grid architectures.

The benefits for electric utilities and substation operators include:

1. Enhanced security in smart grid-enabled digital substations: The Alstom-Cisco solution can enable utility operators to provide comprehensive protection to address security policies, manage user access to critical resources, and the ability to detect and mitigate possible cyber attacks across the entire grid infrastructure. The digital substation architecture incorporates comprehensive security controls based on NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) recommendations.

2. Enhanced operational efficiency through optimized automation architecture: This layered architectural approach can provide optimal deployment for substation automation and the design phase of technology implementation. It also allows easy design and integration of communication infrastructure with the critical protection and control, asset monitoring and grid management equipment. The intelligence within the validated digital substation schemes can allow close monitoring of the load capacity of plant equipment and permits operation of grid equipment closer to their limits. Additionally, the substation network supports existing and new communication standards such as IEC 61850, as well as the prioritization of control data traffic over non-operations data traffic.

3. Reduced operations and maintenance costs: The digital substation solution, based on Cisco's multi-service network and Alstom's next generation IEDs, will provide utilities the flexibility to deploy multiple applications over a common network infrastructure. The solution uses a layered architecture approach, enabling it to support both wired and wireless communications over the same converged network. The solution allows asset managers to implement preventive maintenance programs resulting in longer asset life and lower maintenance costs.   The solution also provides intelligent systems for substation operators to monitor and control all substation assets for optimizing operations costs.

Patrick Plas, Senior Vice-President Grid Power and Automation, Alstom Grid said, "this collaboration between Alstom and Cisco brings our digital substation offering to yet another level of performance and reliability for our customers. We very much look forward to implementing its next steps and move towards the commercial roll-out of the solutions."

"Cisco has always recognized the need to develop sustainable agreements in the effort to achieve a smarter grid. Cisco's collaboration with Alstom makes available two sets of complementary technologies that will help our customers to secure their operations, achieve cost savings and extract greater value from existing technology infrastructure. We look forward to our continued collaboration with Alstom in developing the most effective substation solutions for the industry," declared Lionel Chocron, Vice-President and General Manager, Connected Energy Networks, Cisco.

About Alstom

Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group employs 92,000 people in around 100 countries. It had sales of €20 billion and booked close to €22 billion in orders in 2011/12.

Alstom Grid has over 100 years of expertise in electrical grids. Whether for utilities or electro-intensive industries or facilitating the trading of energy, Alstom Grid brings power to its customers' projects. Alstom Grid ranks among the top 3 in electrical transmission sector with an annual sales turnover of more than €4 billion. It has 20,000 employees and over 90 manufacturing and engineering sites worldwide. At the heart of the development of Smart Grid, Alstom Grid offers products, services and integrated energy management solutions across the full energy value chain—from power generation, through transmission and distribution grids and to the large end user.

Websites www.alstom.com, www.alstom.com/grid

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking, is helping the energy industry modernize the electrical grid from generation to distribution to consumption - with highly secure, reliable and scalable communications solutions. The Cisco Connected Grid solutions include: Transmission and Substation, Field Area Network, Grid Security, Data Center and Grid Operations. To learn more, please visit www.cisco.com/go/utilities.

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PRESS RELEASE

Barcelona, GDF SUEZ and Cisco announce the launch of the City Protocol

City Protocol aims to define a global, cooperative framework among cities, industries and institutions with the goal to address urban challenges in a systemic way in areas such as sustainability, self-sufficiency, quality of life, competitiveness and citizen participation

Anil Menon discusses the new City Protocol

Barcelona, August 28, 2012 — More than 30 cities plus organizations and universities took part in an international meeting organized by Barcelona's City Council, GDF SUEZ and Cisco to launch and agree on the criteria for the creation of the City Protocol, the first certification system for smart cities, which may be put into practice by any city in the world.

The event, which took place in Barcelona under the title of Building Better Cities Together, focused on simplifying the methodology behind creating an urban innovation model based on standards definition, platform integration and technology and solutions development. All this will help ensure the efficient use of resources as well as the economical, social and environmental sustainability of smart cities.

The City Protocol will be presented during the SmartCity Expo that will take place in Barcelona from the 13 to 15 of November.

The initiative is a part of the agreement signed by Cisco and Barcelona's City Council last March. This agreement envisages several strategic projects such as the Cisco® Smart+Connected Communities™ platform, which has as one of its main aims to help Barcelona become a reference model for sustainable urban development.

KEYS OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT

• There is a growing need for a radical change in urban planning, to accelerate city transformation, and the City Protocol will set out the framework to achieve it.
• City Protocol is a new open, global, and progressive working framework for cities worldwide to assess and improve performance in environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness, quality of life and city services, by innovating and demonstrating new leadership models, new ways or engaging society and by taking advantage of new information and communication technologies (ICT).
• City Protocol will involve reports, standards, certification systems, services definition, best practices and recommendations to turn cities into more innovative and sustainable environments. This will be possible due to the use of technologies in different fields including information, communication, energy, mobility, construction and waste management. Governments, councils, planners and developers looking to transform urban centers into smart cities may put the protocol into practice.
• Well known as an innovative and smart city, Barcelona has been the driving force behind the project, being an example of a real model for intelligent solutions.

An environment opened to participation

• In the same way as the Internet Protocol shaped the original development of the Internet, the City Protocol will be discussed and developed internationally, setting up an evolutive protocol based on the agreement of a global community. It will deliver benefits within and between cities, by addresing urban development in an integrated systemic way.
• A non-profit organization called the City Protocol Society will be created with the aim of ensuring this open participation. It follows the Internet Society's model and will be represented by universities, research centers, companies and citizens of different cities.  Its objectives are defining, developing and promoting the City Protocol.
• Cities will benefit from its participation by achieving real improvements; companies will better understand the structure and management of cities in order to collaborate with them; and education institutions, research centers and also non-profit organizations will be able to more precisely study urban problems and propose solutions.

Statements of support:

• Barcelona Mayor Xavier Trias: "As a reference in sustainable urban development, Barcelona wants to share its ideal of a smart city with the whole world. This will generate a new economy based on sustainability, job creation and social integration to guarantee a better quality of life for XXIst Century citizens."
• Stéphane Quere, responsible  for Urban Development at GDF SUEZ Corporate Commercial & Marketing Department: "It is logical for GDF SUEZ to support and actively participate to the City Protocol. This kind of initiatives is essential to develop better cities and we participated in the Smart City Protocol Workshop  to accompany the city officials in order to transform their objectives into reality, no matter how complex and unique the situation is."
• Jordi Botifoll, senior vice president for LATAM: "In 2050, 70% of the world population will live in cities, which already consume 60% of power resources and generate 80% of the global economical growth. Despite their different locations and cultures, most cities share the same challenges in terms of sustainable growth and, ultimately in assuring quality of life for their inhabitants. The City Protocol is essential to optimize cities' performance in terms of efficiency, sustainability and intelligence as if it was an ecosystem managed by a standards-based, integrated IT platform."
• Vicente Guallart, architect in chief of Barcelona's City Council: "Every initiative related to smart city concepts agree about the problems that need to be solved and even the solutions themselves; nevertheless there's a lack of methodology to apply these solutions. City Protocol can solve this situation through a common innovation framework wich is able to state the rules for planification, regulation, management and financing of smart cities."
• Nicola Villa, Urban Innovation World Director for Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group: "City Protocol will help to integrate information flow in the cities by using the Internet as a platform, and creating a universal methodology to weigh up cities' performance. It also will define strategies, projects and policies to manage the urban environment in a short, medium and long-term."

Additional resources:

• Video : Anil Menon discusses the new City Protocol. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxzO98o1U2Y
• Further information about Cisco Smart+Connected Communities initiative:http://www.cisco.com/go/smartconnectedcommunities
• Video about future cities: http://newsroom.cisco.com/songdo
• Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CiscoSCC
• Follow Cisco Smart+Connected Communities on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/CiscoSCC

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate.  Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go tohttp://newsroom.cisco.com

Twitter

Follow Cisco Spain in Twitter: http://twitter.com/cisco_spain

AT&T U-verse TV Reaches 300,000 Subscribers in Houston

Houston Customers Get TV Service That Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction in J.D. Power and Associates Study

Houston, Texas, March 27, 2012

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AT&T* today announced that more than 300,000 customers have made the switch to AT&T U-verse for their TV service in Houston.  

AT&T U-verse services, which are all delivered over AT&T’s advanced Internet Protocol (IP) network, offer a new alternative to cable with a better DVR, better features and apps, and a better TV experience. AT&T U-verse allows customers to bring together their TV, broadband, home phone and AT&T wireless services ― all on one bill ― with unique features that provide a new level of integration, convenience and control. And now, AT&T U-verse TV ranked "Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the South, Four Years in a Row," according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study^SM.

 “Reaching this milestone shows we’re providing customers with a better choice and experience than cable,” said Chris Penrose, vice president and general manager, AT&T South Texas. “More people than ever are making the switch to U-Verse as we provide regular upgrades and new, cool applications that enhance your TV experience.”

More Choice, Advanced Features

AT&T U-verse TV is the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider, making AT&T U-verse one of the most dynamic and application-rich services available today, with advanced capabilities that customers don’t get from other providers.

Where AT&T U-verse services are available, U-verse TV customers can enjoy numerous features and applications, including the ability to manage their DVR recordings, and for qualifying TV customers, watch hit TV shows on select smartphones with U-verse Mobile; the freedom to manage and playback recorded programs from a single DVR on any U-verse connected TV in the house with Total Home DVR; the ability to choose and watch up to four of their favorite channels at one time with the exclusive My Multiview app; an extensive High Definition (HD) channel lineup with access to more than 170 HD channels; the ability to program DVR recordings from their Web-connected mobile phone or PC; personalized, on-screen weather, sports, traffic and stock information via AT&T U-bar; the ability to check the current weather conditions and forecasts in any U.S. city with Weather On Demand; and more.

With AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet services, every AT&T U-verse customer or small business broadband user can enjoy faster available speeds. Packages include a range of speeds, with the fastest downstream speeds up to 24 Mbps. All AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet packages include wireless home or office networking capability at no extra cost.

AT&T U-verse Voice is a managed IP-based service that is delivered over AT&T’s fiber-rich network. This allows U-verse Voice customers to enjoy great sound quality and reliability, as well as innovative calling features that integrate with your AT&T U-verse TV, high speed internet and AT&T wireless services. Customers can benefit from a single, combined voice mailbox for AT&T U-verse Voice and AT&T wireless messages; an online portal to manage your call preferences and settings from any PC; an online voice mailbox; the ability to view your incoming calls and voicemail notifications on your TV with Caller ID on TV; the ability to view your Call History on your TV and initiate a call from your PC or TV using Click to Call; and more. All U-verse Voice customers have 911 service.

AT&T U-verse offers multiple combinations of TV, Internet and Voice packages to customize your experience. Standard professional installation is included with most packages. Additional promotional offers may be available to qualifying customers who bundle U-verse Internet or U-verse Voice service.

For additional information on AT&T U-verse — or to find out if it’s available in your area — visit AT&T U-verse.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Quest Foglight NMS Offers Market's Only Complete Network Monitoring Tool for Avaya VoIP System

Quest Foglight NMS Offers Market’s Only Complete Network Monitoring Tool for Avaya VoIP System

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., March 21, 2012 –

Quest Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSFT) today announced that the company’s  Foglight® Network Management System (NMS) now features support for Avaya Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. Available today, this added support enables network administrators and engineers to achieve greater visibility into how their network and Avaya VoIP systems work together.  In addition to providing real-time monitoring of Avaya performance and quality metrics, Foglight NMS for VoIP allows network engineers to better address dropped calls, poor voice quality, network delays, and other performance issues before they happen.  

Tweet This: Quest @Foglight NMS offers market’s only complete network monitoring tool for #Avaya #VoIP System via @Quest http://bit.ly/z9Xj8E

News Facts:

·         As organizations grow, organically or through mergers and acquisitions, they place increased importance on VoIP solutions like those offered by Avaya to keep their workforce connected.

·         VoIP is a high traffic application that experiences performance issues usually caused by problems on the network. Network engineers are increasingly faced with responsibility for administering VoIP infrastructures, and struggle to achieve adequate visibility into how their network and VoIP systems work together.

·         While various point tools are available to manage and monitor VoIP systems, voice implementation often suffers from dropped calls, poor voice quality, packet loss and latency issues. Because of this, creating the most efficient VoIP environment, enhancing user satisfaction and meeting SLAs is a constant challenge for network engineers. With Foglight NMS for VoIP, Quest provides Avaya customers with a single tool for unparalleled network and VoIP infrastructure monitoring.

·         Avaya is one of the top VoIP technology vendors, serving one million businesses worldwide. Quest ensures that Avaya customers get the most from their Avaya investment with a network that’s always on, and a workforce that’s always connected.

·         With the addition of VoIP management and monitoring capabilities, Foglight NMS offers Avaya customers an integrated performance monitoring solution for both network and VoIP infrastructure, in one intelligent, easy-to-read dashboard.

·         A leading tool for monitoring network infrastructure, Foglight NMS is part of Quest’s market-leading Foglight Performance Monitoring portfolio, which offers a variety of solutions that provide an intelligent, consolidated view of application, network, and infrastructure performance. The portfolio enables IT departments to monitor service levels and resolve performance bottlenecks, manage application performance from the end user’s point of view, and consolidate tools for physical, virtual, and cloud environments.

Foglight Network Management System for VoIP Provides:

·         In-depth, detailed monitoring of VoIP quality metrics like MOS, Jitter, packet-loss, delay, network utilization

·         Installation and configuration in less than 15 minutes

·         Comprehensive set of reports and alerts on all VoIP related voice metrics

·         Distributed architecture to monitor across local and remote geographical locations

·         Agent and agent-less options for simplicity, scalability and performance 

·         Unified, granular monitoring of VoIP and network infrastructure using a single pane of glass

·         Network Traffic Analysis to help engineers understand, troubleshoot and perform capacity planning of VoIP and network infrastructure

·         For more information about Foglight NMS for VoIP, or to download, visit http://www.quest.com/foglight-network-management-system/

Supporting Quotes:

Matt Bolton, vice president of product management, Network Management Division, Quest Software

“As a major player in end-to-end IT infrastructure monitoring solutions, Quest is uniquely positioned to be the vendor of choice for Network and VoIP Infrastructure Monitoring.  Integrated into the full Foglight Application Performance Monitoring solution, Foglight Network Management System (NMS) is a leading tool used to monitor Network infrastructure. It is a natural extension to provide solutions to manage and monitor VoIP infrastructure, as well.”

Supporting Resources:

·         Quest Software, Inc.: http://www.quest.com/

·         More Quest news: http://www.quest.com/newsroom/

·         Twitter:  http://mobile.twitter.com/quest

·         Facebook:  http://www.quest.com/facebook  

·         LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/

·         Quest TV:  http://www.quest.com/tv/

News Release from Cisco - SURFnet

Note to visitors: The Palo-Negro-Blog is no longer being actively maintained.  For current news and information, please visit our successor blogs at:  http://JBK-BizTech.blogspot.com and http://JBK-Current-Events.blogspot.com

PRESS RELEASE

SURFnet Demonstration of 100G DWDM Solution Between Amsterdam and Geneva Showcases Ability of Existing Fiber Infrastructure to Support High Speed Networking

Ultra Long Haul Solution Offers up to 3000 Km Distance without Regeneration

UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS - MARCH 9, 2012 – Cisco today announced that SURFnet has completed a technology test of Cisco's 100G DWDM solution between the National Supercomputing Center, SARA, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, using the Cisco® ONS 15454 M6 Multiservice Transport Platform. The Cisco system uses dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) to unite multiple optical carrier signals on a single optical fiber, leading to several benefits including increased fiber capacity.

SURFnet enables collaboration between researchers, teachers, and students in the Netherlands using information and computing technology and together with partners offers high speed communication services between leading innovation centers and universities in Europe and throughout the world.

The test involved introducing 100G single carrier optical interfaces into SURFnet's existing optical infrastructure made up of a combination of 10G, 40G and 100G wavelengths. Once connected, the Cisco 100G DWDM solution was quickly operational without any disruption to the existing network. This demonstration shows that SURFnet can utilize its existing infrastructure and help protect its network investment while supporting new 100G data services over the existing fiber infrastructure. Utilizing this type of 100G technology allows research and education networks such as SURFnet to use its existing 50GHz spectrum band more efficiently and provide cost-effective all-optical connectivity across international borders.

This demonstration is another example of SURFnet's commitment to technology that supports the rapid growth of new applications and services in the international NREN community. This evaluation also showcases Cisco's ability to offer 100 Gigabit technologies that meet the needs of the Next Generation Internet for core, edge, data center, and transport. 

Highlights/Key Facts

• Error-free transmission of a 100G alien wavelength using Cisco single carrier coherent optical technology was demonstrated between Amsterdam and Geneva across SURFnet's existing 1650km optical DWDM system.
• The Cisco 100G coherent DWDM solution allowed for re-utilization of the existing fiber infrastructure without any disruption while enabling new 100G data services.
• The Cisco ONS 15454 M6 platform can support 42 x 100G wavelengths in a single bay, nearly three times the density of competing solutions.
• The Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast, 2010-2015, projects that global Internet traffic will increase more than fourfold to 767 exabytes, or more than 3/4^th a Zettabyte, by 2015. This amount is 100 exabytes higher than the projected level in 2013, or an increase the equivalent of 10 times all the traffic traversing IP NGNs in 2008.

Quotes

• Roeland Nuijts, optical network architect, SURFnet

"This 100G alien wavelength demonstration is another important step in the future of international networking across geographical, technical and administrative borders. Being able to use high-bandwidth wavelengths over open transmission systems from different equipment vendors supports new approaches to networking. The use of all-optical alien wavelength 100G technology is what will enable cost-effective international research networking."

• Bill Gartner, vice president and general manager, Converged Optical and Routing Business Unit, Cisco

"Service providers around the globe see the need to get prepared for the next internet, including an increased demand for video, collaboration, and distributed computing and SURFnet is no exception. SURFnet's successful evaluation shows that Cisco is ready to deliver the network foundation for the Next Generation Internet."

Supporting Resources

• SURFnet
• Cisco
• Cisco Service Provider Solutions
• Cisco CRS Carrier Routing System
• Cisco Optical Solutions
• Cisco Visual Networking Index home page: http://www.cisco.com/go/vni
• Read the complete Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast, 2010-2015

News Release from Dell - VoIP Kiosks

Dell OEM Solutions Helps Gratifon S.A. Power VoIP Kiosks and Prepare for Future Growth

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Date : 3/7/2012

Round Rock, Texas

• Small business Gratifon relies on Dell cloud computing, industrial PCs, and support to deliver innovative VoIP kiosks across Latin America
• Dell OEM Solutions reduces overhead for Panama-based start-up during rapid growth period and enables global expansion

Gratifon S.A. is leveraging Dell OEM Solutions’ OptiPlex XE PCs and cloud services for 50 kiosks that provide sponsored phone calls at no cost to residents and tourists in Panama. With Dell OEM Solutions technology and services, Gratifon can plan for future growth, focus on innovating its core business and deliver new offerings that help connect consumers.

Gratifon (Gratifon.com) has invented a voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) kiosk that connects consumers at tourist locations, hotels, airports, malls and supermarkets to any landline or cell phone worldwide at no cost. During the conversation, the kiosk displays interactive video advertisements on its full-color screen. Gratifon’s kiosks help consumers find restaurants, attractions and lodging, and advertisers benefit by being able to place relevant ads at point of sale locations.

Gratifon needed small, quiet, industrial PCs that would withstand the humid, hot weather of Central America to power its kiosks. The company turned to Dell OEM Solutions’ industrial OptiPlex XE PCs, which have an extended three-year lifecycle and can operate in temperatures of more than 110 F. OptiPlex XE PCs help customers decrease field maintenance costs with component-level stability and standards-based remote management while delivering the performance needed to power quick calls, high definition video and a pleasant user experience.

Dell OEM Solutions also provided the Dell Cloud with VMware vCloud® Datacenter Service, a VMware-based public cloud service offering that provides scalable computing power and storage, eliminating the need for Gratifon to build out its own data center, while delivering simplicity, ease of deployment and a single point of contact for support of the overall solution. Managed by skilled Dell technicians, the solution combines VMware’s cloud software with redundant hardware, power, and cooling to deliver high scalability and reliability. Beyond the software and hardware, Dell’s cloud specialists provided configuration assistance and training, as well as ongoing support, through Dell ProSupport to Gratifon.

With Dell solutions technology, Gratifon has been able to expand, deploying 50 kiosks throughout Panama and plans to add another 250 kiosks within the next six months. Longer-term goals are to roll out approximately 3,000 kiosks in Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil within 12 to 18 months.

Dell OEM Solutions works with its customers to help them leverage Dell hardware and services to bring their intellectual property to new markets with greater efficiency so they can spend more time on their own innovation. A division within Dell, Dell OEM Solutions provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with customized services, support and technologies that meet their unique specifications. Many fast-growing, innovative companies looking for a tier-one technology provider turn to Dell OEM Solutions as their single, global source for comprehensive, end-to-end design, manufacturing, logistics, supply-chain and support services to help them improve agility and competitive differentiation.

Quotes:
“As a startup, technology is key to ensuring that our growing business can thrive,” said Oz Yosef, Gratifon CEO. “By leveraging the Dell OEM OptiPlex XEs and cloud services for our kiosks, we were able to cut costs and expand our business in ways we didn’t know possible.”

“We’re pleased to help Gratifon bring their innovative VoIP kiosks concept to the public and grow its business,” said Ron Pugh, executive director and general manager, Dell OEM Solutions, Americas. “By providing Gratifon with a single source for the hardware, services and support to power its kiosk, we give them the reliability and flexibility to expand into new markets.”

About Dell
Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. Dell OEM Solutions helps its customers find more balance between execution and innovation with dedicated OEM resources, industry-standard hardware and global services and support capabilities. Dell helps its OEM customers improve their time to profit and run their operations more efficiently for increased competitive edge. Learn more at www.dell.com/oem.