Dell Opens New SMB Support Portal

January 18th, 2007: Dell has opened the doors to a new online resource for small business, promising technology and business advice, industry information and other services to help those with little or no IT support.

Called Small Business 360, Dell claims the service features advice from Dell and its partner experts, as well as links to online resources and tutorials, videos of customer case studies and various webcasts. It also says that SMBs will be able to access industry-specific technology information and community forums where they can “pose questions to each other, share technology challenges and discuss best practices.”

While a portal with business information and community support is hardly a new idea, one created by a company such as Dell with participation by it and its partners could prove a valuable resource for SMBs. Particularly if the portal targets a range of specific industries. Dell has nominated finance, architecture and construction, law, real estate and retail as the initial industries to be focussed on.

“Small businesses want solutions that can give them maximum business benefit with minimum technical pain and financial risk, and they’re turning to the Web to educate themselves before they buy,” said Laurie McCabe, vice president of SMB Insights & Business Solutions for AMI-Partners. “According to our 2006-2007 U.S. Small Business Overview study, 78 percent of small businesses turn to the Internet for information on IT-related products and services, behind turning to fellow associates for help by just 1 percent.”

“With a record 670,000 new businesses started in 2005, small business clearly drives our nation’s economy,” said Frank Muehleman, vice president and general manager of Dell Small Business in the US. “Technology can help these businesses succeed, and we want them to view Dell as their trusted advisor whether they are ready to buy today, tomorrow or six months from now.”

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