Dell, IBM announce IT services agreement

NEW DELHI: Dell Computer Corporation and IBM announced an agreement that will

make IBM Global Services a strategic provider of computer-related services to

Dell customers. The agreement could be worth $6 billion over seven years.

Additional terms were not disclosed.

This strategic agreement formalizes and expands the scope of a pre-existing

services relationship between the two companies. It also builds on the

$16-billion strategic technology agreement announced by IBM and Dell last March.

The technology contract gives Dell broad access to components based on IBM's

leading technology.

Early next year, Dell will start offering its US corporate, government and

education customers a range of installation and onsite warranty services from

IBM Global Services for Dell's desktops, notebooks, workstations, network

servers and data-storage products. The intent is to extend the services to other

international markets beginning next year.