Dell's external environment identifies all the current conditions and forces that affect its strategic options and define its competitive situation. It consists of three main sectors: the Remote Environment, the Industry Environment, and the Operating Environment. All of these environmental sectors affect the firm's operations both on an international and domestic level.
Remote Environment
In recent years the computer hardware industry has experienced a slight decrease in profits. Most of this is due to the recent downturn in the economy and a decrease in consumer confidence and spending because of inflation. Many consumers hesitate to upgrade their computers. As a result, Dell must explore new markets and introduce attractive products at a lower-cost to attract its customers. The use of personal computers in international markets is growing rapidly. Dell Computer can take this opportunity as an advantage to provide lower cost computer for consumers.
Since Dell has the equipment and capital they can produce higher quantities of workstations or servers at a low operating cost and then sell it a little above cost of goods to China, India, Vietnam and third world countries to increase their global market share. The internet market has been expanding and exploding across the globe. It has varied by market segment and already has been a big hit in the U.S. Dell knows that the way to globalize the company successfully is through e-business.
Dell is gearing up in China. The key to its strategy is a locally designed PC called Su Ma (Speedy Horse) which it hopes will draw sales away from the homegrown powerhouse, Legend. Dell has already built a factory in Xiamen, which is on the southeastern coast of China in order to promote its next day delivery to 400 cities which is one of the company trade marks. As a result, Dells China market share has grown from near zero in 1998, to 4.4%. This runs counter to the general wisdom that
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