ROUND ROCK and PLANO, Texas, Sept. 21, 2009 — Dell and Perot Systems have entered a definitive agreement for Dell to acquire Perot Systems in a transaction valued at approximately $3.9 billion. Terms of the agreement were approved yesterday by the boards of directors of both companies.

The acquisition will result in a compelling combination of two iconic information-technology brands. The expanded Dell will be even better positioned for immediate and long-term growth and efficiency driven by:

• Providing a broader range of IT services and solutions and optimizing how they’re delivered;
• Extending the reach of Perot Systems’ capabilities, including in the most dynamic customer segments, around the world; and,
• Supplying leading Dell computer systems to even more Perot Systems customers.

Complementary Capabilities

Dell and Perot Systems share several key characteristics and our products, services and structures are overwhelmingly complementary. They have similarly strong, relationship-based business cultures. People in both organizations are recognized for helping customers thrive by using IT for greater effectiveness and productivity. The combination also provides some compelling opportunities for improved efficiency, which will benefit our customers even further.

Dell’s global commercial customer base spans large corporations, government agencies, health-care providers, educational institutions, and small and medium enterprises (SME). The company’s large existing services business includes breakthroughs in the concept and delivery of modular services, as well as expertise in infrastructure consulting and software-as-a-service. Dell is a leader in computer systems, including standards-based network servers, and in the fast-growing segment of data-storage hardware.

Perot Systems provides world-class services, including in applications, technology, infrastructure, business processes and consulting. The company is a leading provider to clients in health-care, government and other commercial segments, from SMEs to the largest global institutions. Perot Systems has a large and growing base of customers and service-delivery capabilities in North America; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and Asia.

Over the past four quarters Dell and Perot Systems had a combined $16 billion in enterprise-hardware and IT-services revenue, with about $8 billion from enhanced services and support.

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Source

Dell has announced its 12.1-inch (1,280 x 800 pixel) Latitude XT2, the industry’s first tablet PC with multi-touch technology.

Multi-touch, of course, as in “pinch to zoom” and two-finger gestures. In addition, the XT2 sports 11 hours of battery (6-cell plus battery slice) and DDR3 memory (5GB max) in a chassis just 2.5-cm (0.98 inches) thick.

Specs are as follows:

• up to 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU9400 processor with Montevina chipset
• Intel integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics
• Windows Vista Ultimate on down
• 12.1-inch LED backlit capacitive touch-screen with EM Digitizer pen
• up to 5GB of DDR3 1066MHz (1×1GB, 1×4GB DIMM)
• up to 120GB 5400RPM SATA disk or 128GB SSD
• 802.11a/g/n WiFi and gigabit Ethernet
• SATA ODD
• 3.78-pounds (1.72-kg) with 6-cell battery
• eSATA, 2x USB 2.0, firewire, and ExpressCard 54 slot

Full specs can be found here (PDF).

The Latitude XT2 will start in the U.S. at $2,399 (a fully-loaded version will set you back more than $3,000).