While the PC is central to most office jobs, the framework of management, productivity, security, and sustainability is just as important as the computer itself, according to Dell Technologies.
“When we talked to customers about buying new computers twelve years ago, it was about technical specifications,” recalls Wilco Zwerus. He has been with Dell Technologies for that long and currently serves as Client Solutions Sales Director. We meet Zwerus on the sidelines of the Dell Technologies Forum at Tour & Taxis in Brussels.
From ports to management
“The conversation was about which USB ports and other connections were present on the device, and how many,” he continues. “Today, we talk about security, management capabilities, sustainability, and the help we can provide with AI. Only then do we discuss the laptop.”
This shift shows how much the PC landscape has changed. Organizations still expect a lot from laptops and desktops, but they almost assume that a PC manufacturer can meet the needs. The framework is more important. It is therefore not surprising that Dell Technologies has also changed over the years.
At the Dell Technologies Forum, we still see impressive booths with computers from the Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max range. There is even an Nvidia GB10 system present, personally signed by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. But it is equally about AI support and services.
“AI, sustainability, security, and ease of management are major pillars today,” says Zwerus. He outlines Dell’s role as a PC manufacturer in all these aspects.
Smart design, less e-waste
“We are proud of our sustainability activities,” says Zwerus. We use a lot of recycled materials, such as cobalt for the batteries, copper on the motherboard, and steel. The aluminum is also at least 50 percent recycled and is manufactured with the help of sustainable energy.”
Dell Technologies has also worked on the design of its Premium laptops to make them more sustainable. Zwerus: “We have split the motherboard into parts. The component with the CPU is central. We have detached the I/O board, which can therefore be replaced separately.”
We have split the motherboard into parts.
Wilco Zwerus, Client Solutions Sales Director Dell Technologies
“We have also addressed the connection of the USB ports to the motherboard,” Zwerus continues. “Normally, ports are attached to the motherboard. If they get damaged, the entire board often needs to be replaced. We now prevent that by mounting the port as a separate component via a small block and some screws.”
“This approach prevents a lot of e-waste,” adds Zwerus. “But there is another advantage. If a motherboard is replaced, the PC needs to be reloaded into management tools like Windows Autopilot. That is no longer necessary.”
Management with AI service desk
Dell plays an increasingly larger role in management. “Autopilot remains the simplest tool,” says Zwerus. “We continue to advance in this, including with tools to automate various tasks.”
This goes far: an AI agent can today partially take over the role of a human support specialist. “Such an agent can solve certain malfunctions itself,” Zwerus knows. “This reduces the need for tickets, and problems are resolved faster, resulting in less productivity loss.”
AI inference and development
This seamlessly connects to the ever-increasing relevance of AI. Zwerus sees the importance of local AI on computers drastically increasing in the near future. Zwerus: “Copilot is everywhere, but consuming AI in this way is too burdensome for data centers. It is not sustainable. Therefore, we see a push towards AI on endpoints.”
To this end, the built-in NPUs are becoming increasingly powerful. “In just a few years, the computing power of NPUs has evolved from 0.5 TOPS to 5 TOPS,” Zwerus knows. “Moreover, we also see discrete NPUs appearing, analogous to discrete GPUs (as a PCIe expansion card and not integrated on the CPU, ed.).”
Zwerus notes that interest in AI is growing. Initially, it was up to Dell’s team to explain to companies the benefits of AI, but with developments in autonomous AI agents, organizations themselves see the possibilities.
We see a push towards AI on endpoints?
Wilco Zwerus, Client Solutions Sales Director Dell Technologies
Inference is only part of the puzzle in this regard. Such AI agents also need to be built. To support this locally, Dell has launched the Dell Pro Max GB10. This is a small desktop built around an Nvidia Blackwell GPU. “Developers can build agents on it themselves.”
Secure shipping
The last pillar is security. Dell Technologies wants to play a role both below and above the OS. This means that as a hardware specialist, the manufacturer tries to build in security where traditional antivirus software and operating system security functionality do not reach.
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Zwerus gives an example: “We have a mechanism for securing our supply chain where all components are scanned based on the serial number, generating a hash code. The PC is assembled with those components, placed in a sealed box, and shipped on a sealed pallet to the customer.”
“Upon arrival, the customer can check the system and the hash online to ensure that the device has not been tampered with,” he continues.
Dell also builds in extra security at the BIOS level. “There are more and more firmware attacks. Customers can now check the integrity of the BIOS in the cloud. Such functionality is relevant in various sectors, such as defense.” The security Dell offers naturally goes beyond that. The company collaborates with numerous partners and offers deep SIEM integration.
Complete story
The framework with expertise on AI, assistance with smart management, security, and a strong sustainability story are important topics of discussion when Zwerus and his team visit customers and help assess the needs of a company. Thus, the PC may be the least important topic of discussion in the search for new PCs. Although the qualities and capabilities of the computers are, of course, still very relevant.
At the Dell Technologies Forum, the company shows how it supports a broad portfolio of high-performance hardware with additional support and services. In this way, Zwerus and his colleagues hope to meet the current demand from customers, which far exceeds the quality of the hardware.