Interview, Fireside Chat
Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies
- Technology trends including secure distributed workforces, digital products, services, and edge applications are expected to accelerate significantly in 2020, with execution timelines for multi-year plans compressed into months.
- Remote work capabilities and digital transformation are predicted to accelerate continuously, with organizations recognizing high remote productivity levels and companies reinventing themselves to avoid difficulties in the digital age.
- A thousand-fold increase in data is anticipated in a few years driven by the digitization of physical objects, 5G connectivity, AI, and IoT, creating a "tsunami of data" expected to advance human outcomes.
- 5G rollout presents a generational opportunity to level the playing field across sectors like healthcare, education, and access to opportunities, while widening attack surfaces increase hacker risks requiring constant vigilance.
- The company aims to achieve aggressive ESG goals set a year prior for 2030, tracking progress religiously through the "Progress Made Real 2030" initiative despite acknowledging current gaps in knowing how to execute most required innovations.
- Without specific intervention in STEM education and diversity, technology advancement risks creating greater separation in outcomes rather than less, necessitating urgent action to address digital inequalities in access, skills, infrastructure, and education.
- If the spinoff of VMware's 81% ownership is finalized, the speaker intends to remain chairman and the largest shareholder of both entities.
- The future is expected to accelerate rapidly, with success dependent on maintaining the principle of putting people first to emerge stronger from crises and enabling change for those who embrace it.