This morning, Dell announced that it is acquiring Perot Systems in a transaction worth approximately $3.9 billion. The deal, which calls for Dell to acquire all outstanding common stock for $30 a share and is expected to close in Dell’s November-January fiscal quarter, will result in Perot Systems becoming Dell’s services unit. It is to be headed up by current Perot Systems CEO Peter Altabef.
The move is a giant step in the way of diversification for Dell, which traditionally has focused on selling hardware. It is currently the second-biggest PC maker in terms of shipments, only trailing Hewlett Packard. In recent years, Dell has made smaller acquisitions in an effort to bolster its own services division, but this move is by far its biggest.
The deal will allow Dell to sell its computer systems to an extensive Perot Systems global customer base, and the two companies expect to provide a broader range of IT services and solutions.
Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell said in a statement: “ We consider Perot Systems to be a premium asset with great people that enhances our opportunities for immediate and long-term growth. This significantly expands Dell’s enterprise-solutions capabilities and makes Perot Systems’ strengths available to even more customers around the world. There will be efficiencies from combining the companies, but the acquisition makes such great sense because of the obvious ways our businesses complement each other.â€
