How Dell plans to help organisations solidify future of hybrid work with new Latitude, Precision 2022 portfolio | Exclusive
Dell is launching the 2022 refresh of its Latitude and Precision line-up of commercial devices in India today. As many as six new products are in the offing beginning with the entry-level Precision 3470 that starts at Rs 79,990 all the way up to the top-end Latitude 9430 that will set you back by Rs 1,45,990 at least.
The new devices pack 12th Gen Intel Core processors and the latest connectivity options, including 5G and Wi-Fi 6E, inside a sleek and premium-looking chassis but the real draw—as far as Dell is concerned— is that they, seemingly, offer the right tools to help organisations solidify the future of hybrid work.
In an exclusive interview with Financial Express, Indrajit Belgundi, Senior Director and General Manager, Client Solutions Group (CSG), Dell Technologies, India, takes us through the nitty-gritties of these devices while offering key insights into India’s digital transformation journey so far. Excerpts.
— Hybrid work is a new reality. Can you talk a bit more about this and some of the critical changes that have come up for businesses in the last few years?
Hybrid work today is no longer an afterthought or a privilege, it is the standard. While employees are moving between locations to get work done, creating a productive experience has become a key priority for organisations. Amidst this shift, the definition of an everyday PC user is undergoing a massive change as we now see laptops playing an elaborate role in employees’ lives. They rely on it as a gateway for collaboration and productivity in evolving work culture. Most importantly, the laptop lifestyle of today is no longer just about ticking things off your to-do lists but also includes nurturing connections and supporting multiple forms of functionalities. According to new research from Dell Technologies, 44% of people want their leaders to empower them to choose their preferred working pattern and provide the necessary tools and infrastructure to do their jobs.
At Dell, we understand that the concept of hybrid work is unique to each of us. However, we have the chance to redefine our relationship with work even though this transition is accompanied by a profound sense of change. As organisations continue to make robust hybrid work arrangements, it is crucial for them to improve the employee experience by providing them with devices and solutions that perfectly balance efficiency, personalisation, and security.
— What are some of the trends Dell has witnessed in the commercial PC segment? How have these dynamics influenced your product strategy and innovation?
One of the key trends we witness is that customers today expect more from their PCs as they are looking for a device that can adapt to the way they work and this increasing reliance on technology has led OEMs like us to enhance our offerings. Moreover, enterprises in India and around the world are moving from asking for devices like PCs to asking for end-to-end solutions. While hybrid work has enabled a culture of convenience, productivity, and generally a more employee-friendly structure, the flip side of it is the data security threats. We see PC security becoming a key priority for organisations as they continue to navigate the future of work.
Aligning with this trend, we are focused on personalising PCs for our customers. We believe that businesses are increasingly looking at digital transformation as a prerogative. Our latest commercial portfolio packs all the intelligent features and solutions that can help organisations solidify the future of hybrid work.
— Can you share some highlights of your latest commercial devices?
Our new commercial portfolio is all about greater collaboration, privacy and connectivity with an expanded suite of AI-powered software. We have introduced updates across the new range and some industry and world-first features. All the latest devices come equipped with 12th Gen Intel Core processors and the latest connectivity options, including 5G and Wi-Fi 6E.
The Precision 5470 is the world’s smallest, thinnest and most powerful 14-inch Mobile Workstation (MWS); Precision 5570 – the company’s thinnest and smallest 15-inch MWS and the Latitude 9430 – world’s smallest 14-inch 16:10 business PC. Our extremely portable yet durable Latitude 7330 Ultralight configuration is the world’s smallest and lightest 13.3-inch premium commercial 16:9 laptop. Weighing 0.967kg, it incorporates all the ports required to balance productivity in a high-quality form factor without compromising Latitude grade reliability. Furthermore, in alignment with Dell’s commitment to sustainable design, the new range features even more eco-friendly elements. The packaging is made from 100% recycled or renewable materials.
The new mobile workstations are built around an immersive edge-to-edge 14-inch Infinity Edge display in a compact footprint for highly mobile creators, engineers, and specialty professionals. The display comes with TUV-certified ComfortView Plus, a hardware-based low blue light filter that doesn’t consume resources or affect the true colour.
A common concern for power users is that more power means more heat. This makes Precision 5470’s cooling system vital to its performance, especially in such a streamlined design. To overcome this challenge, our engineers developed an innovative new thermal management system that fits within the confines of the compact system without sacrificing memory or the convenient Thunderbolt ports. We have also included a patented Dual Opposite Outlet fan technology with liquid polymer blades to help the system run at high speeds needed for complex workflows.
Finally, we have finetuned and upgraded our AI-based software, the Dell Optimiser. It learns diverse work styles and responds to users’ needs, automatically improving application performance, battery run-time, audio settings, and privacy. Moreover, the new Onlooker Detection, Look Away Detect, and SafeScreen, dim the screen when the user looks away, conceals sensitive information, and projects when an onlooker is detected. Additionally, it offers the world’s first simultaneous multi-network connection for faster data and video downloads. To top it all off, Dell offers the industry’s most secure commercial PCs – employing both software-based, above the operating system (OS) protections, and hardware-based, below the OS capabilities, to defend against current and future threats.
— Given that organisations are at different stages of their digital transformation journey, how can they make robust hybrid work arrangements?
One thing that’s evident is that most successful companies are those, who invest in their tech agility and continue with modernisation. IT departments are not looking to purchase just hardware and software anymore. They need a trusted partner to help guide their unique journey along the multiple paths to IT modernisation. Employees need secure and reliable technology solutions, not standalone products that allow them to collaborate and work productively in an evolving work culture.
We are cognizant that organisations are at various stages of the modernisation journey, and it is never going to be a one-size-fits-all solution. Technology truly is the backbone of so many companies in our current workplace era. From the tools we use to collaborate, to the devices we use to get our day jobs done – tech is enabling our hybrid workplace. From an IT perspective, you cannot underinvest in productivity tools. Employees need to have the ability to collaborate from anywhere. This is where infrastructure plays a pivotal role: PCs, security, a fast and reliable network/VPN must work together to ensure a seamless experience. But also, companies need to think about their devices: how will you make sure everyone working from home has the same experience of those in the office? Do you need high-resolution cameras? Bigger monitors? Can your on-site network support video conferencing in multiple meeting rooms? These are all questions worth asking when building a hybrid workforce plan.
That is why we created an accessible and personalised approach to the modern PC lifecycle. Our hybrid work expertise and innovative technology portfolio enables customers to simplify their IT and lead the future of work with the best employee experience.