Dell Hires Former CA CEO To Run New Software Group

Dell has created a new Software Group and hired ex-CA Technologies CEO John Swainson to run it.

The Software Group will seek to develop new organizational and support capabilities while delivering end-to-end IT solutions to customers, according to Dell. The company did not say what sort of applications it might look to develop or whether it would seek software acquisitions, saying only it would seek to increase its solution portfolio with Dell-owned intellectual property.

Dell has made more than a dozen acquisitions in the past few years, including several software companies such as ASAP Software, MessageOne and Boomi.

Swainson will start March 5 and report to Michael Dell, chairman and CEO.

"John is an outstanding leader with an unparalleled record of achievement," said Michael Dell in a statement. "He brings to Dell extensive experience in leading and growing software businesses, unique expertise in managing complex software organizations, and a passion for listening to and serving customers. I look forward to working with John as he expands our enterprise solutions and builds on our software capabilities."

The creation of a Software Group will help Dell transform into a more well-rounded company, Michael Dell said. "As software will be a part of all of our products and services, the group's success will largely be measured by the success of Dell overall," he said.

Swainson most recently was a senior adviser to Silver Lake, a global private equity firm, and previously served as CEO of CA from 2005 to 2009. Prior to that, he worked at IBM for more than 26 years, including seven years as general manager of the Application Integration Middleware Division, a business he founded in 1997, and helped develop the IBM WebSphere portfolio, according to Dell.