6 Fun Facts About Dell Technologies You Might Not Know

Fun Facts

As final preparations are being made for the first Dell EMC World conference in Austin, Texas, next week, take a moment to get a little more familiar with the company that can now claim to be the largest privately held tech firm in the world.

While Dell Technologies may be large today, it started in CEO Michael Dell's dorm room at the University of Texas, a town that has since become a second home for many tech giants, like AMD, Apple, Cisco and IBM, among others.

Click through to check out some more fun facts about Dell Technologies, including its environmental efforts, sports sponsorships and its high profile in television and movies.

The Dorm Room

Austin may be a tech hot spot, and the University of Texas may pump a steady stream of graduates into the industry every year, but Michael Dell, the founder, chairman and CEO of his namesake company, only spent one year at UT, and that was the end of his college education. Dell famously founded the company in his dorm room, and dropped out after his freshman year to concentrate on running what was then known as PCs Limited.

Big Screen, Small Screen

The familiar Dell logo has made some pretty high-profile product placement appearances. Monitors, laptops and other Dell equipment have shown up on TV and in movies ranging from the "Mission Impossible" franchise to online series like "House of Cards" to network sitcoms like "The Big Bang Theory."

Making A Name In Austin

Dell identifies strongly with Austin, Texas. Likewise, the city's association with the company is deep and ever-present. But while Michael Dell started his company in the city, and has grown it in greater Austin over the past 30-plus years, other tech giants are also quite visible there, setting up massive regional offices. The list includes some of the most recognizable names in the industry and some of Dell's key competitors. They include AMD, Apple, Cisco, eBay, Google, IBM, Intel and Oracle.

Right Place, Right Time

Dell started as PCs Limited in 1984. In 1985, the company built the first computer it had designed on its own and had decided to custom-assemble each machine and sell the machines directly to customers. By 1987, the company had changed its name to Dell Computer Corp. and was approaching $100 million in annual revenue. By the mid-1990s, Dell was more than ready to capitalize on the internet's rise, and began selling custom PCs to customers online.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Like many large corporations inside and outside the tech industry, Dell has made a commitment to reducing its impact on the environment. Dell calls its environmental efforts part of a shift toward a "circular economy." Dell uses plastic from recycled computers to make new parts for nearly 50 of its new products. Last year, Dell made an estimated 3.4 million pounds of new parts with recycled plastic.

In The Swing Of Things

Earlier this year, Dell flexed its sports sponsorship muscles, becoming the title sponsor of the PGA Tour's World Golf Championships Match Play. The relationship began the prior year when Dell became an official sponsor, along with title sponsor Cadillac, of the Match Play championship held in San Francisco. Beginning this year, and extending through 2019, Dell will be the title sponsor, and the championship is held in Austin.