Dell adds leasing, sales options

Echoing IBM, Dell Computer (DELL) will begin to offer PC buyers a range of financial services.

Dell also will bolster its Internet direct-sales model with new services. The company claims to average $1 million in revenues from the Internet per day.

Dell Financial Services is a joint venture with financial services firm Newcourt Credit Group. It will provide a range of leasing options to Dell customers in the United States and eventually worldwide, the company said.

Dell Financial Services also will offer asset recovery services to select customers who need assistance "with the disposal and possible resale of computer equipment that is replaced."

Services will include simple hardware leases as well as complex leases that combine multiple products, services, software, support, asset management tools, installation, asset recovery, and project management, Dell said.

Dell also launched personalized Internet-based services for all business and public-sector customers and expanded its Internet offerings to include more than 6,500 products from its DellWare catalog.

Against a backdrop of recent Internet launches in Japan and Europe, "Dell is pursuing its vision of global customer services and transactions over the Internet," the company said.

For its largest corporate, government and education customers, Dell is developing secure, dedicated Internet sites called Premier Pages. On accessing a Premier Page, customers can confirm daily order and manufacturing status for systems, view approved configurations and discounted pricing. Soon customers will be able to place an order electronically without supplying a purchase order.