Dell Expects Robust Sales Growth in Japan

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Dell Computer Corp. expects its sales in Japan to grow at a higher rate than the market average, Dell Computer President Michael Dell told a press conference in Tokyo Friday.

The company registered sales of 2.7 billion dollars in Japan in the year ended in January, up 16 pct from the previous year, he said.

Responding to the rapid sales increase, the company has decided to double the number of personnel at its customer center to 500 by the end of the year, one year ahead of schedule, he said. The facility was set up last year in Miyazaki, southwestern Japan.

The release of Microsoft Corp.’s new operating system, Windows Vista, will expand the market for personal computers, Dell said, noting that the new OS will be a significant improvement on the current one.

The launch, though delayed to January 2007, will boost sales of new PC models, such as those with dual-core processors, he said.END