On April 22, 2003
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INDUSTRY ANALYSIS ..............................................................................................................................3
CURRENT STATUS ....................................................................................................................................6
C
URRENT
S
ITUATION
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Performance...........................................................................................................................................6
Missions, Objectives, and
The four main computer types produced in SIC 3571 are mainframe computers,
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microcomputers, minicomputers, and personalcomputers. Dell also sells computer peripherals, which SIC 3577 encompasses. The description for SIC #3577 is establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing computer peripheral equipment such as including printers, plotters, and graphic displays.
During the time of the Dell Case, which is from 1995 to 1999, are some major trends occurring in the PC industry. By the mid-1990s, a relatively mature global industry structure was in place, with the U.S. specializing in design, advanced components such as microprocessors, software, and services, Asia providing much of the hardware manufacturing, and Europe mostly producing hardware, software, and services for its own markets.
The industry was changing, however, as new competitive forces emerged, including shorter clock speeds, mass customization, electronic commerce, and globalization. Shorter PC product cycles have enhanced the importance of depreciation and time-to-market considerations in determining location decisions. In the words of a
Taiwanese PC executive, "Even if you manufacture a machine at very low cost in Asia and save 5% on the manufacturing cost, by the time it gets shipped to the U.S.; the price erosion is 10%." The build-to-order strategies of PC makers such as Dell and