DELL, the computer giant that built its name on making PCs more affordable to businesses and consumers, is counting on next summer's Commonwealth Games leaving a positive legacy for its business as well as the host city of Glasgow.
The company, which employs 550 staff at City Park in Glasgow, will have a key role in running the Games as the sole provider of technology to its 40 venues.
The sponsorship is part of a wider programme of community engagement Dell runs in Glasgow, which also sees it supply 170 primary schools and 122 nurseries with information communications technology (ICT).
The company also continues to develop relationships at all stages of the education sector in Scotland as it seeks to recruit the best talent for the future.
Aongus Hegarty, the company's Dublin-based president for Europe, Middle East and Africa, emphasised the importance of the Games on a visit to Glasgow and Edinburgh this week.
Mr Hegarty said: "We're excited about the fact we have such a significant presence of employees here in Scotland. We're looking to have a lot of engagement between our employees and the event and that is already starting to happen.
"But also the Commonwealth Games is a community group of many countries and we have a significant presence in many of these countries – Canada, South Africa, India, and countries in Africa. For us it's also very much a global event for our country, but it will very much be focused around Scotland, and Glasgow and Edinburgh and our teams, our organisations and our customers in the UK."
Mr Hegarty declined to be precise about how much Dell has invested in the Commonwealth sponsorship.
As well as supplying organisers with 1500 desktop computers, 200 laptops and around 60 servers, the sponsorship will be brought to life through activities to encourage its staff around the world to get involved.
Mr Hegarty said: "The key element for us here is not just on the sponsorship, it's about the importance of the event and how technology is now key to major sporting events. For us, we want to work with the Commonwealth Games to provide the best technology solutions to make the Games a huge success."
Meanwhile, cultivating the talent of tomorrow remains a key priority of Dell's operations in Scotland.
The company has forged close links with primary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities in Scotland, both to provide solutions to institutions and to recruit staff.
The company gets involved at secondary school level, encouraging pupils to consider careers in technology as they make their subject choices, and providing work experience.
Graduate recruitment is another "key focus" for Dell, and the company plans to develop its activities in this area to meet its staff requirements in Glasgow and Edinburgh, where a further 60-plus staff are employed.
Links have been forged with each of Scotland's main higher education institutions.
Mr Hegarty said: "We look for a broad set of skills [in staff]. It is not just technology-based skills, it is marketing skills, sales skills and all the traditional functions you can think of – finance, HR and other support areas."
Mr Hegarty also provided an update on the "transformation" programme that has seen Dell move from a supplier of hardware and software to an "end-to-end" provider of technology solutions, for consumers and businesses.
Among the many solutions it now provides are devices that allow doctors to get full access of medical records.
Mr Hegarty said it is just one example of the firm providing solutions that derive maximum efficiency for its customers.
However, although the business is evolving, Mr Hegarty insisted its philosophy of "customer first" has not changed.
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