Dell employees will soon be giving up their RIM BlackBerry devices in favour of Dell’s own Windows Phone 7-powered Dell Venue Pro. All in all, about 25,000 Dell employees will be affected by the company’s decision. Dell spokesman David Frink expects the migration to begin shortly but will be gradual.
Research In Motion has seen its previously dominant enterprise presence come under threat as Android devices and the Apple iPhone begin to encroach onto its territory. This news is another symbolic loss that emphasizes the increasingly tenuous position it finds itself in. At the same time, the same news is a symbolic win for Microsoft and its new Windows Phone 7 OS.
I expect that Dell will also offer Android smartphone to its employees when these become available.