Michael Dell, MSD Partners, and Silver Lake are leading a transaction to combine the EMC Federation of companies and Dell. This business combination will create the world¹s largest privately-controlled technology company. We expect the transaction to close in mid-2016.

 Our combined product and technology portfolios are complementary, so partners can plan with confidence as we expect minimal disruption to existing product lines. In fact, the strength of our combination is generating positive feedback from customers and partners excited about what the future will bring.

 EMC will continue to work closely with our partners to power customers’ IT transformation initiatives by:

 Remaining committed to our partner ecosystem and partner programs

1. Continuing to enhance our partnerships and technology ecosystems, including enhancing existing products and roadmaps and our customary commitment to long term support for all current products (minimum of five years)
2. Extending our technology leadership through investment in R&D
3. Preserving our dedication to customer choice (free of lock-in)
4. Listening to partner feedback and communicating updates to you clearly — and often.

 Combined, EMC and Dell will be a leader in 22 Gartner Magic Quadrants, with an end-to-end product portfolio spanning the world’s greatest technology franchises in storage, servers, virtualization, PCs, including leadership positions in software-defined data center, hybrid cloud, converged infrastructure, mobile and security.

 Plus, moving to a privately-controlled ownership model will provide more freedom to invest for the long-term, in R&D and innovation to keep delivering top-class products, services and support.

 We very much look forward to bringing the power of this combination to you, and we thank you for your continued confidence in us as your trusted partner.