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Dell hires new online chief

Tom Krazit Former Staff writer, CNET News
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Google, as the most prominent company on the Internet defends its search juggernaut while expanding into nearly anything it thinks possible. He has previously written about Apple, the traditional PC industry, and chip companies. E-mail Tom.
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Tom Krazit

Dell has tapped Sona Chawla, formerly of Wells Fargo, for a new role supervising all of Dell's online sales and support activities, a company representative said.

Chawla, who started Monday, will report to Dell Senior Vice President John Hamlin and will help put into place Dell's strategy for streamlining and improving its site, the representative said. Dell has overhauled its Web site this year with a cleaner design and a reduced emphasis on short-term promotions as part of its plan to recapture some momentum.

The new year can't come soon enough for Dell, which has endured a rocky year full of earnings shortfalls, market share losses and SEC investigations. Dell does about $16 billion in revenue through its Web site each year, out of about $56 billion in annual sales, according to the company.