Dell Japan adds corporate leasing
Dell's Japanese unit will start a leasing program for corporate customers in conjunction with Japan?s Orix, in an effort to boost its minimal market share.
Corporate customers will order computers directly from Dell, while the actual leasing will be done by Orix, a spokeswoman for Dell Japan told Reuters. The terms of the lease extend for two or three years, the same as the company's U.S. program.
The move aims to improve Dell's small, but growing, presence in Japan and the Asia-Pacific market. Dell's fourth quarter 1997 revenues from Asia-Pacific and Japan grew 79 percent over revenue for the fourth quarter in 1996, according to the Round Rock, Texas, company. Nonetheless, Dell claims only two percent of those markets, well behind its top-five status in America and Europe.
The leasing program can also be seen as an effort to circumvent the capital crunch that's hit many corporations in Asia's depressed economic climate.
Last August, Dell introduced a leasing program in the American consumer market. The program encompasses Dimension desktops and Inspiron notebook models, and is run by the independent Dell Financial Services as a joint venture with financial services firm Newcourt Credit Group.
Dell first rolled out leasing in April of last year, at the time saying it would eventually extend its service offerings on a worldwide basis.