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Dell updates Venue 8 Pro, Venue 10 Pro tablets, makes enterprise case

Dell's Venue 8 Pro and Venue 10 Pro tablets enter what's becoming a crowded enterprise tablet space with Microsoft's Surface and Apple's iPad Pro. Dell's plan is to sell the services and management tools around the devices.
Written by Larry Dignan, Contributor
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Dell Venue 10 Pro 5000 Series and keyboard.

Dell on Tuesday rolled out updates to its Venue 8 Pro and Venue 10 Pro tablets, which are designed for corporate use.

The launches are notable given Dell's recent move to resell Microsoft's Surface Pro. In addition, Apple officially made its enterprise tablet case with the iPad Pro, which is designed to replace laptops in many cases.

For business technology decision makers, Dell's Venue 10 Pro Tablet is probably the one worth noting. The Venue 10 Pro is similar to the Surface and has a 2-in-1 keyboard, 10.1 inch touch display and various ports as well as Type C docking.

Also: Microsoft launches Surface Pro preemptive strike vs. Apple's iPad Pro | Apple's iPad Pro vs. MacBook vs. Surface Pro: The price, spec bake-off | iPad Pro promises desktop performance in tablet

The Venue 8 Pro tablet is the smaller version. The Venue 8 Pro starts at $299. The Venue 10 Pro starts at $429.

As noted when Dell decided to resell the Surface, the game for the company is really selling services and manageability tools around the device.

Kirk Schell, vice president and general manager of Dell's commercial client unit, said enterprises are increasingly ordering 2-in-1 devices and tablets in bulk. These businesses are also looking to use Windows 10 to standardize their device base and modernize apps.

"We're seeing quotes for 10s of thousands of tablets," said Schell. "These devices need to be ready with common features, but also include support, Intel vPro across tablets and management tools to make them easier to deploy."

Schell is hoping that Dell's secret sauce will revolve around the device as well as all the services that go with it. "Standardization is becoming more important and the device is just part of it," said Schell, who noted the price of the device is part of the equation, but so is software, drivers and management.

What remains to be seen is how the enterprise tablet space plays out from here. Windows 10 is being pitched as a way to provide multiple screens to enterprises on one platform. Dell's plan is to offer the following:

  • One vendor for both Dell tablets and 2-in-1s and Microsoft's Surface.
  • Support with Dell's ProSupport Plus for PCs and tablets with its SupportAssist tools.
  • Security tools and manageability via Dell's KACE platform.

Here's a look at the Venue 10 Pro specs.

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