Dell given licence to supply the BBC

Big deal from Auntie...

Dell has won a multimillion pound deal with the BBC. The world's largest PC maker will supply the UK state broadcaster with a range of PCs and workstations for 25,000 users in a three-year contract with BBC Technology. The models are OptiPlex GX260 desktops, Latitude C640 and C400 laptops and Precision 650 workstations - aimed at high-end, more technical users - supplied through Dell's build-to-order model. An exact figure for the contract has not been disclosed but the PC giant has been heralding the benefits of the deal. Bill Rodrigues, Dell VP UK and Global EMEA, said in a statement: "Working directly with our customers allows for a closer relationship with a single point of accountability." The relationship is non-exclusive, though in the past the BBC has been known to work with several suppliers before plumping for a specific technology type, for example when it chose to favour Microsoft PocketPC-based handheld devices at the expense of those that run Palm and other OSes.