Stumbling over sums: Dell admits sales errors

Dell has admitted to analysts that it misstated sales for fiscal 2000, particularly for Europe.

The company told research companies that it had over-stated the number of PC, notebook and server shipments from the fourth quarter of 1999 to the third quarter of 2000. In Europe, the company admitted that sales were 200,000 PCs, laptops and servers less than previously stated. Dell said that it inadvertently overestimated the number of machines that it shipped because of a mismatch between its fiscal year and the calendar year. For fourth quarter 1999, Dell reduced its previously stated European unit shipments by 14 per cent, and for first quarter 2000, it reduced the number by five per cent. This knocks Dell's figures for market share, from around 7.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent for the period, but boosts its figures for growth. But, as different analysts vary in their methodology - with some unwilling to change historical data - figures for this growth are varied.