DETROIT – Michael Dell, CEO and founder of Dell, on Tuesday at the Detroit Economic Club expressed optimism for both his own company and for the struggling Michigan auto industry, saying the auto industry embraces change. He also predicted some day you might see Dell products installed in vehicles.

Dell spoke for an hour at the MGM Grand Casino. The focus of his talk was the continuing development of the Information Technology industry, now bogged down in a global economic recession that also has dragged down sales in the auto industry.

�??We�??ve seen industries go through times like this before,�?� Dell said. But Dell is rallying. He said his company has gained six points of market share in the last quarter alone, a trend Dell attributed to new color options on laptops and other features that are aimed at younger consumers, as well as the decision to begin marketing this year his products in retail stores. He also predicted that because of products like Apple�??s iPhone, consumers will continue to see smaller computers, including the future launch of his own nine-inch notebook.

With about 500,000 users logging on to the Internet every day and developing countries beginning to embrace information technology, Dell was confident about the future of not only his company, but the industry as a whole.

�??It�??s a big opportunity and responsibility,�?� said Dell, who expressed excitement about the technological development of other countries, yet stressed the importance of the American economy. �??Half the world�??s wealth is in the U.S., and we only have less than 4 percent of the world�??s population.�?�

Dell started his company in 1984 as a 19 year old college student. The company experienced 80 percent growth in the first eight years, and 60 percent growth through the next six. Dell, however, struggled against competitors like Hewlett Packard, which grabbed an increasing share of the market and took some hits for its customer service, which Dell outsourced predominantly to India. But Dell said the advent of the Internet was simply �??rocket fuel�?� for the company that prided itself on having direct contact with its customers.

Dell said his company conducts five million conversations a day with customers, either through e-mail, telephone, or field surveys.

�??I like to think of Dell as a company with big ears,�?� he said.

This article was written by freelance reporter Neely Adkins.

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