Michael Dell: Russia’s Ukraine Invasion Is ‘A Great Tragedy’
‘On everybody’s minds is the situation in Ukraine. Obviously, we’re thinking about all those that are affected and focused on the welfare of our team,’ Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell tells CRN, as Dell stops product sales in Russia.
Michael Dell, CEO and founder of the $101 billion technology giant Dell Technologies, says he’s devastated by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and is focused on supporting Dell employees in the region.
“It’s a great tragedy and very disappointing to see a humanitarian disaster,” said Michael Dell in an interview with CRN. “Obviously, we’re focused on how we can help and support the team members that we have in the region that are directly impacted.”
Last week, Dell suspended all product sales in Russia, joining the growing number of large technology companies deciding to halt business with Russia, which recently launched an invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
“On everybody’s mind is the situation in Ukraine. Obviously, we’re thinking about all those that are affected and focused on the welfare of our team. That’s our top priority,” said Dell. “It’s a horrible situation.”
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The Round Rock, Texas-based PC and infrastructure giant said it continues to monitor the situation to determine Dell’s next steps and is working to help employees affected by the conflict.
“We’re focused on understanding what is the impact to our team members, to our customers, to our partners, and navigating through that,” said Michael Dell.
Dell Technologies is the worldwide market share leader in servers, storage and hyperconverged infrastructure as well as a top PC player.
IBM, Cisco Cuts Russia Business This Week
Just this week, IBM suspended all business in Russia, while also launching a tool for Ukrainian employees and contractors to connect with colleagues who can offer assistance.
“In Ukraine, we have been in constant touch with our local teams and continue to provide assistance that includes relocation and financial support,” said IBM’s Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna. “The safety and security of IBMers and their families in all areas impacted by this crisis remains our top priority.”
Additionally, Cisco this week stopped all business operations, including sales and services, in Russia and Belarus for the foreseeable future.
“Our deepest hope is that this war will end soon,” said Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins. “In the meantime, we are committed to using all the resources we can to help our employees, the institutions and people of Ukraine, and our customers and partners during this challenging time, and we will do all within our power to support those who need it.”
Other technology giants are joining the historic sanctions against Russia include Apple, AMD, Microsoft, Oracle, Google and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, to name a few.