Dell eyes up further buys after EMC takeover

Computer giant Dell has formally completed its multi-billion dollar takeover of cloud computing and IT security group EMC, positioning the company to use its size to invest in new areas and fend off competition from the cloud and other rivals.

The combination of the two companies creates a $74bn business that serves 98% of Fortune-500 companies. It also takes EMC out of the glare of the public markets as the company is privately controlled.

The tie-up, seen as the largest technology deal in history and valued at about $67bn when it was first announced almost a year ago, brings together the leading provider of key storage products and one of the top makers of servers and personal computers as both companies grapple with rising interest in cloud-based services from rivals such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.