Dell and EMC get it on in storage love-in

PC maker Dell is to join forces with EMC to sell the storage giant's Clariion storage systems, re-opening a deal that was cancelled two years ago.

The pair are due to announce the deal as early as tomorrow according to the Wall Street Journal, which quoted sources close to the matter.

Both Dell and EMC are starting to come to terms with a world in which a combined HP and Compaq will create a storage behemoth. Dell, which sells low-end storage, will find it very hard to compete.

However, IDC storage analyst Claus Egge, said the deal has little to do with the HP Compaq deal. He said: "This will fill a gap in the higher end for Dell, and at the same time EMC has struggled to sell its Clariion systems, so it works for both parties, but it is unlikely it was prompted by the merger announcement."