Dell eyes up China market with Baidu

HARDWARE FIRM Dell is working with the Chinese internet search giant Baidu on a plan to get its smartphones and tablets into local hands.

The Texas company is competing for attention in a market that already knows firms like Nokia, Apple, HTC and Samsung, and its arrangement with the search leader in China could make it more appealing to those customers.

Reuters reports on the deal and explains that the tie-up will give it access to a mobile consumer base of 900 million people. Although a lot of these will undoubtedly favour rival units, like the ubiquitous Ipad, Dell must be confident of some gains, despite an increasing number of releases from rivals, including some at lower price points.

Although it did not comment on the timescale for the deal, the firm said, "We have a partnership with Baidu and you know we have the Streak 5 tablet, so the partnership will be in that space," said a spokesperson.

It is likely, since the first Dell Streak tablet has been on the market for a few months, that the devices will launch shortly. µ