Michael Dell: Advancing humanity by unlocking the power of data

Dell Technologies Summit 2019
(Image credit: Anthony Spadafora)

Dell has laid out its goal of becoming one of the most environmentally-conscious firms in the technology industry by the end of the next decade. 

During his keynote address at the Dell Technology Summit, CEO Michael Dell took the stage to announce that the company had achieved many of the ambitious goals from its 2020 Legacy of Good plan while also outlining the company’s plan for the next decade.

Dell revealed the company’s new 2030 Progress Made Real plan which aims to usher in a new decade of responsibility and innovation with moonshot goals intended to propel the company's social impact worldwide. The plan itself will focus on advancing sustainability, cultivating inclusion, transforming lives and upholding ethics and data privacy.

Leveraging data for the advancement of humanity is a key component to the success of the plan according to Dell, who explained just how pivotal this will be, saying:

“Unlocking the power of data will advance humanity more than any other force over the next decade. We are committed to making that power broadly available to communities around the world, so we can all move forward together.” 

Progress Made Real

In terms of sustainability, Dell wants to recycle an equivalent product for every new device a customer purchases. The company is already working to achieve this ambitious goal by extracting gold from recycled printed circuit boards and reusing it when producing new ones. Packaging is another area where Dell plans to use more recycled materials and by 2030, it will use 100 percent recycled or renewable materials in all of its packaging.

Cultivating inclusion is another aspect of the company's Progress Made Real plan and it is currently working to hire, develop and retain more female employees so that they account for 50 percent of its global workforce by 2030.

Dell will also utilize its technology and scale to advance healthcare, education and economic opportunity initiatives to deliver enduring results for 1bn people by 2030. This will be done by connecting with partners, advancing healthcare through the power of data, enabling STEM learning with greater digital access and expanding horizons with more opportunities for people worldwide.

Finally, the company aims to fully automate its data control processes by 2030 to make it easier for customers to control their personal data.

Chief customer officer at Dell Technologies, Karen Quintos provided further insight on the ambitious goals of its Progress Made Real plan, saying:

“We have a great responsibility to apply the full power of Dell Technologies to transform lives and society. By combining our technology portfolio, global scale, team member talent and customer partnerships, we can drive significant positive impact. Our 2030 agenda is comprehensive and deeply embedded across the business. The moonshot goals stretch us to go far beyond incremental change. In some cases, we’re still working to uncover how we’ll get there – but we know that significant change and innovation starts with deep commitment.” 

Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.