Round Rock, Texas – Dell
confirmed that it is developing Windows 8-based tablets but won’t rule out the
possibility of re-entering the Android-based tablet market.
Last December, Dell discontinued
sales of Android tablets, but chief commercial officer Steve Felice told
Reuters that the company can compete in the tablet market and is encouraged by
the potential of Windows 8.
“We’re very encouraged by the
touch capability we are seeing in the beta versions of Windows 8,” Felice
told Reuters. “We have a roadmap for tablets that we haven’t announced yet. You’ll
see some announcements … for the back half of the year,” he said.
Dell has an advantage over Apple
tablets in the enterprise market, he added, because “on the commercial
side, there are a lot of concerns about security, interoperability, systems and
device management, and I think Dell is in the best position to meet those.”
A Dell spokesperson confirmed
Felice’s comments but did not offer any more details.
The company currently offers a
Windows 7-based Latitude ST tablet for enterprises and a convertible
laptop/tablet with Windows Professional OS, the company’s website shows.
In December, Dell exited the
Android tablet market when it stopped selling the Android-based Streak 7 tablet.
In August of that year, the company also exited the smartphone market when it stopped
selling the Streak 5, an Android phone that was launched in 2010 with what at
the time was the largest screen size, at 5 inches, of any smartphone.
