Dell Swarm
Long known as a distribution innovator, Dell is once again rolling out a new service which allows online users to act as a purchase cooperative. When enough users commit to buying a computer together (say 15 users), they get the bulk price. The price incentive will spur more sales, and the social aspect of the virtual coop will be a multiplier. Brilliant. Dell Swarm launches today in Singapore.
These users are geographically disconnected but share a common desire for a particular product. Why shouldn’t the public benefit from the same purchasing power once reserved for the distributors who cozied up to – and even pushed around – the manufacturers? Swarm is another example of the socialization of a business process flowing from the democratizing impact of network media. From a business perspective, the test of success may be the bottom line, but from a user perspective, putting the potential for price-pressure in the hands of the people is a great step forward. It will be interesting to see how it catches on.