Dell said the deal would complement the capabilities it gained earlier in 2007 when it acquired MSP (managed services provider) platform company SilverBack Technologies. Together, the technologies from the two companies will further enable end-to-end remote management of customers' IT environments, Dell said in a statement.

Privately held Everdream manages more than 140,000 desktops for companies that include ADP (Automatic Data Processing), Brocade Communications Systems, Korean Air, Midas, Salesforce.com and Sonic Automotive, according to the company's Web site.

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The deal is only the most recent in Dell's acquisition spree of companies with channel programs, which began soon after Dell abruptly announced that direct sales was no longer its "religion"—that the company would form a channel program and sell indirectly as well.

Since then, the company has announced plans to acquire SilverBack and EqualLogic. Paul Bell, Dell's president for the Americas, discussed with The Channel Insider other areas of potential expansion, such as the data center, and did not rule out the possibility that there would be other acquisitions to help Dell quickly gain traction with channel partners and in new technological areas.

Click here to read more about Dell's acquisition of MSP provider SilverBack Technologies.

Dell said the acquisition of Everdream will enable it to extend remote management of critical IT assets from servers, storage and printers to desktops, notebooks and other end-user devices globally.

"The planned Everdream acquisition is a significant step in Dell's next-generation service offerings and provides Dell an expanded presence in the rapidly growing SAAS-enabled managed services market," Dell Senior Vice President Steve Schuckenbrock said in a statement. "Everdream has an extremely talented team that has developed industry-leading technology enabling customers and partners to easily and affordably manage PCs from anywhere in the world."

Everdream appointed a new vice president of worldwide sales in April to oversee its field sales, services and channel operations and expand its relationships with regional and worldwide channel partners. Everdream products will continue to be developed for and offered through channel partners, and will also serve as the foundation for future Dell service offerings, Dell said.

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