You might say Dell and Managed Services are real compatible.

In any case, there's an emerging story about how the Austin giant has made a slight, semantic change in its managed services division, renaming the former ProManage Managed Services to the much more elegant and simple Dell Managed Services.

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There are several discussion threads about Dell and managed services in the storage blogosphere--which is, believe it or not, one of the most impassioned (and funniest) little worlds in the world--as well as among several analysts. Dell, never a technology innovator, has made its historical mark by continuously redefining logistics.

From selling computers to a few individuals in a dorm room, then to the masses via mail order, then to corporations through a direct supply chain that was simple and effective, the company has always excelled at delivering in what it offers.

Now Dell is turning part of its attention to managed services, and by implication, Cloud Computing, as it strives to serve Managed Service Providers with a portfolio of SaaS applications.

Given my current location in Southeast Asia, it's of great interest to me in seeing this story break in Thailand recently. A spokesperson from Dell's Bangkok office, Anothal Wittayakom, was quoted recently in a Bangkok Post report, saying that "cloud computing (is) no longer an option, but is a must."

He cited figures from from an investment firm that said cloud computing software revenues will grow from $42 billion (25 of overall enterprise IT software spending, according to these figures) to $95 billion in 2015, with growth in Thailand mirroring these numbers. Wittayakom also reportedly said that that the small- and medium-business sector will comprise the early adaptors, and that they will be adapting public cloud computing.

"Thailand is now at the beginning stage of cloud, users are studying and evaluating its benefits, and there will be a frog-leap by the year-end," according to Bangkok Post reporter Sasiwimon Boonruang, who also noted, "Dell has announced the new SaaS applications across three IT infrastructure management areas including Client Device Management, Remote Infrastructure Monitoring and Continuity and Compliance Management. The applications and services include asset management, patch management, software distribution, anti-virus management, laptop data encryption, online backup and restore, software inventory and usage management, email continuity, crisis management and email security."

Dell Thailand has run a cloud computing pilot project with a manufacturing company, according to Anothal in the Post report. Other key markets in Southeast Asia--Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam--should be expected to follow this trend as well. I'll follow up to see if this is true, One would expect significant activity in the wealthy city-sttate of Singapore as well. I'll remember not to pack my chewing gum if I visit there to report on this.

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