Wed. Jun. 04, 2008
In preparation of our upcoming Annual Meeting of Stockholders on July 18th in Austin, we filed our proxy documents this week and began mailing ‘notice’ to shareholders. In the past, we mailed shareholders paper documents, including an annual report, proxy statement and voting instructions. As a result of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission e-proxy rule, public companies are now allowed to provide their proxy materials over the Internet, which is commonly referred to as ‘notice and access.’
So what’s different this year? The e-proxy rule requires us to mail a ‘notice’ to shareholders. This ‘notice’ provides instructions on how to ‘access’ proxy materials and related company information over the Internet, as well an option to continue receiving a paper copy of the proxy statement, annual report and voting instruction card. We believe that this new process is important – it will conserve natural resources and reduce the costs of printing and distributing proxy materials. Since we must provide this filing at least 40 days before the shareholders’ meeting, it will also provide shareholders with immediate access to the information they should review.
Why are we blogging about it now? It’s a big change and we wanted to make the transition as easy as possible. We filed our proxy statement on Monday, June 2nd and will begin mailing ‘notices’ to you this Friday, June 6th. Once you receive your notice in the mail, you can access the voting page online, where you will find: the proxy statement, our annual report on form10-K, a link to our 2008 interactive year-in-review website and information on the time and location of our annual meeting of stockholders.
In coordination with the online voting migration, we have re-designed our 2008 interactive year-in-review website that includes our chairman’s letter, a video from Michael, a synopsis of our key growth priorities, financial summary charts and easy-to-print PDF’s of all of the material on the site. Additionally, we have included easy to access links to our shareholder meeting webpage and the proxy voting website for your convenience. We encourage you to review the interactive review online and provide feedback on how you like the new format.
Proxy voting is an important means by which you as an investor can have a say in the business operations and activities of Dell. Whether you plan to attend our annual meeting on July 18th or not, we value your opinion and your vote. Shareholder feedback enables us to serve you better. We’re listening.