Press Room

NetHope Welcomes New Members at Dell-Sponsored Summit in the City of Knowledge and Reinforces Panama

October 23, 2007

PANAMA CITY, Panama –  Today, NetHope, Inc., a new-generation consortium of IT professionals representing leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world, formally announced the addition of two new members: Family Health International (FHI) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. This expansion increases the number of NetHope member organizations to twenty, and adds to the consortium’s collective information and communications technology (ICT) expertise, skills and capacity so that the organizations can operate more effectively and efficiently around the globe. NetHope welcomed its new members during its annual summit, sponsored by Dell Inc. in Panama’s City of Knowledge.

“We look forward to partnering with NetHope during this summit and beyond to explore how Dell can help the NGO community expand technology to serve the half-million people coming online every day, many in emerging markets,” said Martin Alvarez, general manager of the Dell Panama site. “Through this sponsorship, Dell reaffirms its commitment to partnering with leading NGOs and expanding the benefits of digital access to people around the globe.”

NetHope is supported by other leading technology companies including Microsoft Corp., Cisco Systems, Inc., and Accenture.

“The work of NetHope involves providing connectivity for the ‘last hundred kilometers’ to the remote parts of the world where international nonprofits work,” said Ed Granger-Happ, NetHope chairman and CIO of Save the Children. “The members of NetHope are all facing the same ICT challenges. By working together we’re able to solve our common challenges faster, better and more economically than we could ever do alone.”

“NetHope’s model of collaboration and knowledge-sharing is very consistent with the mission of Panama’s City of Knowledge,” said Bill Brindley, CEO of NetHope. “It’s apt that NetHope members from around the world are meeting in a complex that is devoted to education, research and innovation.”

The City of Knowledge complex is governed by the City of Knowledge Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization created in 1995. The City of Knowledge fulfills its mission through three components: academic, business and international organizations. Their synergy generates unique opportunities for developing initiatives and programs that capitalize on the strengths of Panama’s new economy, geographic position and connectivity offered by the presence of the Interoceanic Canal, the Transisthmian railroad, and flights to and from the main capitals and cities on the American continent.

Dell Panama is part of a network that supports Dell customers around the world and is committed to contributing to the Panamanian community where its team members live and work. Dell Panama has donated significant funding to underserved communities through grants, fundraisers, volunteer efforts and in-kind donations to benefit organizations such as PROBIDSIDA, Nutre Hogar, Junior Achievement, Teleton 20-30, Hogra Malambo, Movimiento Social Nueva Generacion and others. Dell Panama employees are also active volunteers helping children bridge the digital divide within these and other community groups.

NetHope NGO members with offices in Panama include Christian Children’s Fund (CCF), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Plan International, and The Nature Conservancy. Action Aid International, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Children International, Concern Worldwide, Heifer International, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Mercy Corps, Opportunity International, Oxfam International, Plan USA, Relief International, Wildlife Conservation Society, Winrock International and World Vision International complete the list of NetHope NGO members to date.

About NetHope

NetHope, Inc., which started in 2001, is a new-generation consortium of IT professionals from twenty of the international community’s leading nongovernmental organization (NGOs) representing over $30 billion (USD) of emergency relief, human development and conservation programs in more than 150 countries. Through member collaboration and by facilitating public-private partnerships with major technology companies, NetHope enables members to leverage their technology investments to better serve their end beneficiaries. For more information, visit www.nethope.org.

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell is a leading global systems and services company and No. 34 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.dell.com, or to communicate directly with Dell via a variety of online channels, go to www.dell.com/conversations. To get Dell news direct, visit www.dell.com/RSS.

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For more information, press only:

Melissa Harris Thirsk, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide for NetHope, (425) 638-7180, mharris@waggeneredstrom.com

Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide for NetHope, (503) 443-7070, rrt@waggeneredstrom.com

Mercedes Morris Garcia, Dell Panama, (507) 211-6690,

Mercedes_Morris@Dell.com