Dell has reported sharply reduced earnings in response to increased competition in the computer market.
Profits at the world's top-ranking personal computer maker which employs over 5,000 people in Limerick and Bray, slumped to $433 million for the May-to-July quarter, down 28 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Dell which has led the price war among computer makers, said sales were flat over the quarter.
But profits were hit by a cut in margins as the Texas-based firm kept the lid on computer prices, ensuring a sharp drop in component costs was rapidly passed on to suppliers.
In May Dell revealed it would cut 4,000 jobs this year. It said its operating expenses, at 10.3 per cent of revenue, were at their lowest level in the company's history.
PA