'); //]]>//--> By Rob Enderle May 10, 2021 4:00 AM PT Last week at Dell Technologies World, the most significant announcement was a massive as-a-service offering called Dell Technologies Apex. This promises to return the IT market to its long lost but fondly remembered IBM past. Back when I came out of school, IBM was the most revered and powerful technology company. This benefit was mainly due to a sales model that predated as-a-service but was surprisingly similar. The "services first leasing model" assured IBM a steady, easy-to-manage income stream; and customers an equally manageable cost stream that assured IBM and its customers were tied together at the hip. Dell's Apex promises even better benefits for Dell and its customers.