Dell has climbed into bed with ad agency WPP in an estimated $100m a year deal that will bring the computer giant's global marketing, advertising, and communications ventures under one group.

WPP will set up a separate company to deal exclusively with Dell, while the computer maker will see its sprawling PR empire, currently spread across some 800 firms, simplified.

Dell global marketing VP Casey Jones said: "Instead of dating 800 agencies, we are creating a partnership with one firm. We want our partner to spend 100 per cent of their time thinking about our customers, rather than how they will get the next assignment."

Dell will undoubtedly use the new operation to strongly tout its products at the channel.

The world's second largest PC vendor behind Hewlett-Packard abandoned its direct-to-market "religion" in May amid flagging sales at the firm. More recently it's tied up significant retail deals with the likes of Walmart and Staples.

The full Dell press release is here. ®