Dell plans to release new enterprise tablet the day of Windows 8’s release

We’ve seen plans for a Dell consumer-focused tablet in 2012, but now it looks like the company is looking to jump into Windows 8 with an enterprise tablet “on the exact day” the new OS comes out. In an interview with Bloomberg, CEO Michael Dell said that there was strong demand for a “secure Windows tablet that works with all the Windows applications.” In a separate interview, the head of Dell’s Asia division said that the company would still release tablets and smartphones based on the Android platform, but that it would focus on “leading the market” in Windows 8 tablets.

This latest interview reiterates what Dell’s enterprise group president recently told PC Pro: “we’re no longer a PC company, we’re an IT company.” Instead of consumer electronics, Dell plans to emphasize enterprise support at a variety of levels, from the new tablet to a business “social media command center.” After the poor performance of the Dell Streak tablet, the company is trying to cut into growing iPad business sales by fitting its new products into a larger Dell-based ecosystem. It will also be competing with HP, which plans to release its own enterprise tablet on Windows 8.