Michael Dell on Thursday reaffirmed plans to reduce Dell's headcount by 8,800, but also said the layoffs may exceed that number in an effort to further cut costs.

Michael Dell, the company's CEO, said the company plans to cut "at least" 8,800 jobs, but also stated that "we may go past that number." The company cut its headcount by 3,200 by the end of fiscal 2008, which ended on Feb. 28.

A Dell spokesman declined to provide a new headcount reduction guidance beyond 8,800, stating that number was the goal for now. At the end of fiscal 2008, the company employed around 88,200 employees.

The layoffs are part of a cost-cutting plan that will save the company more than US$3 billion over the next three years.

Earlier this week, Dell said it would cut 900 jobs after shutting down a desktop assembly plant in Austin, Texas. The margins are low in the desktop PC business and the company is realigning its North America operations to make it more efficient, a Dell executive said on Wednesday.

Dell is taking additional steps to cut costs, including reducing compensation, restructuring its product design and distribution, and realigning its manufacturing strategy by shutting down some factories, while opening new operations in emerging markets.

The company has opened factories in low-cost manufacturing countries like Poland, Brazil and India to meet the growing needs in emerging markets, while looking to realign its North American assembly operations. Dell is willing to shift computer assembly to partners to reduce costs and boost margins.

The company is also cutting expenses by designing products targeted at specific design segments and price points, rather than offering a generic base on which to build PCs for all segments and price points.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.

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