Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended													12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2007 Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 Plan	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Employee Stock Purchase - 1989 Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Employee Stock Purchase - 1989 Plan Common Stock	May 31, 2009 VMware 2007 Equity and Incentive Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware 2007 Equity and Incentive Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Stock Repurchase Plan VMware Class A common stock	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Employee Stock Purchase Plan - 2007 Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Employee Stock Purchase Plan - 2007 Plan VMware Class A common stock	Dec. 31, 2012 Vesting Upon Fulfilling Service Conditions	Dec. 31, 2012 Vesting Accelerated Upon Achieving Performance Conditions	Dec. 31, 2012 Vesting Upon Achieving Certain Performance Conditions	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Restricted Stock	Dec. 31, 2011 VMware Restricted Stock	Dec. 31, 2010 VMware Restricted Stock	Dec. 31, 2009 VMware Restricted Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Restricted Stock VMware 2007 Equity and Incentive Plan Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Restricted Stock VMware 2007 Equity and Incentive Plan Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Stock Options	Dec. 31, 2011 VMware Stock Options	Dec. 31, 2010 VMware Stock Options	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Stock Options VMware 2007 Equity and Incentive Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Stock Options VMware 2007 Equity and Incentive Plan Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Stock Options VMware 2007 Equity and Incentive Plan Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 VMware Stock Options VMware VMware 2007 Equity and Incentive Plan VMware Class A common stock	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Information Infrastructure Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units	Dec. 31, 2011 EMC Information Infrastructure Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units	Dec. 31, 2010 EMC Information Infrastructure Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units	Dec. 31, 2009 EMC Information Infrastructure Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Information Infrastructure Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Information Infrastructure Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Pro Rata Vesting Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Information Infrastructure Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Pro Rata Vesting Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Information Infrastructure Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Cliff Vesting Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Information Infrastructure Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Cliff Vesting Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Information Infrastructure Stock Options	Dec. 31, 2011 EMC Information Infrastructure Stock Options	Dec. 31, 2010 EMC Information Infrastructure Stock Options	Dec. 31, 2012 EMC Information Infrastructure Stock Options Common Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Exercise price for a stock option, minimum percentage of fair market value		100.00%
Period from date of grant that options become exercisable					5 years
Period from date of grant that options expire (no later than ten years after the date of grant)		10 years			10 years																						6 years	7 years
Restricted stock vesting period																					3 years	4 years				3 years				2 years				2 years	3 years	4 years	3 years	5 years
Number of shares authorized for grant						360,000,000				100,000,000			6,400,000
Number of shares reserved for every one share issued in connection with awards																														2
Number of other stock option plans, in addition to 2003 Plan		4
Number of plans consolidated into the 2003 Plan	4
Common stock, shares reserved for future issuance		27,100,000					922,400,000	153,000,000
Number of plans		5
Number of shares available for grant						49,400,000				16,500,000		600,000
Purchase price of common stock, as a percent of fair market value								85.00%																		25.00%			100.00%
Weighted average remaining contractual term																																							4 years 0 months 0 days
Options, exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value																							$ 439.5																$ 664.0
Options, exercisable																							7,382,000																60,575,000
Options, vested and expected to vest																							10,067,000																76,538,000
Options, vested and expected to vest, weighted average remaining contractual term																							2 years 8 months 12 days																4 years 7 months 0 days
Options, vested and expected to vest, aggregate intrinsic value		835.1																					609.6
Closing stock price																							$ 94.14																			$ 25.3
Options, exercised, aggregate intrinsic value																							443.3	647.8	678.8														517.9	619.2	470.2
Cash proceeds from the exercise of stock options																							183.8	280.6	386.1														406.6	532.4	660.0
Income tax benefits realized from the exercise of stock options																																							96.9	126.7	75.3
Vested, intrinsic value																	346.9	356.1	258.0											421.1	371.1	203.7
Outstanding and unvested (in shares)																	12,170,000	9,540,000	9,752,000	9,211,000										47,207,000	45,531,000	43,377,000	37,363,000
Outstanding and unvested, intrinsic value		$ 1,194,300,000															$ 1,145,700,000
Expected to vest (in shares)														41,200,000	9,200,000	6,000,000
Increase in number of shares available for issuance									20,000,000
Number of shares assumed in business acquisitions										2,100,000
Stock repurchase plan, amount remaining for repurchase											467.9
Purchase price of stock, percent of market value on grant date													85.00%
Purchase price of stock, percent of market value on exercise date													85.00%
ESPP withholding payable													37.2
Stock options exercisable, weighted-average remaining contractual term																							1 year 10 months 24 days
ESPP, stock-based compensation expense		51.5	43.6	34.9
Unrecognized compensation expense		$ 1,403.2
Unrecognized compensation expense, weighted-average remaining period		1 year 6 months