Segment Information Segment information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Revenues:
Product sales	$ 3,008,000,000	$ 3,112,000,000
Services revenues	2,471,000,000	2,275,000,000
Total consolidated revenues	5,479,000,000	5,387,000,000
Gross profit	3,347,000,000	3,298,000,000
Gross profit percentage	61.10%	61.20%
Research and development	731,000,000	676,000,000
Selling, general and administrative	1,852,000,000	1,713,000,000
Restructuring and Acquisition-related Charges	119,000,000	148,000,000
Total costs and expenses	2,702,000,000	2,537,000,000
Operating income	645,000,000	761,000,000
Other income (expense), net	(74,000,000)	(70,000,000)
Income before provision for income taxes	571,000,000	691,000,000
Income tax provision	139,000,000	76,000,000
Net income	432,000,000	615,000,000
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	(40,000,000)	(35,000,000)
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	392,000,000	580,000,000
Information Storage
Revenues:
Product sales	2,302,000,000	2,472,000,000
Services revenues	1,378,000,000	1,326,000,000
Total consolidated revenues	3,680,000,000	3,798,000,000
Gross profit	1,976,000,000	2,088,000,000
Gross profit percentage	53.70%	55.00%
Information Intelligence Group
Revenues:
Product sales	35,000,000	43,000,000
Services revenues	119,000,000	112,000,000
Total consolidated revenues	154,000,000	155,000,000
Gross profit	99,000,000	99,000,000
Gross profit percentage	64.70%	63.60%
RSA Information Security
Revenues:
Product sales	104,000,000	100,000,000
Services revenues	140,000,000	133,000,000
Total consolidated revenues	244,000,000	233,000,000
Gross profit	162,000,000	152,000,000
Gross profit percentage	66.20%	65.40%
EMC Information Infrastructure
Revenues:
Product sales	2,441,000,000	2,615,000,000
Services revenues	1,637,000,000	1,571,000,000
Total consolidated revenues	4,078,000,000	4,186,000,000
Gross profit	2,237,000,000	2,339,000,000
Gross profit percentage	54.90%	55.90%
Research and development	377,000,000	366,000,000
Selling, general and administrative	1,102,000,000	1,076,000,000
Restructuring and Acquisition-related Charges	0	0
Total costs and expenses	1,479,000,000	1,442,000,000
Operating income	758,000,000	897,000,000
EMC Information Infrastructure Plus Pivotal
Revenues:
Product sales	2,452,000,000	2,628,000,000
Services revenues	1,675,000,000	1,593,000,000
Total consolidated revenues	4,127,000,000	4,221,000,000
Gross profit	2,256,000,000	2,356,000,000
Gross profit percentage	54.70%	55.80%
Research and development	408,000,000	392,000,000
Selling, general and administrative	1,143,000,000	1,113,000,000
Restructuring and Acquisition-related Charges	0	0
Total costs and expenses	1,551,000,000	1,505,000,000
Operating income	705,000,000	851,000,000
Other income (expense), net	(80,000,000)	(74,000,000)
Income tax provision	170,000,000	187,000,000
Net income	455,000,000	590,000,000
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	0	0
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	455,000,000	590,000,000
VMware Virtual Infrastructure Within EMC
Revenues:
Product sales	556,000,000	484,000,000
Services revenues	796,000,000	682,000,000
Total consolidated revenues	1,352,000,000	1,166,000,000
Gross profit	1,184,000,000	1,042,000,000
Gross profit percentage	87.60%	89.30%
Research and development	229,000,000	191,000,000
Selling, general and administrative	537,000,000	450,000,000
Restructuring and Acquisition-related Charges	0	0
Total costs and expenses	766,000,000	641,000,000
Operating income	418,000,000	401,000,000
Other income (expense), net	6,000,000	4,000,000
Income tax provision	83,000,000	83,000,000
Net income	341,000,000	322,000,000
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	68,000,000	62,000,000
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	273,000,000	260,000,000
Corp Reconciling Items [Member]
Revenues:
Product sales	0	0
Services revenues	0	0
Total consolidated revenues	0	0
Gross profit	(93,000,000)	(100,000,000)
Gross profit percentage	0.00%	0.00%
Research and development	94,000,000	93,000,000
Selling, general and administrative	172,000,000	150,000,000
Restructuring and Acquisition-related Charges	119,000,000	148,000,000
Total costs and expenses	385,000,000	391,000,000
Operating income	(478,000,000)	(491,000,000)
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Income tax provision	(114,000,000)	(194,000,000)
Net income	(364,000,000)	(297,000,000)
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	28,000,000	(27,000,000)
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	(336,000,000)	(270,000,000)
Pivotal
Revenues:
Product sales	11,000,000	13,000,000
Services revenues	38,000,000	22,000,000
Total consolidated revenues	49,000,000	35,000,000
Gross profit	19,000,000	17,000,000
Gross profit percentage	38.10%	48.30%
Research and development	31,000,000	26,000,000
Selling, general and administrative	41,000,000	37,000,000
Restructuring and Acquisition-related Charges	0	0
Total costs and expenses	72,000,000	63,000,000
Operating income	$ (53,000,000)	$ (46,000,000)