Segment information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Revenues:
Product revenues	$ 3,400	$ 3,165	$ 9,728	$ 9,535
Services revenues	2,632	2,374	7,663	7,005
Total consolidated revenues	6,032	5,539	17,391	16,540
Gross profit	3,743	3,442	10,744	10,249
Gross profit percentage	62.00%	62.10%	61.80%	62.00%
Research and development	767	686	2,239	2,056
Selling, general and administrative	1,990	1,809	5,852	5,308
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	39	40	187	195
Total costs and expenses	2,796	2,535	8,278	7,559
Operating income (expense)	947	907	2,466	2,690
Non-operating income (expense), net	(114)	(87)	(253)	(213)
Income tax provision	206	181	532	474
Net income	627	639	1,681	2,003
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	(40)	(53)	(113)	(136)
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	587	586	1,568	1,867
EMC Information Infrastructure
Revenues:
Product revenues	2,745	2,582	7,878	7,910
Services revenues	1,721	1,625	5,043	4,817
Total consolidated revenues	4,466	4,207	12,921	12,727
Gross profit	2,511	2,370	7,202	7,190
Gross profit percentage	56.20%	56.30%	55.70%	56.50%
Research and development	372	356	1,106	1,099
Selling, general and administrative	1,146	1,115	3,388	3,309
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	1,518	1,471	4,494	4,408
Operating income (expense)	993	899	2,708	2,782
Pivotal
Revenues:
Product revenues	17	20	43	48
Services revenues	41	27	118	76
Total consolidated revenues	58	47	161	124
Gross profit	27	29	71	65
Gross profit percentage	46.90%	61.00%	44.30%	52.90%
Research and development	33	30	98	82
Selling, general and administrative	46	42	133	115
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	79	72	231	197
Operating income (expense)	(52)	(43)	(160)	(132)
EMC Information Infrastructure Plus Pivotal
Revenues:
Product revenues	2,762	2,602	7,921	7,958
Services revenues	1,762	1,652	5,161	4,893
Total consolidated revenues	4,524	4,254	13,082	12,851
Gross profit	2,538	2,399	7,273	7,255
Gross profit percentage	56.10%	56.40%	55.60%	56.50%
Research and development	405	386	1,204	1,181
Selling, general and administrative	1,192	1,157	3,521	3,424
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	1,597	1,543	4,725	4,605
Operating income (expense)	941	856	2,548	2,650
Non-operating income (expense), net	(120)	(106)	(285)	(258)
Income tax provision	207	193	584	594
Net income	614	557	1,679	1,798
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	614	557	1,679	1,798
VMware Virtual Infrastructure within EMC
Revenues:
Product revenues	638	563	1,807	1,577
Services revenues	870	722	2,502	2,112
Total consolidated revenues	1,508	1,285	4,309	3,689
Gross profit	1,304	1,141	3,761	3,292
Gross profit percentage	86.50%	88.80%	87.30%	89.20%
Research and development	263	208	737	606
Selling, general and administrative	586	493	1,725	1,432
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	0	0	0	0
Total costs and expenses	849	701	2,462	2,038
Operating income (expense)	455	440	1,299	1,254
Non-operating income (expense), net	6	7	21	14
Income tax provision	99	70	274	247
Net income	362	377	1,046	1,021
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	(73)	(74)	(211)	(202)
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	289	303	835	819
Corp Reconciling Items
Revenues:
Product revenues	0	0	0	0
Services revenues	0	0	0	0
Total consolidated revenues	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	(99)	(98)	(290)	(298)
Gross profit percentage	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Research and development	99	92	298	269
Selling, general and administrative	212	159	606	452
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	39	40	187	195
Total costs and expenses	350	291	1,091	916
Operating income (expense)	(449)	(389)	(1,381)	(1,214)
Non-operating income (expense), net	0	12	11	31
Income tax provision	(100)	(82)	(326)	(367)
Net income	(349)	(295)	(1,044)	(816)
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	33	21	98	66
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	(316)	(274)	(946)	(750)
Information Storage
Revenues:
Product revenues	2,595	2,430	7,447	7,478
Services revenues	1,456	1,376	4,260	4,079
Total consolidated revenues	4,051	3,806	11,707	11,557
Gross profit	2,238	2,106	6,405	6,429
Gross profit percentage	55.20%	55.30%	54.70%	55.60%
Information Intelligence Group
Revenues:
Product revenues	36	32	108	115
Services revenues	118	117	358	343
Total consolidated revenues	154	149	466	458
Gross profit	100	94	300	290
Gross profit percentage	65.20%	63.30%	64.40%	63.30%
RSA Information Security
Revenues:
Product revenues	114	120	323	317
Services revenues	147	132	425	395
Total consolidated revenues	261	252	748	712
Gross profit	$ 173	$ 170	$ 497	$ 471
Gross profit percentage	66.30%	67.60%	66.40%	66.10%