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Retirement Plan Benefits - Additional Information (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 84 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]        
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Discretionary Contribution Amount $ 105,000,000us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerDiscretionaryContributionAmount $ 91,000,000us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerDiscretionaryContributionAmount $ 88,000,000us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerDiscretionaryContributionAmount  
Fair value of company stock fund held by Pension Plan 486,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets 449,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets 431,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets 486,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
Under-funded status of Pension Plan 68,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusOfPlan 46,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusOfPlan   68,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusOfPlan
Accumulated actuarial loss and prior services cost reclassified from accumulated comprehensive loss to a component of net periodic benefit cost 9,000,000us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossReclassificationAdjustmentFromAOCIPensionAndOtherPostretirementBenefitPlansForNetGainLossNetOfTax      
Pension Plans net losses, primarily the result of a decrease in the discount rate at the end of 2011 30,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeNetGainsLossesBeforeTax     30,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeNetGainsLossesBeforeTax
Total balance included in accumulated other comprehensive loss that will be recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost in 2013 12,000,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAmountToBeAmortizedFromAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNextFiscalYear      
Concentration risk, percentage of Pension Plan net assets 5.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 5.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1    
Maximum        
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]        
Employer matching contribution percentage 6.00%us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercent
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
     
Employer matching contribution, amount per quarter 750us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualEmployerContribution
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
     
EMC        
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]        
Fair value of company stock fund held by Pension Plan $ 0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ invest_InvestmentIssuerAxis
= emc_EmcMember
    0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
/ invest_InvestmentIssuerAxis
= emc_EmcMember
EMC | Maximum        
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]        
Deferred compensation program limit for employee's investment allocation in the company stock fund       30.00%emc_DefinedBenefitPlanInvestmentAllocationPercentage
/ invest_InvestmentIssuerAxis
= emc_EmcMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember