Segment information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Product revenues	$ 2,905us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet	$ 3,008us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
Services revenues	2,708us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet	2,471us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet
Total consolidated revenues	5,613us-gaap_Revenues	5,479us-gaap_Revenues
Gross profit	3,339us-gaap_GrossProfit	3,347us-gaap_GrossProfit
Gross profit percentage	59.50%emc_GrossMarginPercentage	61.10%emc_GrossMarginPercentage
Research and development	788us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense	731us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Selling, general and administrative	2,037	1,852
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	135	119
Total operating expenses	2,960us-gaap_OperatingExpenses	2,702us-gaap_OperatingExpenses
Operating income (expense)	379us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	645us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Non-operating income (expense), net	(6)us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense	(74)us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense
Income tax provision	82us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	139us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Net income	291us-gaap_ProfitLoss	432us-gaap_ProfitLoss
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	(39)	(40)
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	252us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	392us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
EMC Information Infrastructure
Revenues:
Product revenues	2,306	2,441
Services revenues	1,743	1,637
Total consolidated revenues	4,049	4,078
Gross profit	2,105	2,237
Gross profit percentage	52.00%	54.90%
Research and development	424	377
Selling, general and administrative	1,169	1,102
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	0	0
Total operating expenses	1,593	1,479
Operating income (expense)	512	758
Pivotal
Revenues:
Product revenues	16	11
Services revenues	38	38
Total consolidated revenues	54	49
Gross profit	22	19
Gross profit percentage	40.30%	38.10%
Research and development	27	31
Selling, general and administrative	49	41
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	0	0
Total operating expenses	76	72
Operating income (expense)	(54)	(53)
EMC Information Infrastructure Plus Pivotal
Revenues:
Product revenues	2,322	2,452
Services revenues	1,781	1,675
Total consolidated revenues	4,103	4,127
Gross profit	2,127	2,256
Gross profit percentage	51.90%	54.70%
Research and development	451	408
Selling, general and administrative	1,218	1,143
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	0	0
Total operating expenses	1,669	1,551
Operating income (expense)	458	705
Non-operating income (expense), net	(14)	(80)
Income tax provision	126	170
Net income	318	455
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	0	0
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	318	455
VMware Virtual Infrastructure within EMC
Revenues:
Product revenues	583	556
Services revenues	927	796
Total consolidated revenues	1,510	1,352
Gross profit	1,311	1,184
Gross profit percentage	86.80%	87.60%
Research and development	247	229
Selling, general and administrative	604	537
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	0	0
Total operating expenses	851	766
Operating income (expense)	460	418
Non-operating income (expense), net	8	6
Income tax provision	89	83
Net income	379	341
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	(74)	(68)
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	305	273
Corp Reconciling Items
Revenues:
Product revenues	0	0
Services revenues	0	0
Total consolidated revenues	0	0
Gross profit	(99)	(93)
Gross profit percentage	0.00%	0.00%
Research and development	90	94
Selling, general and administrative	215	172
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges	135	119
Total operating expenses	440	385
Operating income (expense)	(539)	(478)
Non-operating income (expense), net	0	0
Income tax provision	(133)	(114)
Net income	(406)	(364)
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.	35	28
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	(371)	(336)
Information Storage
Revenues:
Product revenues	2,179	2,302
Services revenues	1,484	1,378
Total consolidated revenues	3,663	3,680
Gross profit	1,850	1,976
Gross profit percentage	50.50%	53.70%
Information Intelligence Group
Revenues:
Product revenues	27	35
Services revenues	111	119
Total consolidated revenues	138	154
Gross profit	90	99
Gross profit percentage	65.20%	64.70%
RSA Information Security
Revenues:
Product revenues	100	104
Services revenues	148	140
Total consolidated revenues	248	244
Gross profit	$ 165	$ 162
Gross profit percentage	66.60%	66.20%

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