Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation Company EMC Corporation (“EMC”) and its subsidiaries develop, deliver and support the information technology (“IT”) industry’s broadest range of information infrastructure and virtual infrastructure technologies, solutions and services. EMC manages the Company as part of a federation of businesses: EMC Information Infrastructure, VMware Virtual Infrastructure and Pivotal. EMC’s Information Infrastructure business provides a foundation for organizations to store, manage, protect, analyze and secure ever-increasing quantities of information, while at the same time improving business agility, lowering cost, and enhancing competitive advantage. EMC’s Information Infrastructure business comprises three segments – Information Storage, Enterprise Content Division and RSA Information Security. EMC’s VMware Virtual Infrastructure business, which is represented by EMC’s majority equity stake in VMware, Inc. (“VMware”), is the leader in virtualization infrastructure solutions utilized by organizations to help them transform the way they build, deliver and consume IT resources. VMware’s virtualization infrastructure solutions, which include a suite of products and services designed to deliver a software-defined data center, run on industry-standard desktop computers and servers and support a wide range of operating system and application environments, as well as networking and storage infrastructures. EMC’s Pivotal business (“Pivotal”) unites strategic technology, people and programs from EMC and VMware and has built a new platform comprising of next-generation data, agile development practices and a cloud independent platform-as-a-service (“PaaS”). These capabilities are made available through Pivotal’s three primary offerings: the Pivotal Big Data Suite, Pivotal Labs and Pivotal Cloud Foundry. General The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of EMC, its wholly owned subsidiaries, as well as VMware and Pivotal, companies majority-owned by EMC. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in our annual consolidated financial statements have been condensed or omitted. Accordingly, these interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 which are contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2015. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for any future period or the entire fiscal year. The interim consolidated financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments necessary to fairly state the results as of and for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. Net Income Per Share Basic net income per weighted average share has been computed using the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per weighted average share is computed using the weighted average number of common and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Common equivalent shares consist of stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units, the shares issuable under our $1.725 billion 1.75% convertible senior notes due 2013 (the “2013 Notes”) and the associated warrants. Additionally, for purposes of calculating diluted net income per weighted average share, net income is adjusted for the difference between VMware’s reported diluted and basic net income per weighted average share, if any, multiplied by the number of shares of VMware held by EMC. Investments in Joint Ventures We make investments in joint ventures. For each joint venture investment, we consider the facts and circumstances in order to determine whether it qualifies for cost, equity or fair value method accounting or whether it should be consolidated. In 2009, Cisco and EMC formed VCE Company LLC (“VCE”), with investments from VMware and Intel. In December 2014, EMC acquired the controlling interest in VCE and, since the date of acquisition, has consolidated VCE’s financial position and results of operations as part of EMC’s consolidated financial statements. Prior to the acquisition of the controlling interest in VCE, we considered VCE a variable interest entity and accounted for the investment under the equity method with our portion of the gains and losses recognized in other expense, net in the consolidated income statements for the majority of 2014. Our consolidated share of VCE’s losses, based upon our portion of the overall funding, was approximately 63% for the three months ended March 31, 2014. We recorded $75 million in net losses and $170 million in revenue from sales of product and services to VCE during the three months ended March 31, 2014. Reclassifications Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current year’s presentation. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued updated guidance to clarify the required presentation of debt issuance costs. The amended guidance requires that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability rather than as an asset. It is effective beginning January 1, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The new guidance will be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented. We are currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on our consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued a standard on revenue recognition providing a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The revenue standard is based on the principle that revenue should be recognized to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2017, with no early adoption permitted. In April 2015, the FASB proposed a one-year delay in the effective date of the new standard to 2018. Under this proposal, early adoption will be allowed, but not earlier than the original effective date. The principles may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application. We are currently evaluating the adoption method options and the impact of the new guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

Basis of Presentation

Company

EMC Corporation (“EMC”) and its subsidiaries develop, deliver and support the information technology (“IT”) industry’s broadest range of information infrastructure and virtual infrastructure technologies, solutions and services. EMC manages the Company as part of a federation of businesses: EMC Information Infrastructure, VMware Virtual Infrastructure and Pivotal.

EMC’s Information Infrastructure business provides a foundation for organizations to store, manage, protect, analyze and secure ever-increasing quantities of information, while at the same time improving business agility, lowering cost, and enhancing competitive advantage. EMC’s Information Infrastructure business comprises three segments – Information Storage, Enterprise Content Division and RSA Information Security.

EMC’s VMware Virtual Infrastructure business, which is represented by EMC’s majority equity stake in VMware, Inc. (“VMware”), is the leader in virtualization infrastructure solutions utilized by organizations to help them transform the way they build, deliver and consume IT resources. VMware’s virtualization infrastructure solutions, which include a suite of products and services designed to deliver a software-defined data center, run on industry-standard desktop computers and servers and support a wide range of operating system and application environments, as well as networking and storage infrastructures.

EMC’s Pivotal business (“Pivotal”) unites strategic technology, people and programs from EMC and VMware and has built a new platform comprising of next-generation data, agile development practices and a cloud independent platform-as-a-service (“PaaS”). These capabilities are made available through Pivotal’s three primary offerings: the Pivotal Big Data Suite, Pivotal Labs and Pivotal Cloud Foundry.

General

The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of EMC, its wholly owned subsidiaries, as well as VMware and Pivotal, companies majority-owned by EMC. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in our annual consolidated financial statements have been condensed or omitted. Accordingly, these interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 which are contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2015.

The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for any future period or the entire fiscal year. The interim consolidated financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments necessary to fairly state the results as of and for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.

Net Income Per Share

Basic net income per weighted average share has been computed using the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per weighted average share is computed using the weighted average number of common and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Common equivalent shares consist of stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units, the shares issuable under our $1.725 billion 1.75% convertible senior notes due 2013 (the “2013 Notes”) and the associated warrants. Additionally, for purposes of calculating diluted net income per weighted average share, net income is adjusted for the difference between VMware’s reported diluted and basic net income per weighted average share, if any, multiplied by the number of shares of VMware held by EMC.

Investments in Joint Ventures

We make investments in joint ventures. For each joint venture investment, we consider the facts and circumstances in order to determine whether it qualifies for cost, equity or fair value method accounting or whether it should be consolidated.

In 2009, Cisco and EMC formed VCE Company LLC (“VCE”), with investments from VMware and Intel. In December 2014, EMC acquired the controlling interest in VCE and, since the date of acquisition, has consolidated VCE’s financial position and results of operations as part of EMC’s consolidated financial statements.

Prior to the acquisition of the controlling interest in VCE, we considered VCE a variable interest entity and accounted for the investment under the equity method with our portion of the gains and losses recognized in other expense, net in the consolidated income statements for the majority of 2014. Our consolidated share of VCE’s losses, based upon our portion of the overall funding, was approximately 63% for the three months ended March 31, 2014. We recorded $75 million in net losses and $170 million in revenue from sales of product and services to VCE during the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Reclassifications

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current year’s presentation.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued updated guidance to clarify the required presentation of debt issuance costs. The amended guidance requires that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability rather than as an asset. It is effective beginning January 1, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The new guidance will be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented. We are currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued a standard on revenue recognition providing a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The revenue standard is based on the principle that revenue should be recognized to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard is effective beginning January 1, 2017, with no early adoption permitted. In April 2015, the FASB proposed a one-year delay in the effective date of the new standard to 2018. Under this proposal, early adoption will be allowed, but not earlier than the original effective date. The principles may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application. We are currently evaluating the adoption method options and the impact of the new guidance on our consolidated financial statements.