Segment Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Revenues:
Product revenues									$ 12,590,742,000	$ 10,892,857,000	$ 8,828,145,000
Services revenues									7,416,846,000	6,122,269,000	5,197,765,000
Total consolidated revenues	5,574,431,000	4,980,201,000	4,845,338,000	4,607,618,000	4,888,666,000	4,212,271,000	4,023,497,000	3,890,692,000	20,007,588,000	17,015,126,000	14,025,910,000
Cost of sales									7,838,646,000	6,984,145,000	6,281,011,000
Gross profit	3,523,339,000	3,066,265,000	2,880,287,000	2,699,051,000	2,966,289,000	2,486,974,000	2,359,199,000	2,218,519,000	12,168,942,000	10,030,981,000	7,744,899,000
Gross profit percentage									60.80%	59.00%	55.20%
Research and development									2,149,787,000	1,888,015,000	1,627,509,000
Selling, general and administrative									6,479,382,000	5,375,305,000	4,595,625,000
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges									97,334,000	84,375,000	107,490,000
Total costs and expenses									8,726,503,000	7,347,695,000	6,330,624,000
Operating income									3,442,439,000	2,683,286,000	1,414,275,000
Other income (expense), net									(193,169,000)	(75,303,000)	(39,699,000)
Income before provision for income taxes									3,249,270,000	2,607,983,000	1,374,576,000
Income tax provision									640,385,000	638,297,000	252,775,000
Net income									2,608,885,000	1,969,686,000	1,121,801,000
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.									(147,548,000)	(69,691,000)	(33,724,000)
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation	832,046,000	605,649,000	546,494,000	477,148,000	628,559,000	472,516,000	426,216,000	372,704,000	2,461,337,000	1,899,995,000	1,088,077,000
EMC Information Infrastructure
Revenues:
Product revenues									10,750,600,000	9,493,576,000	7,799,159,000
Services revenues									5,494,134,000	4,670,817,000	4,205,789,000
Total consolidated revenues									16,244,734,000	14,164,393,000	12,004,948,000
Cost of sales									7,022,969,000	6,316,200,000	5,717,907,000
Gross profit									9,221,765,000	7,848,193,000	6,287,041,000
Gross profit percentage									56.80%	55.40%	52.40%
Research and development									1,239,333,000	1,122,835,000	1,022,147,000
Selling, general and administrative									4,392,205,000	3,737,081,000	3,258,055,000
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges									0
Total costs and expenses									5,631,538,000	4,859,916,000	4,280,202,000
Operating income									3,590,227,000	2,988,277,000	2,006,839,000
Other income (expense), net									(148,924,000)	48,214,000	52,325,000
Income before provision for income taxes									3,441,303,000	3,036,491,000	2,059,164,000
Income tax provision									860,713,000	742,736,000	424,708,000
Net income									2,580,590,000	2,293,755,000	1,634,456,000
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.									0
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation									2,580,590,000	2,293,755,000	1,634,456,000
EMC Information Infrastructure | Information Storage
Revenues:
Product revenues									10,090,338,000	8,824,287,000	7,198,051,000
Services revenues									4,623,842,000	3,874,825,000	3,461,358,000
Total consolidated revenues									14,714,180,000	12,699,112,000	10,659,409,000
Cost of sales									6,414,305,000	5,836,382,000	5,256,682,000
Gross profit									8,299,875,000	6,862,730,000	5,402,727,000
Gross profit percentage									56.40%	54.00%	50.70%
EMC Information Infrastructure | Information Intelligence Group
Revenues:
Product revenues									219,472,000	269,138,000	260,836,000
Services revenues									482,879,000	466,759,000	478,753,000
Total consolidated revenues									702,351,000	735,897,000	739,589,000
Cost of sales									250,995,000	258,239,000	274,763,000
Gross profit									451,356,000	477,658,000	464,826,000
Gross profit percentage									64.30%	64.90%	62.80%
EMC Information Infrastructure | RSA Information Security
Revenues:
Product revenues									440,790,000	400,151,000	340,272,000
Services revenues									387,413,000	329,233,000	265,678,000
Total consolidated revenues									828,203,000	729,384,000	605,950,000
Cost of sales									357,669,000	221,579,000	186,462,000
Gross profit									470,534,000	507,805,000	419,488,000
Gross profit percentage									56.80%	69.60%	69.20%
VMware Virtual Infrastructure Within EMC
Revenues:
Product revenues									1,840,142,000	1,399,281,000	1,028,986,000
Services revenues									1,922,712,000	1,451,452,000	991,976,000
Total consolidated revenues									3,762,854,000	2,850,733,000	2,020,962,000
Cost of sales									533,329,000	425,257,000	316,278,000
Gross profit									3,229,525,000	2,425,476,000	1,704,684,000
Gross profit percentage									85.80%	85.10%	84.40%
Research and development									587,902,000	477,799,000	369,514,000
Selling, general and administrative									1,480,792,000	1,160,768,000	842,097,000
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges									0
Total costs and expenses									2,068,694,000	1,638,567,000	1,211,611,000
Operating income									1,160,831,000	786,909,000	493,073,000
Other income (expense), net									6,734,000	(16,458,000)	(9,499,000)
Income before provision for income taxes									1,167,565,000	770,451,000	483,574,000
Income tax provision									128,634,000	128,233,000	78,069,000
Net income									1,038,931,000	642,218,000	405,505,000
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.									(208,894,000)	(124,728,000)	(69,285,000)
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation									830,037,000	517,490,000	336,220,000
Reconciling Items
Revenues:
Cost of sales									282,348,000	242,688,000	246,826,000
Gross profit									(282,348,000)	(242,688,000)	(246,826,000)
Research and development									322,552,000	287,381,000	235,848,000
Selling, general and administrative									606,385,000	477,456,000	495,473,000
Restructuring and acquisition-related charges									97,334,000	84,375,000	107,490,000
Total costs and expenses									1,026,271,000	849,212,000	838,811,000
Operating income									(1,308,619,000)	(1,091,900,000)	(1,085,637,000)
Other income (expense), net									(50,979,000)	(107,059,000)	(82,525,000)
Income before provision for income taxes									(1,359,598,000)	(1,198,959,000)	(1,168,162,000)
Income tax provision									(348,962,000)	(232,672,000)	(250,002,000)
Net income									(1,010,636,000)	(966,287,000)	(918,160,000)
Less: Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in VMware, Inc.									61,346,000	55,037,000	35,561,000
Net income attributable to EMC Corporation									$ (949,290,000)	$ (911,250,000)	$ (882,599,000)