Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, aggregate consideration for businesses	$ 539,800,000
Cash consideration for acquisition of business	536,624,000	3,194,611,000	2,664,141,000
Stock options issued in business acquisitions	3,224,000	28,668,000	83,780,000
Transaction costs for financial advisory, legal and accounting services	11,300,000	7,700,000	19,100,000
Weighted-average amortization period for intangible assets	3.5		4.9
Consideration of acquisitions allocated to goodwill	375,800,000	2,605,900,000	2,189,200,000
Consideration of acquisitions allocated to intangibles	157,100,000
Consideration of acquisitions allocated to net assets	6,900,000
Businesses acquired	7
Adjustments to the fair value of previously held interests in Data Domain and SpringSource that was recognized in other income			25,800,000
IPR&D			174,600,000
Minimum | Configuresoft And Data Domain
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount rates used to determine the value of the IPR&D projects			17.00%
Estimated useful life of IPR&D			5
Maximum | Configuresoft And Data Domain
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount rates used to determine the value of the IPR&D projects			21.00%
Estimated useful life of IPR&D			8
In Process Research And Development | Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount rates used to determine the value of the IPR&D projects		19.00%
In Process Research And Development | Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount rates used to determine the value of the IPR&D projects		22.00%
Isilon
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, aggregate consideration for businesses		2,327,887,000
Cash consideration for acquisition of business		2,301,100,000
Stock options issued in business acquisitions		26,800,000
Transaction costs for financial advisory, legal and accounting services		600,000
Weighted-average amortization period for intangible assets		4.6
Consideration of acquisitions allocated to goodwill		1,974,536,000
IPR&D		43,900,000
Isilon | In Process Research And Development
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated completion period		Expected to be completed in 2012
Other Acquisitions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, aggregate consideration for businesses		895,400,000	730,600,000
Cash consideration for acquisition of business		893,500,000	730,200,000
Stock options issued in business acquisitions		1,900,000	400,000
Weighted-average amortization period for intangible assets		4.6
Consideration of acquisitions allocated to goodwill		631,400,000
Other Acquisitions | Acquisition By VMware
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Businesses acquired		6
Data Domain
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, aggregate consideration for businesses			2,017,270,000
Cash consideration for acquisition of business			1,933,900,000
Stock options issued in business acquisitions			83,400,000
Transaction costs for financial advisory, legal and accounting services			12,000,000
Weighted-average amortization period for intangible assets			4.3
Consideration of acquisitions allocated to goodwill			1,658,321,000
IPR&D			174,600,000
Spring Source | Acquisition By VMware
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, aggregate consideration for businesses			372,500,000
Cash consideration for acquisition of business			356,300,000
Stock options issued in business acquisitions			$ 16,200,000
VMware Virtual Infrastructure Within EMC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Businesses acquired	6