Configuration Services — (CFI) Customer Image Export Compliance
Background on U.S. Export Laws
The U.S. government views exporting as a privilege, not a right. As a U.S. company, Dell is subject to U.S. export control law. As with most countries, the U.S. government places restrictions on various products, including, among other things, software that contains high-level encryption capability. Cryptography, better known as encryption, is controlled under dual-use regulations and is viewed as a potential threat to national security by most countries. For more information on U.S. Regulations, please refer to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security Web site.
Encryption
Encryption is a method of scrambling information or data to outside sources. Basically, it is encoding information to make it unreadable to unintended end users. Some software programs contain encryption for various reasons, such as:
The U.S. government views exporting as a privilege, not a right. As a U.S. company, Dell is subject to U.S. export control law. As with most countries, the U.S. government places restrictions on various products, including, among other things, software that contains high-level encryption capability. Cryptography, better known as encryption, is controlled under dual-use regulations and is viewed as a potential threat to national security by most countries. For more information on U.S. Regulations, please refer to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security Web site.
Encryption
Encryption is a method of scrambling information or data to outside sources. Basically, it is encoding information to make it unreadable to unintended end users. Some software programs contain encryption for various reasons, such as:
- Password protection
- Internet communications
- Transactional security
- User authorization
Encryption comes in a variety of key lengths or strength in bits. The larger the strength in bits, the more difficult the code is to break. Subsequently, most governments view encryption as a potential threat to a national intelligence's information gathering, and control on imports and exports of software containing encryption depending on the strength.
Dell's Export Compliance Requirements
As you should be aware, Dell’s Hardware Customization CFI (Custom Factory Integration) Image Services are performed during the manufacturing process of your Dell hardware systems. Since Dell uses manufacturing sites outside of the United States, Dell needs to ensure your image is exportable in accordance with the U.S. Export law in order for Dell to provide Configuration Services.
Since Dell did not develop your image, Dell does not know the contents to the extent necessary to determine whether or not it is exportable. Dell, therefore, needs for you to certify that your image is exportable by executing the following certifications for each image submitted to Dell.
Click here to download the Image Export Compliance Certification form.
Once the certification form has been completed, email to Global Trade Management at US_ConfigurationServices_Export_Compliance@dell.com with the Configuration Services (CFI) project number (SIxxx) in the subject line.