Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell with $1000. By eliminating middlemen and using a direct sales model, Dell gained a price advantage which it passed on to customers. Dell is now a global company with production facilities in several countries. The PC industry evolved from start-up in 1975-1981, to early growth aided by IBM's 1981 entry, to maturity in 1995-1999. Standard PC components have low barriers but processing and operating systems remain competitive. Production has low barriers with Asian manufacturer capacity. Customers include businesses, consumers, education, and government. Distribution includes direct sales, distributors, retail, and small or integrated resellers.