Dell nears sale of IT services unit to Japan's NTT Data

Dell Inc is set to announce an agreement on Monday to sell its non-core information technology consulting division to Japan's NTT Data Corp for $3.5 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The move will allow U.S. computer maker Dell to trim some of the $43 billion in debt it is taking on to fund its pending cash-and-stock acquisition of data storage provider EMC Corp, a deal worth close to $60 billion.

The sale will also offer NTT Data, one of the world's largest technology services companies, a bigger foothold in the United States, where it is looking to expand in healthcare IT, insurance and financial services consulting.

Announcement of any agreement is subject to NTT Data's board approving the deal when it meets in Tokyo, the people said, asking not to be identified because the transaction is not yet official.

Dell has also made progress in syndicating $10 billion of its financing package for the EMC acquisition dubbed 'term loan A', the people said.