Last week, Stratasys' (SSYS 2.98%) MakerBot announced a partnership with PC giant Dell, in which MakerBot's 3-D printers will be featured on Dell's website. The goal of the partnership is to build out a complete end-to-end design solution for small- and medium-sized designers, architects, engineers, and start-ups.
On the surface, this move seems nothing more than a publicity stunt that won't move the needle much. But the goal here isn't about driving more sales and moving the needle, and there's little chance you'll be hearing about this during Stratasys' upcoming conference call. Instead, it's all about increasing awareness of 3-D printing, and more importantly, building brand equity for the MakerBot brand, which over the long term could prove to be a valuation preposition.
In the following video, 3-D printing analyst Steve Heller sits down with the head of Motley Fool's industrials bureau, Blake Bos, to discuss the announcement and what it could mean for MakerBot over the long term. (The relevant video segment can be found between 14:22 and 15:42.)
