Dell Inc. is getting closer to clinching a leveraged buyout withSilver Lake Management LLC, and Microsoft Corp. is planning toprovide part of the funding, people with knowledge of the mattersaid.

Silver Lake and Dell are negotiating a price in the range of$13.50 to $14.25 a share, said one of the people, who asked not tobe named because the talks are private. Microsoft is discussingcontributing about $2 billion for the deal, which could beannounced this week, the person said.

Microsoft stands to benefit from propping up Dell, one of itslargest partners in selling personal computers that run Windowssoftware. Both companies are racing to make up for an industrywideslump by working together on tablets, a market led by Apple Inc.and Google Inc. Microsoft could also use Dell's help selling tobusiness customers.