SEATTLE — Dell Inc. said today that data-storage maker 3Par Inc. has accepted its raised buyout bid of $1.52 billion, after the computer maker topped an offer from rival Hewlett-Packard Co.

HP and Dell, among the world's largest personal computer makers, are looking at 3Par as a way to build up their "cloud computing" businesses, which involve delivering software, data storage and other services to customers over the Internet. The companies want 3Par to help keep data-storage costs down because the company has technology that doles out storage space on the fly.

Dell's new offer is $24.30 a share in cash, up from its $18-per-share offer, or about $1.13 billion, on Aug. 16. Rival HP had countered with an offer of about $1.5 billion on Monday, or about $24 per share.

The bidding for such an obscure company underscores how serious Dell and HP are about finding more profitable businesses than selling computers. The companies that made personal computers affordable must now draw new buyers by offering more sophisticated PCs with ever-lower prices.

Cloud computing holds the promise of richer profits for technology providers because many companies aren't buying their own computer servers for certain tasks. Instead, they're paying to have software they would have stored on those machines delivered to them over the Internet.