Whether your business is large or small, the as-a-service model for client devices warrants your attention if you purchase or lease PCs, mobile computers and other devices for your company.
If you own your machines and devices, you know only too well that maintaining, updating, keeping them secure, and replacing them takes a big toll on your IT team, or if you don’t have one, can get expensive and cause workplace disruption hence impacting productivity. What about security threats? Are your devices adequately protected and backed-up? When time comes for imminent replacement, do you have the budgets to proceed when you should?
If you’re looking for ways to increase security and efficiency while keeping costs down, this might be a good fit for you.
PC Leasing Drawbacks to Consider
PC Leasing provides hardware without the risky investment in technology that might fail. However, there are a few drawbacks worth considering:
If you’ve leased before, have you ever ended up missing machines at the end of your leasing term? In this situation, your company is responsible for replacing the device at the end of its lease term. This can be a significant financial issue than can cost your company more than purchasing the hardware outright, and leaves nothing to show for the expense in the end.
Also, at the end of the fixed term (usually 24, 30, 36, or 48 months), the machines need to be replaced and you must proceed to back them up, restore, re-image, and keep your data secure which will cost valuable time and effort and be very disruptive for your employees. The leasing option does not include maintenance therefore it will be added to your responsibilities and cost. With device requirements evolving over time, lease terms are not flexible and may cause issues. You may end up with machines that no longer meet your needs, or unused because of resource changes and you still have to pay for them until the lease expires.
Device-as-a-service Model: A True Subscription Offer
This service is quite similar to the one for your copiers. SMBs have been leasing copiers for a long time with terms that include repairs and maintenance. The Device-as-a-Service model is quite similar in that it covers larger devices like desktops and notebooks but also includes small mobile devices like phones and tablets.
This is a true subscription offer of two or three years bundled with a suite of services that can easily adapt to your changing needs. This hardware is maintained, updated, and replaced as necessary rather than en masse for the term of your agreement. It makes sense for small companies that don’t have the financial resources to invest in so much hardware all at once or need to add newer technology more frequently.
This model includes a fixed price over a multi-year period with no up-front costs. You can tailor the support to comply with your company policies and get the devices refreshed at regular intervals based on the type of machine and end-user. The main benefits for the ‘as-a-service’ model are scaling devices to demand and better matching to user’s needs.
Device Security Easier to Control
Look for DaaS plans that offer security management services. This would include all the required updates and patches to your devices. This is an area where companies fail to get them done properly and systematically and leave room to vulnerabilities. With the huge growth of data attacks, you need to be diligent and make sure your company’s information is well protected.
Benefits of the ‘as-a-service’ model
Just like leasing, this model helps your business by moving device purchases to an operating expense model that will free up cash to help you grow your business. Unlike owning or leasing, you will have more flexibility to refresh the technology on a regular basis, without the responsibility and cost attached to maintaining and owning your devices. You will have more freedom to scale up or down the number of devices in the subscription to meet your evolving needs. Subscriptions can include device warranties and accidental damage protection as well as software and services like Office 365
Enterprise or G Suite
There are many benefits to a Managed Service vs. Product Purchase approach. In working with the right type of partner, you can ensure you achieve the right blend of service combined with product acquisition based upon the unique requirements of your company’s user profiles.
On the surface, PC Leasing vs Device-as-a-service models look similar, but they have key differences to their strengths and weaknesses. DaaS will help you run your business the way you prefer and will keep your workforce running efficiently while being maintained, secured and upgraded at the optimal time during its natural lifecycle instead of pre-set calendar dates. At the end of the day, you will avoid wasteful hardware refresh practices and the ongoing management and maintenance will be outsourced. DaaS offers a transparent operational expense model that can help your financials and prevent capital risk burdens.
If you’d like to explore this service for your business, Sentia can provide the knowledge and expertise to help you see the benefits of adapting this model.
Chris West
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Sentia