For over 20 years, Windows-based PCs have enjoyed a virtual monopoly in corporate IT infrastructure, but there are signs that this domination is coming to an end. Are you ready for the change? Do you perhaps even see this as an opportunity to gain competitive advantage? We at 3stepIT do.
By the first quarter of 2013, worldwide PC shipments had been dropping steadily for four quarters in a row. In the EMEA region, markets fell by 16 per cent – the deepest decline Gartner has ever reported. At the same time, shipments of tablets and mobile phones are predicted to continue increasing until 2017.
The decline in PC shipments will continue, as today’s corporate users demand greater mobility and flexibility. They want the freedom to choose how, when, where and with what equipment they do their work. As corporate management systems and applications continue their rapid trend towards cloud and SaaS-based models, more modern tools like tablets and smartphones are poised to replace the PC as the number one corporate tool.
This market shift brings with it a real opportunity to achieve an easily attainable competitive edge: the companies who offer their employees the most efficient, modern, flexible and user-friendly IT tools will gain a significant competitive advantage over those who stubbornly stick to old-fashioned ways of working. These progressive organisations will be regarded as more attractive places to work, and employees will probably achieve greater levels of performance.
However, this window of opportunity won’t remain open indefinitely. Offering modern tools and innovative ways of working will become common practice in most companies and the prerequisite for competitiveness in general.
Technology is developing at a furious pace, and users commonly want to change their phone or tablet every 12–18 months. The shorter the lifecycle, the more pressure is put on established practices and processes. Companies need to be able to keep track of every single device. There are a host of questions to ask : Where is it physically located? Who is using it? What cost centre does it fall under? Is it leased or owned? If it is leased, when does the lease period end? What devices need to be replaced and when? What software is included? Are the software licences valid? Will the data stored on the devices be handled securely after they are decommissioned?
At first this can sound like a nightmare for IT departments – not to mention finance teams, who are probably fretting about excessive costs.
With a structured and well-managed process for acquisition, management and data-secure replacement for fast-moving IT equipment, the “disappearing PC” trend can be transformed from a financial and administrative nightmare into a very real opportunity to make huge competitive gains. The 3stepIT flexible-leasing finance model provides the framework for such a process. In addition to financing services, it includes an easy-to-use online asset management tool for managing a constantly changing asset base. At the end of the lease period, data security is ensured through a thorough, certified erasure process.
Learn more about how our unique approach to IT leasing can help keep your business one step ahead of the competition.
