Leased end-user devices and managed services to support them are becoming increasingly popular in South Africa as stretched IT departments battle to support newly remote and hybrid workforces.
This is according to Prudence Maleka, End User Computing Product Specialist at Datacentrix, who says IT capacity and budgets have come under strain in the hybrid work environment, making managed services an ideal option for organisations of all sizes.
“It just makes sense – organisations are opting to lease end-user devices and outsource all support and management across the entire life cycle,” she says. With a solid managed services partner, organisations enjoy consistent end-user device costs and enhanced employee productivity, while also reducing pressure on the IT department. Datacentrix is now managing end-user devices for scores of companies and thousands of end-users, making sure they are able to stay productive and can count on their machines.”
Devices matter
At the same time as organisations look to managed services to support productivity, they are also focusing on higher quality devices for greater reliability and performance, she says.
“We see growing awareness that the quality of the device really matters – particularly with employees working remotely,” Maleka says. “Companies want to invest in performance, reliability and productivity. This is why demand has soared for devices like HP Elitebook 800 series notebooks, HP’s enterprise business class laptop line. Not only are these notebooks elegant and distinctive, they are also more robust, lightweight and powerful in terms of performance and speed. The units are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from 13.3-inch to 15.6-inch, with touch and non-touch displays.”
She notes that HP Elite Notebooks are designed to meet today's challenges, with fantastic out-of-the-box security software features that allow users to browse with confidence, avoid visual hackers and automatically monitor and restore BIOS settings. “They're ideal for remote collaboration since they have noise reduction, high-resolution displays and crisp, clear sound, as well as mobile-friendly features like long battery life and quick charging. With platform stability, this work-ready notebook is designed for a long life cycle. The HP Elitebook 800 series has many advantages over its lower-cost counterparts, especially in terms of security. We see many corporates choosing HP for reliability and performance.”
Leasing and managed services
To simplify the acquisition and management of quality devices such as the Elitebook 800 series, Datacentrix offers the options of outright purchases, or leasing in partnership with HP Financial Services, with a range of managed services to support the remote workforce.
Maleka says: “Datacentrix now offers local businesses a secure, flexible remote working solution that supports the modern, cloud-connected workforce – called remote working as a service (RWaaS).”
Datacentrix delivers SLA (service level agreement) driven IT maintenance and support services for PCs, laptops and enterprise equipment throughout their life cycles, minimising overall downtime, support costs and capacity challenges for customers. The service includes spares, logistics, deployment projects, call planning, uptime, warranty management, SLAs and user satisfaction measurements.
“We have an always-on, centrally managed, ITIL-aligned service desk solution that allows customers to track IT incidents to resolutions while also providing auditable tracking, escalations and knowledge management,” she says.
Datacentrix is an approved member of the HP Amplify Partner Programme and qualifies as an HP Amplify Power Services partner, which allows us to have access and offer customers analytical tools such as Proactivate management powered by HP Techpulse, to proactively manage the health of devices. The tool collects key data from devices and applications, allowing IT to detect and manage device issues before they affect employees.
“What sets us apart is the fact that Datacentrix is not a box drop business. We manage the whole life cycle of HP devices, providing customers with the best support and service. We also have a well-rounded, fully equipped configuration centre that helps with custom imaging, asset tagging, integration and packaging,” she says. “Basically, we offer end-to-end managed services for the front and back offices, as well as for end-users, such as service management on a complete or selective outsourcing basis, always-available monitoring, shared services and support desk, managed workspace and end-user computing services, ensuring that we can deliver all the services that an organisation needs in a single holistic package.”
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