Business Transformation Through Device-as-a-Service

The outbreak of a pandemic has changed the office working style to big technological trends. Digital transformation and the work-from-home are some of the trending ideas that companies took to keep up their business. But that is not all. An emerging use of Device-as-a-Service (Daas) model for acquiring hardware without having to buy, configure and manage it is seeking attraction.

What is Device-as-a-Service?

DaaS as a service provider offers desktop PCs, smartphones and other mobile computing devices a paid service. It is a personal computing device management model that outsources machine and software procurement, deployment and support needs to vendor partners and IT solution providers. DaaS eases the IT needs of a company by its way of outsourcing the hardware, software and management of the equipment to external providers.

Commercial establishments tried their hand in adopting DaaS for the past five years. But it was not widely known or provided by companies. A report by Accenture reveals that in 2015 no major PC manufacturers offered a Daas option to acquire hardware. It changed drastically with 65% of major PC makers offering the service to their customers in 2019.

DaaS is now widely embraced for commercial purposes as it is both useful and cost-efficient. PC makers and other hardware suppliers show immense interest in getting DaaS to keep their ship sailing. They fulfil the customer's expectation and demand through DaaS.

To install DaaS, vendors procure laptops, desktop PCs and other devices to preconfigure and customize them. By doing the value-added services, the device gets ready for business or consumer customers.

DaaS is less about the device and more about the service associated with it. The current work-from-home trend will unravel the possibilities of making DaaS a major service provider shortly. Companies that whined over sending employees to do work-from-home and provide them with laptop facilities are now revealing that it is easier to buy machines that are fully loaded, configured and ready to work referring to DaaS.

A lot of customers currently prefer to buy preconfigured devices with software and security. The shopping pattern has changed with the revolution of tech trends.

Opportunities and obstacle for vendors

Like every other service provider, DaaS too comes with both pros and cons. They pose a catch for big benefits and real challenges for hardware vendors.

DaaS maximizes returns on investments as the process involves refurnishing for up to five times. A vendor collects the device that the customers are done with and refurnishes it with hardware and software parts. Later he sells it to a new user. The process is highly beneficial to vendors as they can sell a product five times and see a profit from it. The vendors can benefit more by keeping track of the device and providing different kinds of services and capabilities each time it is resold.

The cons in the DaaS provider for vendors are that business establishments are moving forward to work in cloud platforms. If the trend scales up and attracts more consumers, the sales of hardware fall flat resulting in the collapse of DaaS provider.

Another challenge that the vendor face is to routine the supply chain of collecting, refurnishing and redistributing the gear. It is easy while only a hundred people are involved in the supply chain. But how about serving millions of people? The process gets difficult. Rather than vendors, companies are easily adapting to the supply chain with their influence and take the centre stage at the market.

Customer fulfilment is the base for vendors

When a device breaks, the customer wants it to be replaced as quickly as possible. On the whole, customers need a source to make things easier with a good service provider. That is where the flexibility and value of DaaS can solve the problem.

Business buyers are expecting the same kind of service that they provide their customers in the DaaS sector as well. Customers want to try the product before buying, pay as they go, and have more of a consumption-based model, where they get charged as they go for what they use. DaaS bestows the service to make customers potentially pay less with the facility to spend more overtime for the overall packages of devices and integrated services and support.

The hardware vendors should always keep in mind that their business goes with good service and fulfilling the customer's demand. If they fall short of these two, then they have to face challenges in future.

DaaS has the ability to yield customer attraction with its modernized solution. But it also depends on the vendors way of customizing and providing it. If DaaS and vendors work together in bringing a change, then it is going to be a front-runner in the business development industry.