Device-as-a-Service: Effortlessly Manage Your Aging Devices

Organizations have struggled with maintaining aging device fleets in a hybrid work environment where employees expect to be able to work anytime, anywhere. Holding onto outdated devices can lead to increased service requests, decreased productivity, and higher costs. In this blog, we will explore the benefits of regular device refresh cycles, warranties, and how to securely manage retired assets.

How Often Should We Refresh Our Employee Devices?

Over the years studies have been conducted by Forester & Gartner to help organizations understand when the optimal time is to refresh an employee’s device and why. Some of these drivers’ businesses have no control over, such as new application and operating system requirements. A great example is Microsoft Windows 10 going end of support in October of 2025. Many older devices simply do not have the horsepower to run the latest software and need to be replaced with the current generation of devices.

While the exact time to refresh a device is somewhat subjective, the consensus lands anywhere between 3-5 years depending on a lot of factors. Any length of time beyond that and manufacturer warranties and support have expired, devices begin to fail, the number of service tickets increase, and employee productivity trails off. The bottom line is that organizations are holding onto their devices for too long. By going to the predictable refresh cycles that Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) offers, businesses can streamline deployments, reduce IT operational overhead, and improve organizational productivity. By replacing your devices on an average of every four years, the productivity gains according to Gartner are hard to ignore:

What Kind of Support or Warranty is Right For Me?

Businesses should always go with an extended warranty and support option. The standard warranties offered by device manufacturers such as Dell, HPI and Lenovo typically come with a three-year warranty. While that may seem like a long time, these warranties are limited in what they cover, technical support is basic, and repairs require the device be returned to the manufacturer. Not to mention, warranty repairs can often take weeks for the device to be returned to the employee.

The good news is manufacturers offer extended warranty and support options available at the time of purchase. They can extend the standard warranty periods, add 7x24 support, include on-site repair, and offer security considerations such as keeping your hard drive. One often overlooked option is accidental damage which covers more common occurrences such as liquid spills, electrical surges, and accidental damage from drops and falls. Your device support costs skyrocket as devices age. After the manufacturer warranty expires, it is more cost-effective to replace the device than it is trying support the aging device.

With our Device-as-a-Service, these enhanced warranty attributes are already included in the price, including Accidental Damage. You can have peace of mind knowing that your devices are now protected against life’s unexpected moments such as:

• • Liquid Spills: Whether it's a coffee spill or a water mishap, we've got you covered if liquid gets spilled on or in your device.
  • Drops, Falls, or Collisions: Accidents like drops, falls, and collisions can happen to anyone.
  • Electrical Surges: Power surges can cause significant damage to your devices. With a mobile workforce, this can be especially important because of unpredictable sources of power.
  • Damaged or Broken LCD: If your device LCD gets damaged or broken due to a drop, our premium warranty will cover the repair or replacement. 

With our DaaS offering, as an authorized repair center for Dell, HPI and Lenovo, you send the device needing service directly back to us rather than dealing with the manufacturer, opening service tickets and dealing status updates or escalations.

I'm Done With the Device, Now What?

Secure Data Erasure and ITAD services are included in our Device-as-a-Service offering. That’s right, you don’t need to worry about drive erasure, chain-of-custody, or safe environmental disposal. All these services are included in our standard DaaS offering. Employee devices store a wealth of sensitive data, including personal information, financial records, and proprietary business records. When refreshing devices, it is essential to ensure that this data is securely erased to prevent unauthorized access.

Secure drive erasure methods, such as those compliant with NIST 800-88 guidelines, are included in Vista’s DaaS offering to ensure that data is irretrievable and to safeguard your company’s valuable business information. You will receive a certificate of destruction from us once the drive has been successfully erased. Or you may choose to keep your hard drive before returning the device to us. That option is also included for you to choose from. Once the device is back, we will safely and securely handle the downstreaming of the device for you. No more closets or cages full of retired assets you're not sure what to do with.

Once the device is back, we will safely and securely handle the downstream of the device for you. No more closets or cages full of retired assets you're not sure what to do with.

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