Almost 20% of US businesses fail within the first two years. With the right strategies in place, though, you can avoid this.
One of the most important responsibilities that entrepreneurs have is choosing the right business hardware for their company. However, not everybody understands the benefits of leveraging hardware as a service (HaaS).
We’ve put together a comprehensive guide that details everything you need to know about managed services. Let’s take a closer look.
So, What Is HaaS?
As the name suggests, Hardware as a Service is an IT service model in which businesses purchase hardware from third-party providers, who then deliver and manage it for them.
Instead of investing in expensive hardware upfront, businesses with the HaaS model only pay for what they need when they need it. This way, companies can keep their overhead costs down while ensuring they have the hardware they need to get their work done.
How Does It Work?
When businesses opt for HaaS, they can choose the hardware they want from a vendor’s catalog and make a payment to receive it.
The vendor then takes care of delivering the hardware, setting it up, managing any issues that arise, and providing ongoing maintenance for as long as required. They also take care of disposing of and recycling the hardware when it’s no longer needed.
This means that businesses don’t have to worry about any of the costs or time associated with maintaining their hardware.
What Are the Benefits of HaaS?
Understanding the benefits is crucial when it comes to making the most of this opportunity. From here, you can avoid problems you may have otherwise encountered and reach your target metrics.
Listed below are some of the most notable benefits.
Cost Savings
It should come as no surprise that one of the main benefits of using HaaS is cost savings.
By outsourcing hardware instead of buying it, businesses can save a significant amount of money on IT costs and invest those saved funds into other parts of the business.
Under the right circumstances, taking advantage of hardware as a service could save you thousands of dollars. This comes with a number of advantages. For instance, you may be able to scale your company sooner than you thought possible.
This could then lead to increased revenue and industry presence.
Scalability
Another advantage that comes with leveraging hardware as a service is its ease of scalability. With HaaS solutions, businesses can easily add and remove hardware as needed, giving them the flexibility to scale up or down depending on their needs at any given moment.
This is great for businesses that plan on growing in the near future. If you purchase hardware yourself, you will need to pay for all of the necessary additions. Depending on how fast you scale, this may be something that is outside of your budget.
In some cases, being unable to afford new hardware could hold you back from scaling your company. This comes with the risk of being surpassed by your competitors.
Reduced Maintenance
Since HaaS providers manage all of the hardware for you, it takes a lot of time and effort off your shoulders. This means you don’t have to worry about installing and maintaining the hardware yourself, freeing up resources and allowing you to focus on other parts of your business.
Reducing maintenance also translates to increased uptime. This is important to keep in mind, as even a single incident of downtime can be a major setback.
Many businesses find that even a single hour of downtime costs tens of thousands of dollars. Larger companies might find the costs more than $1 million per hour.
This is something you want to avoid at all costs, as it can be crippling to businesses of any size.
Enhanced Security
When it comes to data security, HaaS providers are able to ensure that all of your hardware is safe and secure. This peace of mind can be invaluable for businesses in today’s digital world.
In context, you’ll be able to guarantee that your hardware is updated with the latest security features and patched against potential threats. This is due to the fact that older devices often don’t have access to the newest security features.
Some of the most common threats include phishing attacks, malware, and DDoS attacks. Each of these can pose a significant threat to the performance of your company.
What Type of Business Can Benefit From HaaS?
The beauty of hardware as a service lies in its ability to benefit businesses of all sizes and types. From small startups to large corporations, HaaS can help companies reduce costs, scale up or down quickly, and free up their resources for more strategic activities
It’s also ideal for businesses that need specialized equipment or solutions that are cost-prohibitive to buy in-house. This is especially true for companies that operate in industries like tech or finance.
In short, any business looking to save money and simplify its IT infrastructure should consider HaaS. This will go a long way when it comes to keeping your budget as lean as possible without sacrificing performance.
What Challenges Should I Be Aware Of?
Although hardware as a service comes with many benefits, there are certain challenges that business owners should keep in mind. This will allow them to make the most of this service while avoiding issues in the future.
Let’s take a closer look.
Required Internet Connection
Since hardware as a service involves the delivery and management of hardware through the Internet, businesses need to make sure that they have reliable internet access. If their connection is not stable enough or doesn’t meet certain technical requirements, this can cause major problems with the setup and delivery of their hardware.
The good news is that this rarely comes into play. In general, only companies that operate within rule areas have Internet connectivity issues.
Data Privacy Concerns
When opting for HaaS, businesses need to make sure that the hardware provider is using secure and reliable methods for storing and protecting their data. Furthermore, all data should be transferred through encrypted means to guarantee its safety.
The good news is that you can avoid problems in this area by working with a reputable service provider. They will ensure that your data is properly safeguarded.
Regardless, you should still implement best practices for data security. This includes training your employees and using the right security software.
It’s also recommended to keep backups of crucial data in multiple locations. For instance, you might have a cloud backup of a data archive as well as an external hard drive kept at your business.
Small Businesses May Need to Increase Their Budgets
Smaller companies might find that they need to increase their budgets when working with a service provider. This is because the upfront costs can be quite steep, especially if they are looking for specialized solutions.
Therefore, businesses should make sure that they have enough funds available for this endeavor before starting out in order to ensure its success. With proper budgeting, there is almost always room for HaaS.
It’s often worth reducing your budget for other obligations (such as office size) in favor of hardware.
Common Examples of HaaS
Some business owners are quite sure how they can take advantage of hardware as a service.
However, companies in virtually every industry can benefit in some form. Let’s explore some of the most notable.
Point-of-Sale Systems
Most customer-facing businesses need point-of-sale systems for customers to purchase products or services.
With HaaS, businesses can quickly implement these systems without having to purchase them outright. This makes it ideal for companies looking to reduce costs while still leveraging the latest technology. They can also try out different types of hardware without committing to a purchase.
Regardless, you can’t overlook the opportunity to have access to point-of-sale systems.
Video Conferencing Equipment
Video conferencing is becoming increasingly popular in today’s world, and businesses of all sizes can benefit from it. With hardware as a service, you don’t have to worry about purchasing the equipment or setting it up yourself.
Instead, you can simply rent the required technology and use it as needed. Small businesses can take great advantage of this, as video conferencing equipment is often expensive.
Software Tools
Software is also available through HaaS, meaning businesses don’t have to pay for expensive licenses and upgrades. This makes it ideal for companies that need specific tools but can’t afford them outright.
Buying software can sometimes be just as expensive as hardware. In some cases, it could even be more expensive. Your provider will help you determine which devices have software tools that can help you meet your needs.
Mobile Technology
The prevalence of mobile technology means that businesses must be able to keep up with the latest trends and technologies.
With hardware as a service, companies can quickly set up mobile-enabled solutions without having to purchase expensive equipment. This is especially beneficial for businesses that are just getting started in this realm or need to rapidly scale up their operations.
Office Hardware
Finally, businesses of all sizes can benefit from HaaS when it comes to office hardware.
Instead of having to purchase a variety of equipment upfront, companies can simply rent what they need on an as-needed basis. This helps to reduce costs while still ensuring that employees have access to the necessary tools and technology.
How Do I Find the Right Provider For Me?
First and foremost, look for one that offers a wide selection of hardware solutions and services. You should also make sure the provider is reputable and has a good reputation among its customers.
When taking a look at past feedback, consider certain criteria. To elaborate, pay close attention to how the provider responds to negative feedback. If they get aggressive or defensive with past clients, you should not work with them.
Of course, you should consider the volume of positive reviews they receive. If people seem to have more bad to say than good, this is a red flag you can’t ignore.
Finally, keep an eye out for reviews that don’t seem legitimate. They often sound more like advertisements or sales pitches than actual feedback.
What is their billing process like? Do they charge miscellaneous fees that you need to know about? When inquiring about this, never work with someone who attempts to deflect these questions.
This is often a sign that they are looking to get as much money as possible out of the clients.
Pay close attention to the customer service offered by the company in order to ensure you’ll get the help you need when you need it. They should be easy to get in touch with and go out of their way to help you reach your goals.
Are you comfortable communicating with them? You might not be able to get the best results if you find it difficult to have discussions with them.
By following these simple steps, you can find the perfect HaaS provider for your needs.
Don’t Overlook the Advantages of Hardware as a Service
At first, understanding hardware as a service can seem overwhelming. The above guidelines will help ensure that you avoid problems you may have otherwise dealt with.
From here, you will be well on your way toward reaching your goals faster than you thought possible.
Looking for more information on what we can do? Reach out to us today to see how we can help.