A Refreshing Way to Handle Hardware Refreshes
Park Place Technologies
Top reasons IT organizations are turning to professional services partners for decommissioning-to-deployment hardware refresh assistance
New data center equipment is typically cause for celebration. You’re probably getting more features, greater capacity or processing power, a management software upgrade, and other remedies for those ‘pain points’ that have been building up over three, five, or more years of ownership.
IT teams don’t tend to look at the process of refreshing hardware with the same enthusiasm as they view the end result, however. Especially at a time of widespread staffing shortages and rapid change in the data center, it can be difficult to find the time and resources to devote to decommissioning old IT equipment and deploying the new.
Why not nice to pass off some, or maybe all, of this work to a trusted partner?
Top Advantages of Using Professional Hardware Refresh Services
There are many reasons IT organizations of all sizes are looking to professional services providers to assist with hardware refreshes. Here are just five benefits of a hardware upgrade.
1. Supplement internal resources
A professional services provider will put extra hands on deck. The availability of additional, highly trained field engineers, system engineers, and project managers—skill sets difficult to find and afford in today’s market—can help ensure a hardware refresh is handled with care but doesn’t sideline other critical projects for which your team is responsible.
2. Focus on the core
Companies are more likely to succeed when they concentrate on their core business. The same can be said for the IT organization. Various functions involved in a hardware refresh, however, lie beyond the usual scope of data center operations. Knowing how to dispose of old IT equipment is not the first thing on your mind as a systems admin or data center manager.
Using a professional services provider with expertise in NIST data wiping, IT asset disposition, and new equipment transportation. These services can free your team of tasks with which they have limited experience and facilitate a smooth, ‘bug-free’ hardware transition.
3. Remove complexity
The emergence of hybrid infrastructure, the multiplication of network endpoints, the ongoing challenge of digital transformation—there’s enough complexity to deal with right now. Who needs a large, maybe even global, hardware refresh project on top of everything else? Fortunately, a professional services partner can plan, manage, and execute a comprehensive array of technology deployment services, from de-racking outdated equipment to rolling out, setting up, and testing new gear. From your perspective, a professionally managed hardware refresh is simple.
4. Minimize risk
If the word ‘cutover’ turns your blood cold, you’re not alone. There’s considerable risk involved in preparing IT hardware for a fast, efficient transition with minimal business impact. Hardware refresh specialists understand and can mitigate potential issues and ensure success so you breathe easier. For example, storage migration services can be instrumental in a minimally disruptive transition.
5. Recoup value
Most IT organizations don’t have the time or market knowledge to derive additional value from their hardware through resale. This is a huge missed opportunity! In fact, a hardware refresh can help pay for itself if you seek a partner with resale services designed to identify gear with residual value and market it for maximum return.
A Solution as Unique as Your Needs
There are many advantages to leveraging professional services to remove some or all of the burden of hardware refreshes, but no two providers are the same. It’s important to do your due diligence to select a partner with a proven, reference-confirmed track record and demonstrated investment in top talent.
But don’t stop there. Make sure any company you consider will customize services to your needs. A full-service partner may be the best choice if you’re also seeking help monitoring and supporting your environment over the long run.
The above perfectly describes Park Place Technologies as a professional services and DMSO company. If you’d like more information about hardware refresh services or any other IT infrastructure needs, simply contact us today!