Deciphering Device as a Service

The notion of Device as a Service (DaaS) is creating the same sort of confusion that the concept of cloud did, when it was first touted in market in the early 2000s. From conversations I’m having with customers and the industry, it’s clear that, for many, the interpretation of what DaaS is varies widely and is highly dependent on:

1. who is providing the offering,
2. the service approach, and
3. what the customer is looking to achieve, or are prepared to pay to solve the challenges of device management.

However, so many variable, often incomparable, options seem to be stimulating a climate of customer confusion.

There’s now a DaaS offering on every corner. Most major device vendors have released their version of DaaS, as well as system integrators and even distributors now building and/or reskinning other’s DaaS offerings to create their own. It has become almost impossible for customers to compare one vendor or another’s cryptic cocktail of services and decide on the best DaaS solution for their business.

I recently attended a roundtable discussion on the benefits of DaaS with various representatives from vendors, system integrators and distributors. As expected, all attendees had their own versions and emphasis was placed on the unique differentiation of their solution. During the day, it was evident that DaaS offerings in the Australian market range from very basic, essentially device financing, to end-to-end, cradle-to-grave, outsourced device services. What remained consistent was that our customers are at various levels of competency in device lifecycle management and are constantly seeking ways to improve their end user compute experience.

Three key questions you should be asking yourself when considering DaaS:

1. What is the best offering for your organisation?
2. How do you decipher the differences in offerings?
3. Which elements of a DaaS service should you be prioritising, searching for or wary to avoid?

While many DaaS offerings appear similar on the surface, when you begin to pull apart the list of ingredients it quickly becomes apparent that one vendor’s Mojito is another’s Manhattan. HP, Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell, just to name a few, all have different offerings.

The Data^#3 recipe for DaaS serves up and manages the hardware itself; the suite of services varies dependent on the customer outcomes. However, it typically includes a new device, deployment, management, support and end of life handling, for a monthly fee.

Of all the elements that form the DaaS cocktail, of late, we are receiving increasing enquiries pertaining to application management and analytics. Since the release of Windows 10 the future of application management will be driven from the cloud, with devices delivered straight to users. Employees will receive their new notebook, turn it on, enter their ID and be ready to work. However, in order for this to happen, customers must mature in their IT and cloud infrastructure.

Where we see our customers come unstuck is the reliance on cloud-based apps and services for successful outcomes – this can become tricky for organisations with legacy and locally installed apps. The roadmap to get customers to a modern architecture is to get infrastructure into a hybrid mode. Windows customers need to make the move to Azure and begin their adoption of cloud-based apps for example, transitioning from on-premises Exchange to Office 365.

4 key tips for you to take away:

1. Cloud applications are the modern architecture to deliver corporate standard apps.
2. Ascertain where you are on the journey, moving from on-premises, locally installed apps to cloud-based modern application management – and reach out for assistance with this transition.
3. Combining cloud services such as Autopilot and Intune with standard DaaS models will unlock increased productivity, efficiencies and cost savings for IT teams and the business.
4. Utilising analytic tools can assist in making the right device choices for employees to perform job responsibilities required.

Learn more about Data^#3 DaaS here.

To begin your journey towards modern device management, reach out to a Data^#3 specialist or contact me on LinkedIn to start customising your own DaaS cocktail today.