Durability and longevity: Why businesses need the right hardware and the right support

Do any of the following scenarios sound depressingly familiar to you?

• There’s a problem with your hardware and you waste hours of precious time on the phone, in a queue, or talking to ‘Support’.
• You want to digitally transform your business, but your computers don’t support Office 365.
• Your hardware’s been sent to the manufacturer to be fixed. Big problem: you’ve got no backup device so you can’t access your files.

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these, chances are you purchased your hardware from a high street retail store.

While buying computers from retail stores is fine for the consumer who wants to surf the net, do their banking, play online games, and chat to friends on social media, it’s not the way to go if you’re running a business.

Retail staff don’t understand business needs. If you buy hardware from a retailer, you’ll end up with a computer or laptop meant for home or education use, one that won’t meet the needs of your growing business.

Retail model and business model hardware – what’s the difference?

On the surface, a retail model computer or laptop and their business model equivalents can appear to be the same beast. It’s just that one seems to come much cheaper. But beware: there are some major differences.

• Business computers are built to last. They contain better quality components than consumer model computers and are subject to more rigorous testing.
• Business model computers offer more business features. These include encryption tools, and – equally importantly – don’t include the junk that slows down consumer computers.
• Business laptops are more durable than retail laptops. They’re designed for heavy daily use and a longer lifespan. Additionally, they’re built to handle the occasional fall to the ground.
• Business laptops have better security through Office 365 and include easier-to-manage software.
• Commercial computers don’t have the latest Generation Intel^® Core Processor so the shelf life of your product is limited.
• And last, but definitely not least, there’s no commercial warranty on retail model hardware. If something goes wrong with your hardware investment, you have no legal recourse.

So, while the hardware in the retail chain might look glossier, feel lighter, seem more versatile, and be relatively inexpensive, ask yourself: will the consumer models give you the durability, agility, security and business features you need? What happens if there’s a problem with your consumer-model laptop? How will you run your business with no back-up or support?

Businesses need the right hardware and support

Wherever companies are in their technology journey, they need the right hardware and support. They need to be able to keep their business up and running if there’s a hardware problem. And they need that problem fixed ASAP.

Retail chain staff don’t understand that, which is why companies need help and advice from people who do.

Here at Retrac, we understand the needs of a growing business. For more than ten years, we’ve helped companies in Melbourne and regional Victoria to make the right technology choices for their business. That’s why we set up Devices by Retrac. It’s a comprehensive service that helps put businesses back in control of their hardware.

Devices by Retrac offers the following benefits:

• The very latest Microsoft Surface Pro for Business. This isn’t available through retail, but as a registered Microsoft partner, Retrac can provide this, giving companies access to Windows 10, Advanced Exchange, the latest 8^th Generation Intel Processing, and Office 365. And let’s face it this device is set to help shape the future of work right from the offset.

• Standard manufacturer warranties and services like HP’s onsite support and Microsoft’s Advanced Exchange – something a retail chain can’t offer. With Advanced Exchange you’ll receive immediately receive a temporary device, so you can carry on working if something goes wrong.

• Daytime business hours and emergency out-of-hours support, plus access to Retrac’s Helpdesk. Plus, Retrac will contact the vendor to fix your problem, so you won’t have to waste time on a helpline.

• Training sessions so you and your staff can get the most out of your new device and software.

Through partnerships with Cisco, HP and Microsoft, plus other major brands, Retrac helps IT systems to function consistently and dependably. Retrac’s devices are intended for all-day usage over the long-term.

If you’d like to know how we can help you make the right hardware decisions for your business, get in touch.

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