When it comes to outfitting your office with computers for your staff, where should you shop? Lots of options here, so let’s make a list:
- Go to a large local brick-and-mortar retailer and pick out a number of laptops and printers.
- Shop an online retailer for the same list of equipment.
- Turn to your IT partner and ask what you should buy and if they could procure the goods for you.
While items 1 and 2 seem ok, really, think about this: you are going to need a specification of some sort. It only seems logical that the guys who specify the equipment (and probably will be setting it up) should be the source of the equipment. Let’s talk about that specification:
- Laptop or desktop machines?
- Screen (or monitor) size?
- RAM?
- Local memory (hard drive)?—keep in mind you may be using a Cloud solution for storage.
As for the “why” of who should be the source of said equipment, here are some advantages to having the guys who have to install it:
- They have solid relationships with suppliers as they specify and buy or lease equipment for other clients and will most likely pass on any savings to you.
- If you choose a lease option, that eliminates capital expense.
- Ditto if you need repairs or replacement—you can swap out parts and whole computers when the problem comes up.
- They know more about computers than you know.
Smaller companies (less than three people) might be further ahead to buy their own computers based upon a provided spec, but that is worth asking your IT partner about. Whatever you choose to do, remember that your IT partner is just that—a partner.
As you consider hardware, software or your next IT service provider, be sure and contact us. We can help in the decision process.
For more information on hardware, software and IT strategy, give us a call or drop us a line. We really like what we do.