The idea of hardware as a service has [surely Haas, Ed.] gained traction among the punters, according to Panasonic.
Panasonic has been adding up some numbers and worked out that more than 76 percent of technology buyers were keen to buy hardware on a subscription basis, with cost their crucial consideration.
The outfit found that increasing number of customers have heard about the option and wanted to use it for laptops, tablets and handhelds. The attraction of the flexible approach was the chance to avoid large one-off fees and the option to avoid getting stuck years down the line with assets that should have been upgraded.
What customers wanted was a three-year warranty, zero percent interest payment plans and the devices delivered straight to the workplace — some of the extras that might also be looked at included insurance, accidental damage warranties and a trade-in programme.
Panasonic has already launched its Toughbook as a Service option to try and help customers spread payments on a monthly basis. Digital services player Econocom has powered the scheme.
Kevin Jones, managing director for the Panasonic Mobile Solution Business in Europe, said: “With the rapid advances in design and functionality of mobile devices and the resulting productivity gains for mobile workforces, businesses are keen to keep up to date with the latest developments. This is resulting in an expensive capital expenditure every two-three years. But buyers are telling us that they would much rather move to a new subscription-based model, similar to the growing popularity of software as a service.”
