Why buying your tech through IT is best
Most staff now buy their technology through IT Services. However, it’s widely known that the pandemic and other global issues have caused significant supply chain issues over the past couple of years, impacting our usual stock levels and delivery times. During that time, we were often asked why colleagues can’t just buy a laptop direct from a shop or online retailer, so we wanted to explain what we do and why we do it in a little more detail.
1. We use a procurement framework
The University, alongside many other public and HE sector organisations, uses procurement frameworks to help streamline how we buy IT and AV equipment. A procurement framework is an agreement with one or more technology suppliers over a set period. The current Scottish Government contract for workplace technology is awarded to HP and will run until June 2023. The benefits of using this framework include:
Savings
The product pricing is significantly lower than current market pricing
Fixed pricing
Pricing is fixed for the duration of the framework, providing budget certainty
Environmental
To reduce the environmental impact of desktop computing, the latest energy efficiency and environmental accreditations were incorporated into the minimum specification
2. University devices are selected to meet business needs
We have selected a small range of HP devices (with different specifications) from the framework, which we believe meet the needs of most of the University community we support – and we usually hold these in stock.
3. University devices offer a consistent experience
We apply a ‘build’ to every computer that is purchased through IT Services. This ensures your device is ready to use by you when you receive it with all the security and application services you need to carry out your role, such as anti-virus, Teams, VPN, or specific corporate applications such as SITS or APTOS.
4. The devices have extended warranties
Prices agreed through frameworks are generally always more favourable than buying direct from a supplier, however, the significant benefit comes with the 3-year warranty, which comes as standard. That means if something goes wrong with the device you’ve been issued, the supplier must fix or replace the device through the agreed Service Level Agreement.
5. We maintain cybersecurity settings
The standard build applied to your university devices allows for updates and critical security fixes to be pushed out to your device quickly. This minimises cyber risks for your data, and the University’s data.
6. We can provide better support
By having an approved range of standard devices, our IT support specialists have in-depth knowledge of these devices and well-versed in trouble-shooting issues.
7. We can advise on specialist requirements
We understand that for some roles, staff have particular requirements that can’t be met by our standard offering. This may also include devices which will be primarily based off-campus or used overseas for research.
Please contact us to discuss your requirements – our ICT purchasing team and IT technicians have a wealth of knowledge of the current device market.
To place an order through IT Services or ask any questions relating to our offering, you can:
- contact the IT Service Desk
- visit the IT purchasing web pages