The traditional workplace was centred on the office: a computer on a desk, with applications and data stored on servers within the company’s own network. Equipment was purchased in large batches, set up individually by the in-house IT department, and often only replaced after many years. Hybrid working practices have rendered this model obsolete. In the digital workplace, key applications run as Software as a Service – such as Microsoft 365 and Teams – data is increasingly stored in the cloud, and collaboration takes place regardless of location. The end device thus becomes the most important gateway to the company’s IT.
This changes the requirements for workplace infrastructure: new devices must be ready for use on the first day of work, without first having to go through the IT department. Updates and security policies must reliably reach every device – even if it has not been connected to the company network for weeks. With traditional procurement cycles and manual set-up, this is hardly achievable efficiently anymore.
A smart workplace therefore relies on an operational model rather than individual projects: end devices, provisioning, operation and support are sourced as ‘Workplace as a Service’. Fixed contract terms of 24, 36 or 48 months ensure a continuous technology cycle. This means your staff work on up-to-date hardware that complies with the latest security standards. When it comes to employee experience and productivity, the most important thing is that devices function reliably: deployed quickly, kept up to date at all times and replaced promptly in the event of a fault. It is precisely these tasks that CANCOM takes care of as part of its Device as a Service offering.
