With Microsoft announcing its managed desktop service within days of HP Inc updating its own model, Marian McHugh investigates whether DaaS is on the path to becoming the new normal for the channel.
Device-as-a-service (DaaS) may not be a new concept to the channel, but when giants such as Microsoft and Computacenter enter into the fray, one can't help but take notice.
Last month Microsoft finally confirmed rumours that it was launching its own answer to DaaS in Microsoft Managed Desktop (MMD), which pulls together hardware, Microsoft 365, Office 365 and various other paraphernalia into a monthly subscription model for customers. Launch partners for the service include Computacenter, Avanade, Dell and HP.
In a blog post announcing the news, Bill Karagounis, general manager at Microsoft, wrote that the offering is a result of feedback from customers struggling to keep up with the rapid rate of technological developments and updating security.
"Through MMD, customers will be able to move towards a secure, always up-to-date environment with device management by Microsoft," Karagounis said.
"As we expand the offering, our partners will play a key role in helping us bring MMD to market and support customers in their transition to a modern desktop."
The day before, HP had announced enhancements to its own DaaS offering, which was initially launched in 2016.
Neil Sawyer, UK&I channel director at HP, told CRN at the time that the move to a contractual model by partners would only reap benefits for them.
"I'm not exaggerating when I say I don't see any negatives [for partners] whatsoever," he said.
"I say that because many, if not all, of the partners we've spoken to have a long heritage in managed services, whether that be workplace technology, mobile technology - much of which is under contract - or managed print services. They are used to contractual-led sales, so the transition from selling PCs transactionally to a managed service is not a particularly complicated one."
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