Staying on top of the hardware lifecycle is crucial for managing your clients’ information technology (IT) environments. Legacy technology can introduce security risks, and implementing extended hardware lifecycle management can be complex. In this edition of Tip Tuesday, explore how you can effectively enforce hardware lifecycles for your clients.
What do you need to know about hardware lifecycles?
The hardware lifecycle consists of five primary stages, each with unique management requirements. Understanding these differences can help you implement strategies that clients will appreciate.
The primary stages of the hardware lifecycle
The hardware lifecycle encompasses procurement, onboarding, deployment, maintenance, and retirement. While specifics may evolve with changing security protocols and device functionality, these fundamental stages remain consistent.
The basics of hardware lifecycle management
Extended hardware lifecycle management involves overseeing IT assets until the end-of-life (EoL) stage to maximize return on investment, minimize security risks, and optimize performance.
An item reaches the EoL stage when the vendor stops maintaining its firmware, making it vulnerable to cyberattacks. A 2024 study of nearly 900 models from multiple vendors found 3 million active EoL devices, of which 1 million have been active for over five years. Approximately half of these EoL devices have high-risk vulnerabilities.
Effective hardware lifecycle management involves meticulously tracking timelines and key events, such as warranty expirations, contract renewal windows, and end-of-support dates. This approach ensures you know when to patch, upgrade, or replace devices.
Will your clients value hardware lifecycle management?
Clients expect proactive, value-driven IT services rather than just reactive support. By transparently communicating the cost savings, security benefits, and regulatory compliance associated with hardware lifecycle management, you can build trust and enhance client retention.
In addition to supporting critical IT services through optimized performance, this approach promotes compliance with data security and environmental regulations. It also minimizes unnecessary expenses by preventing over-purchasing and reducing maintenance costs.
Third-party awards or certifications can significantly support your claims regarding hardware lifecycle management. For instance, applying for certifications or designations can demonstrate your commitment to sound environmental stewardship. While the specifics vary by industry, there are numerous valuable options available. For example, obtaining a Recycling Industry Operating Standard certification can prove that you effectively recycle e-waste, further enhancing your credibility with clients.
Is it a good idea to force hardware lifecycles on your clients?
If you have no hardware lifecycle management policies in place, your clients may not welcome one. To some, hardware lifecycles seem like an unnecessary budget line item. Avoid arbitrarily pushing clients to spend money on upgrades or replacements.
Transparent communication is essential. It helps foster stronger client relationships, potentially increasing service revenue and your contract renewal rate.
The value of transparently communicating benefits
You could place a few lines in the contract making clients responsible for securing replacements every three to five years. However, those devices may still be effective and secure. Base hardware cycles on events, security or contracts, and require intervention when warranties expire, firmware stops receiving updates or contracts are up for renewal.
Even with this baseline, you should consider the overall scenario. If you identify risks, costs, and opportunities to create a client-specific plan, you can help them see the value in this approach. Use data to support your claims and visual aids to simplify communication.
How do you manage the IT asset lifecycle?
You may excel at software and network management, but lack a mature extended hardware lifecycle process. Having a proactive strategy is a good start, but there’s more work to do to maximize performance and minimize downtime while delivering cost-effective services.
Align policies with your MSP’s goals
How will you establish and enforce procurement, upgrading and decommissioning policies? Your strategy will differ depending on your priorities. For example, to avoid under provisioning, focus on redundancies and interoperability.
Generally, budget shouldn’t be an issue — even if you are a smaller managed service provider (MSP) — since cost savings accompany optimization. For Internet of Things devices, hardware lifecycle management can significantly reduce maintenance expenses, cushioning your bottom line. However, it would be wise to make clients responsible for upgrade-related costs.
Generate a hardware lifecycle report
Monitoring relevant KPIs can help you communicate the value of your managed services to clients. Generate data-driven assessments by tracking uptime, sustainability and cost savings. You could make this information available in real time through a customer portal or send an annual report.
What tools do you use to accomplish these strategies?
No strategy is complete without a suite of technology, software and equipment to streamline data collection, task automation and lifecycle monitoring.
Automate repetitive and critical processes
Predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and robotic process automation tools support monitoring or intervention. Whether you need help patching software or cataloging new devices, they can help throughout every stage of the hardware lifecycle.
Use secure data sanitization techniques
When a device reaches its EoL, it should be sanitized. The National Institute of Standards and Technology defines sanitization as removing data from storage media in a way that prevents retrieval and reconstruction. The three primary sanitization methods are clearing, purging and destruction. Simple deletion is not enough because it leaves traces of information behind.
You can overwrite, degauss, pulverize, disintegrate, shred, incinerate or melt storage media. The best method depends on the type of media and the sensitivity of stored data.
Embracing extended lifecycles
While extended hardware lifecycle management is complex, it’s essential for optimizing ROI, maximizing uptime, and supporting sustainability. A structured, data-driven approach benefits both your business and your clients.
Read the Tip Tuesday series for more insights on how to better your MSP business.
Photo: NDAB Creativity / Shutterstock
This post originally appeared on Smarter MSP.