Hardware-as-a-service programs like those now available from Zoom might provide a quick, lower-cost way to deploy collaboration devices.
If COVID-19 has taught enterprises anything, it’s that regardless of what solution they rely on, it needs to be flexible and scalable to meet the ever-changing demands of the new normal. This has pushed enterprises to cloud services for their video and collaboration needs, and increasingly, to the as-a-service model for their hardware needs. As discussed earlier this year in a No Jitter post by Craig Durr, the as-a-service model for hardware has gained traction in recent years as a way to provide financial flexibility and the ability to change technologies quicker to meet specific demands.
To that end, Zoom has launched a hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) program. With the program, enterprises can pay for Zoom Rooms and Zoom Phone hardware at a fixed monthly price rather than incurring the cost upfront. This will allow them the budgeting flexibility to meet the needs of in-office and distributed workforces, Jeff Smith, head of Zoom Rooms, told No Jitter in a briefing.
For Zoom Phone, enterprises have the option of four Zoom-ready phones from Poly and another four from Yealink; and for Zoom Rooms, enterprises have the option to select a Poly, DTEN, or Neat video bar, Smith said. Additional devices will be available at a future time, he added. For a full listing of Zoom Room and Zoom Phone HaaS devices and pricing, visit Zoom here.
With this program, Zoom essentially becomes a one-stop shop for video, voice services, and hardware, so that, enterprises no longer have to reach out to separate resellers and software vendors, Smith said. Similarly, IT admins benefit by having a single bill for Zoom software, and devices can be managed remotely from the Zoom Admin Portal. And when an enterprise is ready to replace or refresh a device, Zoom will ship a replacement unit in advance of the return, and depending on the agreement terms, enterprises can upgrade their devices every three years, according to Zoom.
Enterprise will also have the option to augment the HaaS service with managed services for installation and end-to-end management, according to Zoom. In addition, Zoom has expanded its implementation of ServiceNow’s Customer Service Management to provide additional customer support for HaaS customers.
Zoom software licenses aren’t included with the HaaS program.
Source: NoJitter
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