Nothing lasts forever. This is especially true for technology. And as much as you might like a shiny new work device, remember that you'll be using it for a while.

What is the lifespan of workplace hardware, from desktops to laptops and servers? A study conducted among 1372 IT specialists in North America and Europe. We briefly present the main trends.

We confirm them as matching observations from our direct work and we hope they will help form an objective view on the subject. Of course, in the context of covid-19, some of the statements from this study are likely to undergo some changes. It is still difficult to talk about big differences, in our humble opinion. 

Thus, almost all organizations represented in this study use proprietary companies laptops (99 %); desktop computers (99 %); printers (99 %); and servers (98 %).

What devices do employees primarily use to do their jobs? The answers may surprise you.

Let's not rush into announcing the end of desktop computing!

Despite years of higher overall laptop sales worldwide, desktops still dominate the workplace. In 68% of organizations desktops are the main device compared to 29% of organizations saying the same for laptops.

It turns out that the larger the company, the more likely laptops are used as the primary device. One reason for this trend is that larger organizations have larger budgets for IT equipment, which can allow them to purchase laptops that are more expensive than desktop computers with similar features. In such companies, workers often have meetings in different offices, buildings or cities, which requires the presence of a compact machine.

The bigger, the longer lasting

Among the possible equipment - laptops, desktop computers and smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, the latter are usually stronger and easier to repair. Because they are less mobile, they are much less likely to be bumped or dropped, extending their life 70% from companies using desktop computers for 5 years or more, before decommissioning or replacing them, a 24% have been using them for 7 years or more. For comparison, 48% of organizations have been using laptops for 5 years or more, but only 8% – for 7 or more years. This difference in the lifespan of desktop computers versus laptops helps explain why desktop computers are still the primary device used in the workplace, despite the high sales of laptops in recent years.

Larger drives and peripherals are among the longest-lasting hardware. For example, 75% of organizations have been using servers for 5 years or more, as 32% use them for 7 years or more. Although the hardware may still work, this common "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude can lead to reliability and security issues, especially if operating systems are no longer updated to fix potential risks in terms of of security.

Peripherals such as fax machines and printers take even longer. While 75% from companies using printers for 5 years or more, 37% use them for 7 years or more. Also, fax machines are a technology that refuses to die. And the longevity of physical fax machines helps preserve the power of the technology. 32% from companies support fax machines for 10 years and more!

Small and short-lived

So far, only 1% of companies use tablets as their primary device.

Smaller mobile devices have a shorter lifespan compared to desktops and laptops. Most organizations (52%) use tablets for three to four years before replacing or decommissioning them, such as 20% use them for two years or less. As for smartphones, 41% from companies have been using them for three to four years, while 42% use them for two years or less.

Reasons for hardware replacement

Of course, the number one reason for replacing devices, and not only in our geographical latitudes, is their failure.

Reasons number two and three for replacing the hardware are performance degradation (72%), followed by physical damage (59%). This helps explain why portable devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, which take the brunt of the impact, are replaced more often than desktop computers. Other typical reasons why companies replace hardware include concerns about end of support (50%), Expenses For support for older hardware (49%) and hardware compatibility issues (45%).

It is interesting that only 29% of companies change equipment due to replacement policies and only 26% they do it because expiration of warranty.

Trends in purchasing new devices

Most of the companies (64%) prefer to buy new higher end hardware. But for everything else, companies rely on the "new and budget" formula.

Large companies are more likely to boast higher-end new technologies than medium-sized and small businesses. This applies to all devices. But surprisingly, medium-sized businesses are the least likely to buy new, higher-end devices, except for servers and printers.

And finally, 59% from IT professionals believe, that older devices make employees feel negatively about their employer, a 60% – that older devices result in lower performance levels. Well, think - love or enmity forever do you prefer?

Our impressions in the conditions of covid-19

They certainly change the tone of some statements to some extent. For example, in our opinion, it is likely that many organizations prefer to use laptops. Who knows, this may turn out to be a stable trend in the coming years... For your information, when the pandemic started, only the Bulgarian market bought all the laptops from the major suppliers. This became necessary because of distance work and distance learning. However, let's not be too quick to write off good old desktop computers and the sense of security and long-term service they give us.

In his daily work with small and medium-sized businesses, the Geletron team finds optimal solutions for new configurations and adaptation of available hardware. For us, the efficiency of your business is a priority. Look for us on 0882 997 383 or write to us at info@geletron.com.