Technology budgets are growing. Productivity is not keeping pace. For most CIOs and IT leaders, that gap is already visible. What is less obvious is how often the device fleet is quietly driving it.
Extending device lifecycles made sense a few years ago. Budgets were tight, and with security, AI, and platform modernisation all competing for investment, sweating assets was a defensible call. But the operating environment has shifted, and a decision that once reduced cost is now creating it.
Want the full picture?
DOWNLOAD THE FULL EBOOKThe problem with older hardware is that its costs rarely show up in one place. They accumulate across teams, budgets, and time in ways that are easy to absorb until they are not.
What the numbers say
IDC research on Microsoft Surface devices found:
Source: IDC Business Value of Microsoft Surface
Reactive refresh is not a device strategy. It is what happens when you run out of options. Hardware fails. Replacement orders get processed under pressure. The total cost of that cycle, when support, residual value, accessories, and lost productivity are included, is rarely visible in the original budget.
Intentional device strategy looks different. It starts with understanding the full lifecycle economics, mapping device role to user need, and planning refresh cycles around your operational calendar rather than around hardware failure.
Microsoft Surface devices powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 3 processors are built with this in mind. The hardware integrates directly with Microsoft Intune and Windows Autopilot, which means IT can deploy, configure, and manage a refreshed fleet without touching every device. For organisations with limited IT capacity, that matters.
Our report, ‘The Hidden Cost of Holding On’ covers the full lifecycle economics behind device refresh decisions, including the five compounding effects of ageing hardware, what modern Surface devices change at the security and AI layer, how structured funding models like Device as a Service work in practice, and a practical EOFY reset framework.
Choosing the right partner matters as much as choosing the right device.
ASI is one of just eleven accredited Microsoft Platinum Partners worldwide. For organisations, that status opens access to Microsoft-funded initiatives that can support digital skills training at no additional cost, helping your team adopt new technology faster, build digital confidence across departments, and reduce IT strain through increased self-sufficiency.
We manage the full process from procurement and configuration through to rollout and adoption. The device decision and the people side of it, handled together.
For organisations approaching the end of financial year, the question is not whether to invest. It is whether to make that investment deliberately or by default.
Devices extended beyond their useful life do not save money. They shift cost from predictable capital expenditure to unpredictable operational effort, and from planned refresh to reactive replacement. That is not lower cost. It is lower control.
‘The Hidden Cost of Holding On’ breaks down the full economics of your device fleet and gives you a practical framework for making the next refresh decision on purpose, not under pressure. It’s the resource for IT leaders who want to make the next refresh decision on purpose, not under pressure.
