BI Worldwide hassle-free green solution
Our mission is to turn inspiration into real results for our clients. We understand how to inspire employees, run custom sales incentives, build channel loyalty, and create event experiences to engage your audience better than anyone. We have the tools and resources to help your business tap into that knowledge to drive and sustain measurable results.
For over 70 years, we’ve helped thousands of companies globally to retain their talented employees, motivate sales teams, engage loyal channel partners, and grow their businesses. BI WORLDWIDE is now a multinational company serving Global 2000 corporations in 140+ countries and 20+ languages. Despite our size, we haven’t lost sight of our core purpose: To deliver measurable results that truly have a positive impact for our clients and their businesses.
How did we get to be so good at inspiring people and delivering results? Experience is part of it, but it also stems from our unique approach to building solutions.
Challenges
Jen Howley, Events Manager at BI Worldwide and Veritas had an ageing fleet of laptops that was “generating lots of requests from the business to upgrade them. But with a limited resources in Australia, it means I had limited time to deploy devices on my own. It was important to be able to offer a new computer to every staff member with a preference for Windows and Mac devices. We had to solve this both from a financial perspective and as a valued employer.”
The organisation is primarily a Windows environment with only a few Mac users mainly within the Design and Marketing team.
Laptop devices at BI Worldwide are genuine workhorses and critical to the success of their events, mobile and travel working environment. BI Worldwide’s Design and Marketing teams have software needs or personal likings for other devices as well. “But, from an IT point of view, the management of this relatively small number was distracting while the combined asset value of the high-end machines was considerable,” Jen says.
“To reduce complexity, we also needed to update our processes to streamline imaging and new staff onboarding. This was always done as a separate project, but we thought this could also be included in the management solution,” Jen says.
BI Worldwide developed a trusted new supplier relationship with Virtu. Jen approached their dedicated Virtu account manager with: “We have this problem”… This was the start.
The Solution
Leveraging their Global Partnership for all of BI Worldwide’s HP devices, Virtu proposed a customised Device as a Service (DaaS) offering as a way to solve BI Worldwide’ multi-pronged problem.
The DaaS leverages every part of Virtu’s national service offering: from account management to procurement, deployment, and support, as well as its end-of-life program that ensures security and environmental considerations.
The expanded agreement would see all BI Worldwide’ laptop users issued with the latest devices. Virtu would procure the new fleet using Microsoft Intune management software. Then imaging and delivery to staff across Australia rounds out the process.
Virtu’s service fulfils BI Worldwide’ corporate social responsibility values, and exemplifies HP Amplify, as seen in the management of each device’s complete lifecycle. The old fleet would be removed and securely data wiped. Each device then assessed as to whether it had secondhand sale value, could be donated, or salvaged for recycling.
Virtu takes ownership against the lease and refurbishes where they can sell on appropriately as second hand devices,” Jen says.
“Because of the difficulty we had in the past with returning our Windows devices at end of lease, we had pushed back on discussions about a DaaS. But Virtu assured us HP hold their value.” Jen says.
Throughout the three years of the contract, Virtu was to provide nationwide support with a mix of dedicated help desk and scheduled onsite visits.
“Management agreed that DaaS was the right direction – it would have the right impact on our books, and its lifecycle commitment would support our CSR,” Jen says.
“Virtu’s rollout team was great – whether on site or working remotely. Their technical people were fantastic helping us to get the right combination of equipment and applications working for our people,” Jen says.
The Benefits
BI Worldwide’ MSA has been seamlessly expanded to include hardware procurement and deployment. The DaaS delivers a seamless user experience and a commitment to the fleet’s secure environmentally and financially sound lifecycle.
Importantly, the finance rate for the existing hardware is built in to ensure the devices have residual value.
“The Virtu DaaS made sense. We knew how well their managed services operated and folding in the cost of the equipment was a logical next step,” she says.
All staff with a preference for various devices now have current machines and, in three years, Virtu is contracted to take back the old and again replace with new. Part of the comprehensive plan proposed by Virtu is to start the refresh cycle at the 45-month mark to assess what new equipment is required to provide the lead time for uninterrupted service to BI Worldwide’ staff.
The refresh now allows users to benefit from the latest business essential software from Apple, Adobe and Microsoft.
“We were able to swap out our really old equipment for the latest and greatest devices. Virtu will buy back our entire fleet – even the relatively low value seven-year-old machines,” Jen says.
“Our DaaS streamlines management and support and takes away the admin work that consumed my team. We can now constantly run the latest OS and software packages and keep a modern deployment ongoing. We have happy employees,” Jen says. “And we expect even greater outcomes from our continuing partnership with Virtu.”