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Leverage a Master Agent to Stop Buying Employee Computers

January 17, 2012

By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor

In the corporate world, a common practice is for the governing company to purchase computers for all of its employees. After all, these machines will run on the corporate network, so shouldn’t IT managers be the ones selecting the devices? Before you answer this question, how many of your employees and IT managers use computers in the same way? Would you benefit more from access to a master agent to select a different approach?

This Channel Partners Online report examines this phenomenon, stressing that corporate purchasing should take a second look at its approach to employee devices. With the use of a master agent and individual involvement, the resulting process could be faster, more secure and more cost-effective.

If you consider for a moment that an employee’s work computer is just one of many he or she may use, is it necessary to spend the additional dollars to add to the fleet? In working with a master agent to secure 100 computers from a particular vendor who can by all appearances best meet the needs of the company, it is assumed that corporate data and intellectual property are secure.

The reality, however, is often data is less secure, intellectual property is more expensive and a support model stretches the budget too far. How? If you consider that the technology available to us today enables companies to be completely virtual, that means that each employee will login from their own location on a secure system. If a master agent is used to purchase a computer for each individual, the computer must be configured and shipped to each employee.

What happens, however, when that employee needs to leave the company? If the employee is not leaving on amicable terms, is your data at risk? You may have blocked him or her from your network, but what about the information stored on that computer? If everything was instead stored in a virtual data center and nothing could be localized, simply disabling the connection protects your information.

In a virtual scenario, the employee uses equipment he or she already has to log into the system, access necessary information, create documents, collaborate and more. When the relationship with the employee ends, the IT manager or admin simply logs into the secure IT control and eliminates access for that employee. All vital information, email, data and intellectual property is still in the virtual data center, controlled by the company – not the employee. The remote machine is instantly wiped clean and the relationship ends.

This arrangement could very well be the future of IT, and a master agent can work with your company to determine the best vendor to support your goals. Not sure if this is the proper fit – your master agent can help you make that determination as well. The technology is here, are you ready to embrace it?

Looking to grow your channel opportunities? Then be sure to attend ChannelVision Expo (CVx), collocated with TMC’s ITEXPO East 2012taking place Jan. 31-Feb. 3 2012, in Miami, FL. The CVx Showcase at ITEXPO (News - Alert) was created specifically to help channel players and wholesale service providers develop partnerships that cross traditional lines of business and provide all players with opportunities to expand their service portfolio through new suppliers and new relationships with other types of services and equipment distributors. For more information on registering for the ChannelVision Expo click here.

Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter.

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jamie Epstein

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