The rise of the secondary IT market

One of the major challenges that has been brought about by the COVID -19 Pandemic is the current Supply Chain Crisis. Around the world, industries are coming to grips with managing backorders and stopping production because key parts cannot be produced or have significantly long lead times.

Associated with the Supply Chain Crisis is the current microchip shortage that is impacting the technology industry. From laptops and PCs to mobile phones, managing this shortage is proving to be one of the major challenges that companies face today.

Added to this is the fact that the South African economy is fragile. Immediate interventions need to be put in place to increase productivity so that the country can overcome the economic impact of the Pandemic. Businesses that are looking to play a role in this recovery are looking for ways to increase their productivity. This becomes difficult when one considers the challenges of managing the global microchip shortage.

Kwirirai Rukowo, GM of Qrent points out that, currently, companies have been waiting for very long lead times for new stock to arrive and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) locally and globally cannot meet the demand. Refurbished devices are helping to fill the gap, he says. They enable significant costs savings and also contribute to the circular economy.

“Africa has been using circular economic principles for generations. As new business models and technologies emerge, opportunities can be harvested by a variety of commercial sectors. Our experience in Africa has assisted us to roll out this solution to the UK where our second-life offering has been enthusiastically embraced by corporate enterprises,” says Rukowo.

Rukowo explains that initially the chip shortages were thought to be nothing more than a temporary delay in supplies as factories shut down when COVID-19 first hit.

South African companies should consider getting a head start when it comes to increasing their productivity by taking advantage of the benefits that the secondary computer market offers. Qrent has both long-term and short-term rental options and offers exclusive deals on Dell, HP, Lenovo and Apple devices.

Over the past few years, there has been a major movement towards companies addressing their carbon footprint and possible environmental wastage by becoming part of the circular economy. A circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible that aims at tackling global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution.

One of the misconceptions when it comes to participating in the secondary computer market is that refurbished devices will not carry the same warrantees and guarantees that new devices do. “This is not true,” says Rukowo, “If you deal with a trusted and reputable supplier like Qrent, not only do all of our products go through extensive quality checks and are backed by comprehensive service and support options, we reassure our clients that the device they have, are supported with a warranty. Should a malfunction or issue occur, you can get your computer fixed or swapped out if necessary. This way we enable business continuity by keeping operations running as smoothly as possible”

If you haven’t considered the secondary computer market, perhaps this is the time to do so. Contact Qrent today to discuss a rental option that will suit your business.