Legacy hardware is a growing problem in retail IT. For example, many brick-and-mortar stores have little to no lanes, so modern devices, like iPads and handheld card readers, are frequently utilized.
Changes in consumer demand and an ever-increasing push to take on digital-only or digital-first competitors leave retailers with little choice: in many cases, it is "modernize or die." Legacy hardware does not have the capabilities retailers need to compete in a pandemic-era landscape.
Modernizing legacy hardware is important, but that does not mean the job is simple. Retailers like their legacy systems because, while they may not be adaptable for current and future needs, they work well at what they do. The predictability is nice, and it's understandable that businesses want to avoid the disruption of implementing new systems.
The problems with burying heads in the sand and sticking with legacy systems are numerous, though. We have already mentioned the lack of support for new needs, features, and capabilities. There are also security risks to worry about, especially with hardware no longer supported by the manufacturer. It becomes increasingly difficult to keep legacy machines running well, and the risk of sudden or inexplicable failure is high.
Many retail IT professionals who recognize the need for retail technology modernization are looking for help getting the job done. And much of that help is available through retail IT service providers and IT dispatch.
Retail IT service providers and retail IT dispatch providers play a vital role for retailers looking to modernize their legacy hardware faster and with minimal disruption. With the right dispatch partner, retail IT can deploy new hardware faster, with little to no disruption — and do it all at scale.
Not sure yet whether an IT retail technology modernization is the right move? Let us show you what modernization can accomplish — and how retail IT dispatch can get you results.
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Get Support to Update Legacy Retail Hardware
First, updating legacy hardware unlocks a range of benefits for retailers — benefits they may not necessarily know they need just yet. Yet, there are many decisions and deep expertise will go into this type of transformation.
Updated hardware generally delivers far greater flexibility and scalability, allowing retailers to scale up or scale down hardware needs faster than they can today. This is crucial as many retailers are in the ongoing process of digital transformation as they seek to meet evolving consumer needs. The ability to pivot, adjust, and scale without breaking your bottom line is mission-critical.
A successful implementation will aid in a proper setup, high-level technology and security maintenance, and uninterrupted business. It’s vital to obtain and retain support during your technology deployments. A contingent workforce can help a service provider scale to meet continuously changing market conditions and consumer demands.
The Power of a Field Services Partnership
As a retail IT leader, you have access to internal resources at some scale. But if you are like most, those resources just can’t execute a large-scale modernization effort. Even if they can, last-mile dispatch — actually installing physical devices in every store in your portfolio — remains either painfully slow or out of reach entirely.
A field services partner like Kinettix is the resource and the capacity-expanding solution to this dilemma. Kinettix gives retail IT pros and retail IT service firms access to specialized, on-demand IT technicians on a global scale. With resource expansion like this at your fingertips, you will be able to quickly fill skill gaps and (if you are a managed service provider) explore new markets without large financial investments or the budgetary risks associated with big internal hiring pushes.
Retail IT dispatch enables you to become more agile, engaging a variable field service workforce when and where you need it — without worrying about that workforce when you do not.
Finding the Right Retail IT Dispatch Partner
Kinettix is the global partner solution for your retail IT dispatch needs. We have a truly global footprint, with detailed knowledge of and connections with qualified IT dispatch technicians, tech coordinators, and project managers in every region of the USA — and nearly everywhere else around the globe.
We give retailers the ability to keep their entire network of stores online and up to date with modernized retail tech. We accomplish this through our nationwide network of qualified technicians, along with our global partners.
Ready to learn more about how Kinettix solves the on-demand IT field services problem for retail IT professionals and MSPs? Contact us to learn more.
