The digital transformation is underway – both economically and socially. Today, companies no longer have to wait years for expensive and specially programmed online stores. You simply use a platform provider that already provides the complete framework of an online store. Companies only have to enter their customer data and products and they are ready to go.

But despite all the joy that there are already ready-made platforms for almost everything, many entrepreneurs are still skeptical about the new services. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that critical corporate data is often placed in the hands of third parties when platforms are used, and on the other hand, the “pay-as-you-go” model is only slowly establishing itself. In the Corona crisis, for the first time in a long time, IT budgets have not grown as much as in previous years. CIOs face the challenge of continually reducing IT costs while maintaining efficiency and productivity. But how can this work if internal IT structures are so firmly anchored in the company that a change to new IT technologies is only possible with a great deal of persuasion and acceptance from employees. At the same time, business processes are lagging behind the rapidly changing requirements of digitization.

An example

Many companies often still use Microsoft Exchange environments with their own in-house servers to run email communications. The cost of maintaining and servicing servers by internal or external staff often exceeds that of an Office 365 (Microsoft 365) cloud model. In this case, Microsoft acts as a platform operator and offers its customers a completely ready-to-use Office environment for a fixed monthly price. Many managers outside of IT regard a switch to an Office 365 solution as too costly according to the motto “never change a running system”, although the use of such platforms creates considerable savings potential in almost all areas of the company.

If you look at the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Airbnb, Amazon, Google, Spotify or Alibaba, they are now among the most highly valued companies in the world. And they all have one thing in common: they are also fully or partially platform providers.

What advantages do companies have when using IT platforms

platforms quickly connect providers and users with user-friendly apps and are extremely flexible. With platforms, users act only with the interface, which is usually designed to be user-friendly and simple. The customer does not see the complex technology and software behind it and therefore does not have to worry about maintenance and care. In addition, new functions are added in the background without the user having to make updates from the tool. Companies of all sizes receive future-proof and extremely scalable IT solutions via platforms.

In the meantime, the subscription model has established itself and is increasingly displacing the classic purchase from the IT market. Fixed monthly fees keep IT costs transparent and you only pay for what you actually use. Today, it is essential for companies to maintain a common and up-to-date database. Employees and departments benefit from high data integrity when using IT platforms and allows teams to work on a document simultaneously.

Workplace as a Service as the Platform Model of the Future

Our Workplace Enterprise solution is also a platform: We combine IT lifecycle management, software and hardware leasing, and premium IT services in an intelligent cloud solution for enterprises. Our tool helps you at every stage of the device lifecycle. From planning, procurement, and support to green device updates, our user-friendly interface enables complete IT workstation management in just a few clicks. For more on Workplace Enterprise, visit our website at www.waas.de. Of course, we are also happy to advise you personally. Simply book your free consultation appointment at: