Empowering Staff While Reducing Costs through As-a-Service Offerings

Dell APEX PC-as-a-Service fosters continuous innovation while reducing costs, helping organizations stay ahead of the competition.

The subscription-based business model is not a new concept, but it is gaining traction in the field of technology. Dell Technologies APEX PC-as-a-Service (Dell APEX PCaaS) provides businesses with significant benefits, such as predictable monthly payments, improved IT efficiency with lower costs and a modern end-user experience, all while contributing to sustainability by reducing e-waste.

Dell APEX PCaaS is reshaping the way companies connect staff members with the technology they need to excel in their specific roles. Companies can choose the devices they need and customize their plan with lifecycle solutions that cover deployment, management, support and security—all within a subscription length of one to five years based on what’s suitable for the business.

Driving Industry Innovation

Changan Automobile, a prominent player in the global automotive industry, recognized the importance of as-a-service to help the company stay at the forefront of innovation. One of China’s top four vehicle manufacturers, Changan Automobile is driving next-generation development as competition in the electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid markets heats up. In response, the company is expanding its Changan Automobile European Design Center based in Turin, Italy, and adding several staff members.

The Changan Automobile European Design Center opted for an as-a-Service offering to provide its expanding team with up-to-date workstations and laptop devices. In this case, they selected Dell APEX PCaaS because of its many benefits including cost predictability, IT efficiency, sustainability and a modern user experience.

Learn more about Dell APEX PCaaS.

Cost-Effective Creativity

The decision to partner with Dell Technologies and leverage Dell APEX PCaaS ensures Changan Automobile can equip staff at its European Design Center with machines that operate at peak performance. The designers’ imaginations and ingenuity can flourish with Dell Precision workstations running advanced vehicle design software. Administrators can keep their collaboration and productivity levels soaring with the help of Dell Latitude notebooks.

“We can ensure our designers are at their creative best using the latest 3D design programs because their Dell APEX PCaaS workstations are regularly refreshed to meet the demands of the latest software,” said Fenlei Bian, CBD department manager at the Changan Automobile European Design Center.

Dell APEX PCaaS is a comprehensive solution that integrates hardware, software, lifecycle services and financing into a predictable monthly cost per seat. It includes fully customizable options for each staff member depending on their unique job function. Staff can work from among Dell’s award-winning business laptops, desktops, workstations and accessories. Streamlining PC lifecycle management, the solution also helps to boost employee satisfaction and reduce IT expenses.

Because employees have different and evolving needs, Dell APEX PCaaS is designed to help companies meet those needs by aligning the right technology for employees to excel in their specific roles. The offering combines the objectives of employee satisfaction and productivity with the need for cost control.

Making an Impact

Clearly, the as-a-service wave has upended IT end-user expectations. A recent Harvard Business Review article cautions that subscription models must deliver recurring impact—making service key throughout the lifecycle. Changan Automobile found such assurances with Dell Technologies, and its selection of Dell APEX PCaaS as devices will be continuously upgraded for functionality and capabilities. The Dell ProDeploy Deployment Team is also available to support device implementations.

At the European Design Center, Changan Automobile staff will not have to worry about disruptions due to technology failures. “In the past, 20% of our client devices could have technical problems, but that’s been eliminated with Dell APEX PCaaS,” said Ivan Pavan, IT systems engineer at the center.

The ultramodern technology is also furthering the center’s ability to attract new talent, streamlining recruitment and retention. “Client devices help us employ and retain the best people, so being able to deploy devices refreshed for state-of-the-art productivity software every three years is great for recruitment,” Pavan explained.

Contributing to Financial Savings and Sustainability

Though at the forefront of innovation, Changan Automobile is not alone in benefiting from as-a-service offerings. In particular, Dell APEX PCaaS is generating immense value for both established companies and newcomers across a variety of industries. Routine device refreshes ensure employees have access to the latest, greatest devices all while lowering overall PC lifecycle costs by 30%, according to Forrester Consulting research commissioned by Dell Technologies.

The same study reported increased efficiency and proactive insights from Dell Technologies throughout deployment, security, management and support. The Dell APEX PCaaS solution’s flexible, sustainable technology rotation also aligns with a green agenda as Dell Technologies will refurbish up to 95% of the used hardware it receives.

For Changan Automobile, this means the European Design Center can provide staff with the latest-generation client devices without disrupting the bottom line or the environment. As Bian noted, “Thanks to our success in China and around the world, the business is growing. And we can continue rolling out more devices with Dell APEX PCaaS without worrying about CapEx costs.” Pavan added, “We want to reduce e-waste, so it’s great to know that our old Dell Technologies devices will be disposed of safely and sustainably through Dell APEX PCaaS.”

Learn more about Dell APEX PCaaS, and read the full Changan Automobile story.

Kimberly Johnson

About the Author: Kimberly Johnson

Kim Johnson joined Dell in September 2000 initially as Director of Corporate Treasury. She has served in various roles at Dell Technologies and primarily for Dell Financial Services throughout North America and Asia Pacific Japan. In 2023, Kim became Global CFO for Dell Financial Services and currently manages the $14B global leasing and financing business for Dell Technologies.