THE BRAINTREE APPROACH
Two ways to fund a managed fleet.
The commercial choice should reflect how the business wants to use and own its devices. Braintree scopes the provisioning and management around the fleet, then makes the purchase or rental responsibilities clear.
01
Devices-as-a-Service
Consider a monthly device arrangement when predictable expenditure and a planned refresh matter. Confirm the term, included services, warranty cover, return conditions and end-of-term options. The agreement should show who supplies, manages, supports and collects the equipment.
02
CapEx purchase
Choose outright purchase when asset ownership fits the business. Scope device selection, enrolment, applications and management alongside procurement. Plan the warranty process and future refresh, rather than leaving them to the next urgent replacement request.
03
The same operating questions
Whichever funding route you choose, establish how a device reaches the user, how policies are applied and where support issues go. Keep the hardware agreement and Microsoft licensing obligations visible when comparing the full cost.
SERVICE SCOPE
What’s in scope.
01
Device selection and procurement
Match Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, meeting-room equipment and other supported form factors to working roles. Assess application compatibility, mobility, peripherals and the support requirements before preparing the device specification and procurement scope.
02
Enrolment and deployment
Design the enrolment process using Microsoft Intune and, for supported Windows deployments, Windows Autopilot. Establish user identity, application deployment and policy requirements so the device can enter the organisation’s managed environment through a repeatable process.
03
Endpoint management
Manage supported Windows, macOS, iOS and Android devices through an agreed Intune scope. Define configuration, compliance and application policies around the platform and ownership model, including the responsibilities of the user and IT team.
04
Device protection
Assess Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and device-compliance controls alongside the fleet. Confirm the required licences, supported platforms and incident-handling responsibilities so procurement, endpoint configuration and security work together.
05
Refresh and retirement
Keep asset, warranty and replacement decisions in the lifecycle plan. Define collection, data removal and disposal or refurbishment arrangements for retiring devices, with the evidence and responsibilities agreed for the chosen commercial model.
Compare purchase and rental against the whole lifecycle.
A fleet assessment should show the implications of capital purchase and Hardware-as-a-Service using the same requirements. Device price is one part of the comparison; include deployment, management, support, replacement and retirement.
✓
An inventory of form factors, operating systems and warranty coverage.
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Role-based device specifications and application requirements.
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An enrolment, policy and security baseline.
✓
A TCO comparison with contract term, refresh and return assumptions stated.
A new fleet and an existing fleet need different work.
For a new deployment, agree procurement and provisioning before devices arrive. For an existing fleet, establish ownership, condition and management coverage before changing policies. Refresh timing and warranty treatment are commercial decisions to confirm in the proposal; they should reflect the actual devices and agreement.
01
Specify the work before specifying the device
A field worker, finance user and designer can have very different portability, performance and connectivity needs. A single fleet specification may overspend for one group and leave another unable to run a critical application. Start with the applications, working locations, peripherals and support conditions associated with each role.
The lifecycle decision extends beyond procurement. Microsoft Intune and Windows Autopilot can support policy-based enrolment and provisioning, subject to the selected platform and prerequisites. Purchasing a device does not establish its registration, management policy or security configuration. Braintree’s proposal should identify which preparation happens before delivery and what the user needs to do at first sign-in.
02
Prepare for enrolment, replacement and retirement
Bring the asset register, user groups, application requirements, current management arrangements and warranty information. For Windows provisioning, establish tenant access, licences, enrolment eligibility and the route for device registration. Microsoft distinguishes Autopilot registration from simply having a device record in Intune; confirm which process applies to the ordered fleet.
The customer should own the approved application set, policy exceptions and assignment of devices to staff. Agree how a failed or lost device is reported, how data and access are protected, and how a replacement reaches the user. Document the return condition, data-removal responsibilities and ownership position for the actual purchase or rental agreement. These details determine lifecycle fit more reliably than a universal refresh interval.
03
Fleet decisions to compare on the same basis
Decision
Evidence to examine
What to agree
Role specification
Applications, mobility, displays, peripherals and network conditions.
The appropriate device category and a representative compatibility check.
Provisioning
Tenant, enrolment, identity and application-deployment readiness.
Registration responsibilities, first-use steps and exception handling.
Commercial route
Term, warranty, replacement, refresh and return conditions.
A like-for-like lifecycle comparison of purchase and rental.
BEFORE YOU DECIDE
Practical questions.
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Is every operating system managed in the same way?
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Can we buy rather than rent?
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Does the device order include every security service?
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Can existing devices join the management plan?
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Does Autopilot registration mean the device is fully configured?
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What happens when a user leaves?
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Are accidental damage and replacement automatically covered?
BUILD YOUR BUSINESS CASE
Put the device choice into a fleet plan.
The problem to solve.
A low purchase price can obscure deployment work, support friction and replacement risk. The decision needs to reflect the applications and working conditions of each user group.
What success should look like.
Agree device profiles, deployment standards and service responsibilities, with a purchase or rental arrangement matched to the business.
Bring these into the discussion.
A useful starting point for your team and the people approving the investment.
Useful reading for your proposal.
Evidence, examples and questions to take into the decision.
Insight
4 June 2026
Device selection
Match the device to the specialist workload
Use the Surface Laptop Ultra discussion to separate specialist requirements from general office needs.
Read the insight
Insight
26 August 2026
Lifecycle planning
Include application compatibility in fleet planning
Review why operating-system changes can require action from application owners.
Read the insight
Insight
26 August 2026
Endpoint operations
Define how remote device support should work
Consider support access and governance alongside the hardware specification.
Read the insight
LET’S GROW.
Work through the next step with Braintree.
Bring the user groups and replacement priorities. We will work through hardware, rollout and lifecycle scope together.
