This applies to Danforth faculty and staff.
Washington University Information Technology is committed to providing exceptional customer service and a positive experience. With that goal at the forefront, Washington University Information Technology is pleased to communicate that the WashU IT Depot will be transitioning to five years of warranty for all standard Dell laptops and desktops kept in stock for deployment. This change will be implemented for equipment processed through the WashU IT Depot going forward and will not affect existing equipment already in purchased or in stock. We have made this decision after receiving information from surveys sent to IT liaisons, feedback from customers and field technicians, discussions with leadership and through cost analysis.
When will this transition happen?
- Over the next 1-2 months, the WashU IT Depot will transition to the provision of a five year warranty for each standard Dell model offered. As the current stock level for a particular model becomes low, and replenishment stock is ordered with Dell, these changes will take effect at that time for that model.
How will I know if a standard model kept in stock for deployment offers a five years of warranty?
- While browsing and selecting a device through the ServiceNow Catalog, laptop and desktop hardware available for selection will indicate its term of Warranty – five or three year – prior to purchase/selection.
What about Apple devices or accessories kept in WashU IT Depot stock?
- Apple devices such as MacBooks and iMacs kept as a standard in the WashU IT Depot stock will remain at three years of warranty.
- Accessories will not change their warranty duration.
How about Custom orders?
- The WashU IT Depot team will quote custom orders for Dell laptops and desktops with five years of warranty unless otherwise requested by the customer.
- Custom orders for main Apple devices such as MacBooks will be quoted with three years of warranty unless otherwise requested by the customer.
- Custom orders for main Microsoft devices such as Surface Pros will be quoted with the maximum warranty available for that device, up to five years total, unless otherwise requested by the customer.
- All custom orders must still meet or exceed support requirements and are subject to approval from the designated operational and budgetary approvers for their department.
Will this change cause the cost of Dell standards in WashU IT Depot stock to go up?
- Yes there will be a minimal rise in cost.
- Overall, the Dell laptops and desktops kept in WashU IT Depot stock have a savings of up to $700 per device compared to the same device purchased through the Dell punch-out in WashU Marketplace.
- WashU IT Depot’s relationship with Dell along with our bulk purchasing strategy has helped mitigate the cost difference of this warranty change and will continue to provide significant overall savings.
We are continuously researching new technology, testing equipment, analyzing ordering trends and listening to the feedback of our customers. Washington University Information Technology will continue striving to ensure the standards kept in WashU IT Depot stock meet the majority of our customer needs while adhering to all support and security requirements for the university.
We greatly appreciate your continued feedback and patience as we enhance our services.
Have questions? Email us at ITHelp@wustl.edu