What IT leaders need to know about future-proofing with Dell Pro laptops

TL;DR

• Dell’s latest Pro laptops come with built-in security that works down to the hardware level to protect against the cyber threats of today and tomorrow.
• Dell APEX PC as a Service can take care of a business’ laptop and desktop fleet, from deployment to management and scaling, all through a flexible monthly subscription.
• The Dell Management Portal provides a cloud-powered centralized service to manage a laptop fleet, offering the tools to ensure consistent security policies and simplify the rollout of future updates across the fleet.
• Access to Microsoft Copilot+ out of the box, along with dedicated AI-accelerating hardware, means the Dell Pro 7 and Dell Pro 5 laptops are ready to handle AI workloads.
• A large range of configurability options means IT leaders can specify Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops to suit the specific needs of different teams, while also selecting hardware that will be ready for the future demands of a business, whether that’s more power and storage, or robust privacy and connectivity for remote employees.
• And the flexibility of Dell APEX PC as a Service with ProDeploy Suite gives IT the option to provision hardware and services to suit their business needs in a cost-controlled fashion.

When it comes to selecting the right laptops for your workforce, it’s important to do so with an eye on the future. But with ever-evolving demands on today’s businesses, diverse security threats, and the rise of AI, it can be hard for IT leaders to select a line of laptops and be confident that they’ll handle the workloads of today, tomorrow and the future.

This is where Dell’s APEX PC as a service, and the Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops, stand out. Dell APEX gives IT leaders a flexible, per-user monthly subscription with no upfront investment over a defined term that allows the deployment of Dell PCs, services, and software, and their management all in one service.

When combined with the latest Dell Pro laptops, which are designed to suit companies of all sizes and stages of growth, Dell has a package that can simplify the deployment and management of a laptop fleet, with the scope to scale up or down depending on future growth or budget constraints.

This article will detail the core areas that Dell’s Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops with APEX PC as a Service can help IT leaders futureproof their laptop fleet in the face of an ever-changing IT landscape.

How can Dell APEX PC as a Service benefit my business?

Dell APEX PC as a Service can take the headache of laptop deployment, management, and lifecycle support and financing from IT leaders.

In the face of constantly evolving needs of businesses – from adopting hybrid working models, to expanding into new areas and embracing AI – it’s hard for IT leaders to know if their choice of laptop or desktop computers today will be suitable for the demands of tomorrow.

A poor decision could lead to challenges with managing security, underconfigured hardware, and the inability to scale up or down depending on resources and budget constraints.

But Dell’s APEX service bypasses this by combining hardware, software, and support into one service that can be customized to the requirements of a business and the needs of its workers. This gives IT leaders the flexibility to provision the PCs their business needs in a fashion that doesn't require a big capital expense, yet also provides software and PC lifecycle support – from deployment to retirement – in a single service.

Taking the APEX approach means IT leaders have a model that offers cost predictability for a PC fleet, making it ideal for businesses that may need to scale up or down based on their future performance and objectives.

By simplifying the financial planning, deployment, and maintenance of a PC fleet, an IT team can then focus on more strategic initiatives, rather than be burdened with routine device management and inflexible hardware deployment.

How can Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 keep a business secure against existing and future threats?

The Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops have a range of security features that can keep them secure down to the BIOS, and thus protect any sensitive or business-critical data they might hold or have access to. These range from physical security measures to remote management tools.

A proprietary Kensington lock system can physically secure the laptops to a sturdy anchor point, while built-in protection – including a physical security chip used to store BitLocker encryption keys – can lockdown data at a hardware level.

For workers regularly out in the field, the Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 models can be specified with a Privacy Filter display, which limits what can be seen on a laptop screen unless it’s being viewed head-on, leaving over-the-shoulder snoopers with just a dark display to look at. An optional built-in fingerprint scanner also provides a layer of biometric security when logging into a Dell Pro laptop or approving a security check. Combined, these features can provide IT leaders peace of mind when deploying laptops for use outside of an office; especially useful for companies running a hybrid working model.

On the software side, Dell’s Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops come with a suite of security tools, including AI-powered next-generation antivirus protection provided via CrowdStrike Falcon, and Halcyon anti-ransomware platform that uses AI to stop ransomware attacks early on in their attack chain.

Dell also has its Secured Component Verification available to add on, which ensures that the hardware used in the Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptop hasn’t been compromised or poses security risks via tampering in the supply chain.

With the above features, the Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 lineup will be both secure out of the box and remain secure longer term, thanks to the hardware-level encryption and AI-powered security software.

How can IT teams manage Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 fleets?

With built-in management capabilities, the Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops can be managed remotely by IT departments to ensure consistent security policies, simplify the rollout of updates, and manage the whole laptop fleet from a central point.

For example, the Dell Management Portal provides a cloud-based service that acts as a way to view all the devices deployed across a company, as well as manage a Dell Pro laptop fleet. With access to such a portal, any changes in IT policies in the future, after the laptops have been deployed and are in active use, can be executed and managed from a central service and a single dashboard.

As such, rolling out Dell Pro laptops to a workforce and then maintaining them can be standardized and thus simplified. Furthermore, the degree of manageability means IT can always add in new Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops as and when the business grows in the future.

On top of this, tools such as Dell Trusted Device, give IT departments the means to validate the integrity of firmware and a laptop’s BIOS, with threat telemetry data providing a risk assessment of laptops in active use. So IT can continuously monitor the security of the laptops and other endpoints and be in a position to take action against future threats or changes in data policies.

With Dell APEX PC as a Service and Dell ProSupport Suite there's also external 24/7 support from Dell experts to troubleshoot hardware problems and carry out onsite repairs, helping reduce demands on an business’ internal IT team. And when a Dell Pro laptop reaches the end of its lifecycle, Dell takes care of its retirement in a secure fashion, reducing another avenue to data leaks.

Dell’s Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops are AI-ready

Whether your business is actively using AI or exploring its potential, having hardware that can handle the running of AI tools is a key to having a futureproof laptop fleet. Running Windows 11 Pro out of the box, Dell’s Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops have access to Microsoft’s Copilot+, which offers a suite of AI capabilities – from understanding contextual actions, to generating images and text, and enhancing audio and camera quality on video calls – making the laptops AI-ready for immediate or future use.

With the option to specify Intel® Core™ Ultra or AMD Ryzen™ AI processors, a suite of Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 configurations come with built-in neural processing units (NPUs) that deliver dedicated processing power to accelerate the use of on-device AI tools.

As such, Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 models act as a means to deploy AI in your organization without needing to explore a host of additional tools, software suites, or purchase dedicated AI hardware.

Customizable specs mean the Dell Pro laptops can be configured to handle the present and future workloads

A one-size-fits-all approach to your business’ laptop fleet might not be suitable for your workforce, with some needing laptops with a lot of power and storage, while others might require something thin, light, and secure for working in the field. Both the Dell Pro 7 and Pro 5 laptops have a wide range of configurations to suit different users.

The Dell Pro 5, for example, can be specified with a 14-inch or 16-inch display – available in touch or non-touch screen options – a range of the latest Series 3 Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen™ AI PRO 400 Series processors, RAM options that start at 16GB and go up to 64GB, and storage that starts at 256GB of SSD space and tops out at 2TB. There’s also the option to add in 5G connectivity, which should be an appealing choice if you have teams that need mobile connectivity when working in the field.

Similarly, the Dell Pro 7 offers flexible configuration options. Choose from 13-inch and 14-inch clamshell or 2-in-1 form factors powered by Series 3 Intel® Core™ Ultra or AMD Ryzen™ AI PRO 400 Series processors, with options that include an OLED display, an 8MP IR camera, and a third USB-C port – all in a thin-and-light design built for productivity anywhere.

The configuration options, along with the ability to manage these laptops from a central point and get support from Dell APEX PC as a Service, mean IT leaders can have a custom suite of Dell laptops that suit different areas of the business or are specifically configured for present and future workloads, yet still have the means to manage updates and security policies at scale.

If you think Dell laptops are the right call for your business, find out more on the Dell website.

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