Digital Signage Protection & IT Equipment Safeguarding – Why You Should Pay More For Quality…

Armagard customers are willing to invest more money into digital signage protection & IT equipment safeguarding, usually spending more than the value of the equipment they’re protecting. But why? We reveal all…

Why Pay More for Digital Signage Protection?

How much did your digital signage or IT equipment cost? What would it cost to repair or replace?

When protecting your expensive digital signage display or IT equipment the key is to think long-term. According to the most recent research (2010) published by www.wirespring.com the average cost of installing 100 digital signage displays and operating them for three years (excluding content and personnel costs) is approximately $372,000.

That figure equates to $372,000 per single unit. While costs are dropping year-after-year, this approximate figure still represents a lot of money to a business. Therefore, digital signage protection, for expensive displays, and safeguarding for IT equipment requires a quality product.

Companies, like yours, are all about saving money. While buying a cheap enclosure solution may seem appealing in the short-term, the long-term consequences will cost you more. Why pay more? Quality equals longevity, resulting in keeping costs down in the future.

The Problem With Buying Cheap… Reasons Not To Buy a ‘Tin Box’

A common quote we hear at Armagard is – ‘well it’s just a tin box isn’t it? We can get somebody else to build it at half the cost or design and build one ourselves.’ Both of these statements are true, however, these alternative cheaper options often result in costing more money long-term.

The problem with cheaper, inferior products is that they are produced on a mass scale, using low-cost materials (such as aluminium) and sold into environments where they are unfit for the purpose. In tougher environments these products fail, resulting in damaged equipment that:

• Costs money to repair or replace
• Cannot be used. Stopping entire production-lines and affecting business productivity

Cheap, ‘tin box’ enclosures will fail because they’re not sealed correctly, allowing water to leak in and damage the very equipment you’re trying to protect. The low cost materials used are also likely to rust meaning you could contaminate your working environment.  This is particularly hazardous in food manufacturing facilities.

Even if you paint 304 grade steel with a powder coat covering, eventually the paint will flake, especially when used in environments where water, steam and changes in humidity are present.

The reality is that investment in an inferior ‘tin box’ enclosure will create more problems than it will solve. In the end you will end up paying out more than if you had invested in a reliable solution, built for the job you need it to do.

It is often the case that customers who have invested in a cheaper ‘tin box’ alternative will return to Armagard because the inferior product has failed.

Cheap enclosure units are not designed to last! They offer minimal protection, on a short-term basis and they are produced for the mass market, meaning very little time is spent on manufacturing them.

Taking the costs quoted earlier in the article, if you were to attempt digital signage protection with a low-cost, standard ‘tin box’ enclosure, and that enclosure failed, could you imagine the cost of repairing or replacing your equipment every time a cheap enclosure failed? Your costs would be exorbitant.

Remember Why You’re Buying Digital Signage Protection

You have been entrusted with the task of identifying premium digital signage protection or suitable protection for IT equipment in an industrial environment. Get it wrong and it’s you that has to explain to your superiors why thousands, or millions, of pounds worth of equipment has ended up damaged.

While you may think you’re saving money by purchasing a cheap alternative the fact is you’ll be spending more in the long-term to cover your losses. Put your business head on and remember, you’re purchasing an enclosure to safeguard your equipment long-term, criteria that a cheap, ‘tin box’ cannot and will never meet.

Counting The Cost…

A lot of cheaper enclosures are sold. Why? Consumers are lured by the price, this is what immediately appeals, and the impulse is to buy it because it’s cheap and that’s what sellers rely on.

But, look at it from a different perspective. Price for a quality product can be negotiated, but the quality itself cannot. When buying cheap, inferior digital signage protection or an IT equipment safeguard it emphasises the value that you place on protecting that equipment.

Here’s a challenge for you! Estimate what you think it would cost to repair your digital signage display and/or IT equipment twice in one year. Remember to factor in the following:

• Loss of revenue due to equipment downtime
• The cost of an engineer to assess the damage
• The cost for the engineer to carry out repairs
• The cost of parts needed to repair any damage

The results may astound you. In comparison, investment in a quality Armagard digital signage protection solution eliminates such costs. You may pay more initially, but you will save more over time. The question is therefore not, what’s the cheapest enclosure available? But, how much do you value the equipment you’re trying to protect?

Choosing Quality…

Armagard designs and builds digital signage enclosures and IT equipment protection with longevity in mind. Armagard solutions are made using powder coated mild steel or stainless steel, which are built to safeguard PCs, screens, printers and digital signage displays used in the toughest environments.

They protect against dust, dirt, liquid ingress and physical impact, to industry standards, and all enclosures undergo extensive testing to ensure that quality is not compromised. They can be fitted with air-conditioning and/or heating systems to regulate internal temperatures, helping to avoid overheating and/or freezing.

Time & Skill

A great deal of time and skill goes into manufacturing our digital signage protection units and the majority of them are custom-made to suit the requirements of our customers. Adjust your mind-set from thinking ‘tin-box’, Armagard enclosures provide harmonious environments that improve performance, enhance reliability and increase longevity of essential equipment.

We produce aesthetically designed digital signage protection units in a range of styles, some of which can incorporate touch screens, keyboards and anti-reflective or anti-glare technology, features which cannot be found on cheaper alternative enclosure solutions.

Why Armagard?   

Armagard is trusted with the provision of protective enclosures for PCs, printers, screens and digital signage displays. In 2013, Armagard was awarded the ‘Queen’s Award’ for international trade and the Chamber Award for ‘National Exporter of the Year,’ in recognition of our achievements. We have a client base that is the envy of our rivals and includes big brand names like:

• Intel
• Rolls Royce
• Exxon Mobil
• Kellogg’s

Currently, we protect equipment worldwide worth in excess of $6.5 billion and we’re a company of many firsts including:

• The first UK company to design and manufacture dedicated environmental enclosures to protect computers in industrial environments (British Aerospace was an early customer)
• The only company to supply printer enclosures that can operate at -22°F
• The first UK company to design, manufacture and supply dedicated computer enclosures for use in explosive environments, first certified in 1998
• The only computer enclosure company that uses patentable technology, such as our plenum chambers, designed to maintain jet washable sealing and stable temperature (Patent applied for in 2009)
• The only UK company to produce laboratory airtight enclosures

Do You Pay More?

When you consider the potential cost of repairing or replacing equipment frequently damaged as a result of buying cheap, paying more for a protective enclosure that can safeguard your equipment for 10 years or more, with minimal maintenance, quality speaks for itself.

So in reality, are you really paying more? Maybe the initial outlay seems unjustified, but reassess in 10 years and admire the savings you’ve made not only cash wise, but time wise also. Remember, you’re not just protecting equipment, you’re safeguarding your business which suffers when essential equipment can’t be used.

When buying from Armagard you’re not just buying a product, you’re buying a service! You’re buying into a brand that is recognised worldwide by a customer base that knows the ‘difference is in the detail.’