Managed device lifecycle services (MDLS) are a service model in which a provider looks after devices across their entire lifecycle: configuring, shipping, supporting, taking back, refurbishing or disposing of them.
That is exactly what Everphone offers with Device as a Service. Gartner expects around 70 percent of organizations to use such an offering by 2028. Device as a Service at Everphone bundles these services with the rental of the devices.
The term comes from the analyst world and sounds more cumbersome than it is. It describes the work that every IT department has to do and rarely enjoys: unpacking devices, setting them up, shipping them, sorting out defects, collecting old devices and wiping them.
Our view: whether you outsource this depends less on company size than on who does these tasks today and what each one costs. If your best IT people are packing laptops into boxes, the answer is obvious.
What are managed device lifecycle services?
MDLS are services that cover a device's entire lifecycle, not just one stage of it. Gartner describes the model like this: companies pay to have their devices configured and supported throughout their lifecycle. The analysts' focus is initially on PCs and laptops.
Typical building blocks are procurement, provisioning, shipping, asset management, support, return and disposal. For smartphones and tablets, mobile plans and management through MDM come on top.
Don't confuse the term with device lifecycle management as a discipline, which we explain in Device lifecycle management: how to optimize the lifecycle of your devices. That is the field of practice. MDLS is the version where you buy it as a service.
What does Gartner say about managed device lifecycle services?
Gartner covers MDLS in a dedicated market guide. Several providers quote its forecast that 70 percent of organizations will use such an offering by 2028. For 2024, the sources give a starting point of under 20 percent.
A second observation from the guide: providers increasingly unbundle their services because customers want more tailored packages. So you don't have to outsource everything at once. We do the same at Everphone: the device service is a coherent package that can be extended with optional add-ons such as mobile threat defense, active management of MDM instances or mobile plan management, depending on where a company stands and what it needs.
Which services are included?
The services can be arranged in three tiers. This is our own classification, not a Gartner framework.
| Tier | What the provider handles | What stays with you |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Configuration, shipping to employees, return | Support, inventory, disposal |
| Extended | Basic plus support, asset management and device replacement | Choice of devices, budget |
| Full | Extended plus device procurement, data erasure, refurbishment and resale | Guidelines and steering |
The tiers differ mainly in how much knowledge sits with the provider. In the basic tier, you still have an inventory to maintain. In the full tier, the truth about every device sits with the provider, and you need an interface to it.
At Everphone, we always provide full MDLS. Our service descriptions always include replacement of damaged devices, asset management, certified data erasure and refurbishment after the devices are returned. You can find details on erasure in How to erase data securely when devices are returned.
What does outsourcing cost, and what does it cost not to?
A flat price would be made up, because prices depend on device class, volume and service tier. You can still do the math, starting with one question: how many minutes per device go into setup, shipping, retrieval and erasure at your company today?
A scenario to fill in yourself: take a company with 150 employees where 60 devices come in and 40 go out each year. That is 100 device movements. Multiply them by the minutes your team needs per movement and by your internal hourly rate, and you have the number to hold against a quote.
You can find more on cost comparison in Predictable IT costs: what Device as a Service changes about your budget.
How do MDLS differ from leasing and Device as a Service?
Leasing only finances the devices. The lifecycle stays with you: you still handle setup, support, return and erasure yourself. MDLS, by contrast, is a service that is conceivable without financing, for example if you buy the devices and only outsource operations.
Device as a Service combines both. The costs move into a monthly rental fee, and the provider takes over MDM, plans, rollout, device replacement and first-level support. If you don't want to own devices, you get the whole lifecycle from a single source.
When buying and running devices yourself is better: if you have many specialized devices with their own software and an IT team that already covers these tasks cleanly. In that case, a provider offers you little you don't already have.
How do you choose a provider?
Ask about the interface first, because it determines how much manual work stays with you. Can the provider accept orders from your HR or ITSM system, or are you sending emails?
After that, four points matter, and you can check them in the quote:
- How many lifecycle phases does the contract cover, and which does it not?
- Who is liable for loss and damage, and how is the value calculated?
- What happens to the data and the devices on return?
- What does switching providers cost at the end of the contract?
We have put together a longer list in Choosing a DaaS provider: 9 questions every quote must answer. For the question of what can be outsourced and what should stay in-house, Outsource company phone management can help.
Who benefits from MDLS, and who doesn't?
It pays off if devices come and go regularly, your IT people lose time on logistics or you haven't had returns under control so far. That is true for 30 employees as much as for 3,000. Device as a Service pays off for companies of every size.
Companies with 1 to 250 employees can go straight to the Everphone shop. For larger organizations, we clarify in a short consultation which tier fits.
It doesn't pay off if you only plan a one-off rollout and the devices then run unchanged for years. In that case a project contractor is enough for the rollout, and a lifecycle contract gets you nothing.
Your next step: estimate how many devices come in and go out over three months, and how many minutes each movement costs your team. That number is the basis for every quote.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MDLS and device lifecycle management?
Device lifecycle management is the field of practice: planning, operating and retiring devices. MDLS is the service you use to hand these tasks over to a provider, in whole or in part. So you can practice lifecycle management without MDLS, by doing it yourself.
Do MDLS only apply to laptops?
Gartner describes the model for PCs first. In practice, smartphones and tablets are affected just as much, but there mobile plans and MDM are added as building blocks. The phases from shipping to erasure stay the same.
Do I have to outsource everything at once?
No. Providers increasingly offer their services individually. Many companies start with shipping and return and add asset management or support later.
How do you make sure data is erased on return?
Require certified erasure in the contract, with proof per device. At Everphone, certified erasure after return is part of the service at no extra cost.
What happens to the devices at the end of the term?
That depends on the contract. Return and refurbishment are common, and at Everphone a purchase option at the end of the term is also possible by arrangement. Ask every provider what happens to devices that can no longer be refurbished.