How Our Technology Innovation Center Helps Simplify IT Device Management

“Analysis of client interactions with Gartner® suggests that organizations in the U.S. are worried about the rising IT equipment and service costs due to tariff exposure” according to the Gartner® report Quick Answer: 4 Actions CIOs and IT Leaders Are Taking in Response to U.S. Federal Policies and Tariffs. In that report, published in April 2025, it was noted “the proposed tariffs and geopolitical tensions are also causing organizations to reevaluate their existing vendor and partner relationships. Thirty-nine percent of CIOs and IT leaders (31% in the U.S. vs. 48% in other countries) say they are likely to take that action.”

For CIOs and other IT business decision makers reevaluating their device vendor relationships in these times of economic uncertainty, did you know outsourcing hardware asset management can streamline operations and bolster security? It’s the same no matter whether you’re the CIO working with a lean in-house IT team or the leader of a big global enterprise with a veritable army of onsite techs. Hardware assets, in relation to IT, refers to tangible assets—think of it as the devices that you can touch and feel. Because hardware assets include things that are in use as well as those in storage, there is a lot of management required to keep track of it all.

Blue Mantis built our Technology Innovation Center (TIC) to simplify the procurement, delivery, and tracking of employee IT devices. Our goal is to not only reduce the logistical burden on your internal teams but also ensure that your IT devices are ready to use by employees out of the box with the utmost security and efficiency. Rather than “outsourcing” your IT device lifecycle management to Blue Mantis, we act as your trusted partners where the TIC helps IT leaders in “co-sourcing” a business-critical process.

What is the Blue Mantis Technology Innovation Center?

The Blue Mantis Technology Innovation Center (TIC) is a secure logistical center with 15,000 square feet of flexible warehouse, device testing, shipping, and product demonstration space. Our Innovation Center is where engineers and technicians prepare devices from Lenovo, HP (including Aruba), Dell, Cisco, Apple, Fortinet, and other top OEMs to your exacting IT security and compliance standards. The TIC provides comprehensive hardware asset management, ensuring devices are tracked and optimized throughout their lifecycle. With enhanced cybersecurity measures following the zero trust security model, Blue Mantis TIC guarantees that your IT assets are secure and compliant from deployment to disposal.

Here are just some of the benefits of co-sourcing your IT lifecycle management with the Blue Mantis TIC:

• Comprehensive Hardware Asset Management. Ensuring that each piece of IT hardware is tracked, maintained, and optimized throughout its lifecycle can be a daunting task. Blue Mantis TIC’s hardware asset management capabilities offer a robust solution. By leveraging ServiceNow, Blue Mantis provides per-device visibility from the warehouse to your employees’ desks. This end-to-end accountability means you always know the status and location of your assets, helping prevent overspending and ensuring compliance with company policies.
• Maximizing ROI. One of the standout benefits of hardware asset management is the ability to achieve a better return on investment (ROI). Blue Mantis TIC tracks all company hardware—both in use and in storage—so you can make informed decisions about servicing, replacements, and negotiations with vendors. This strategic approach maximizes your hardware investments and aligns with your financial goals.
• Ensuring Compliance and Security. When you combine our current regulatory environment with the constant threat of ransomware, data security and compliance is non-negotiable. The TIC’s hardware asset management system helps IT teams identify unapproved devices, ensuring employees are only using assets that meet your established policies and regulations. This proactive management helps safeguard your organization against potential compliance breaches and their associated costs.

Zero Trust Security by Default

As we have established, maintaining a strong cybersecurity posture is a constant concern for IT leaders. Blue Mantis TIC addresses this by incorporating advanced security measures into every aspect of our operations. The TIC’s physical security is based on ISO 9001:2015 standards, providing a secure environment for both the devices and the data they contain. Moreover, the TIC was built using carrier-grade Cisco and Fortinet networking infrastructure to ensure secure collaboration between your IT team and Blue Mantis engineers.

Blue Mantis, as a company, follows the zero-trust security model. At the TIC, our specialists follow that zero-trust security model when configuring every customer device, whether it’s a laptop, desktop, or networking/server equipment, while ensuring devices are customized to meet your organization’s IT security and compliance standards. As more businesses adopt AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot, specialists in our TIC work to guarantee that your devices are AI-ready, configured for data protection, and ready for deployment immediately upon receipt.

Partnerships with Leading OEMs

The TIC’s longstanding partnerships with major distributors and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Lenovo, HP, Cisco, and Apple ensure that your devices are configured accurately and efficiently. This collaboration allows Blue Mantis to deliver a no-hassle, customer-centric experience tailored to your organization’s specific needs.

Moreover, these partnerships enable your in-house IT teams to quickly procure, configure, test, and ship Windows 11 computers well before the October 2025 support cutoff date from Microsoft. Blue Mantis sets up every Windows 11 device with zero trust cybersecurity policies that seamlessly integrate with your existing IT policies, ensuring robust security and compliance from the outset.

For instance, consider a company transitioning all devices from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Leveraging Blue Mantis TIC services, the company’s IT team can efficiently manage the refresh process. Blue Mantis ensures that each new laptop is not only preconfigured to meet the company’s specific security protocols but also thoroughly tested before shipment. This means that employees receive devices that are ready to go right out of the box, minimizing downtime and enhancing productivity. The partnership with Blue Mantis thus transforms what could be a complex, time-consuming project into a straightforward, manageable process.

Simplify Your Device Lifecycle with Blue Mantis

For IT leaders looking to optimize their operations, enhance security, and maximize their hardware investments, outsourcing to Blue Mantis Technology Innovation Center is a strategic move. Trusting your organization’s IT hardware asset management to the Blue Mantis TIC means more than just offloading tasks; it’s about creating a seamless, no-hassle experience for your IT team. From procurement to retirement, Blue Mantis provides comprehensive lifecycle management, freeing your internal resources to focus on strategic initiatives instead of logistical details. The TIC’s comprehensive hardware asset management and robust cybersecurity measures ensure that your devices are handled with the utmost care and precision. By partnering with Blue Mantis TIC, you can empower your workforce, achieve better ROI, and streamline your IT processes—all while maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance in times of economic uncertainty.

Blue Mantis is offering CIOs a complimentary copy of the Gartner report Quick Answer: 4 Actions CIOs and IT Leaders Are Taking in Response to U.S. Federal Policies and Tariffs to give you strategic insights. When you’re ready to learn more about hardware asset management and how Blue Mantis Technology Innovation Center can support your business’s IT needs, connect with a Blue Mantis expert.

Gartner, Quick Answer: 4 Actions CIOs and IT Leaders Are Taking in Response to U.S. Federal Policies and Tariffs, Jan-Martin Lowendahl, Vibhor Upreti, Ishan Kaul, 21 April 2025

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.