2026 IS COMING. HARDWARE DELAYS ARE NOT GOING AWAY.
As we approach the end of 2025 and begin planning for 2026, we want to remind our clients that hardware supply challenges have now persisted for well over 18 months and conditions remain tight.
Lead times are still extended. Pricing remains volatile. And the components most affected, particularly RAM and SSD storage, continue to drive up the cost and delay of laptops, workstations, and servers.
If you are budgeting for 2026, this needs to be part of the conversation now.
The Reality as We Close Out 2025
Throughout the past year and a half, we have consistently seen:
- Ongoing price increases for memory and storage components
- Backorders on standard business class laptops
- Extended lead times for custom workstation builds
- Significant delays for server hardware and upgrades
RAM and SSD shortages continue to impact nearly every device category. Because these components are foundational to system performance, their cost and availability affect total system pricing across the board.
This is no longer a temporary disruption. It is an operating condition we must plan around.
Why This Matters for 2026 Planning
Modern business operations rely heavily on high performance hardware.
- Laptops must support Microsoft 365, collaboration tools, and cloud applications
- Workstations power design, accounting, analytics, and line of business systems
- Servers require substantial RAM and SSD capacity to support virtualization, backups, and cybersecurity tools
If you wait until a device fails or performance becomes unacceptable, you may face:
- Delays of several weeks
- Higher than anticipated pricing
- Limited configuration options
- Operational disruption during critical periods
As we head into a new fiscal year, reactive purchasing carries more risk than ever.
What We Recommend Before Year End
Review Your 2026 Hardware Roadmap Now
Identify devices that will reach end of life within the next 6 to 12 months. Planning ahead allows you to:
- Secure equipment before further price increases
- Lock in budgets with greater accuracy
- Avoid emergency purchases in Q1 or Q2
Consider Maintaining Strategic Spares
Given continued supply volatility, keeping spare equipment in place is a smart risk management strategy.
We recommend evaluating:
- Preconfigured spare laptops for rapid deployment
- A ready to deploy workstation
- Spare SSDs or memory for critical systems
- Standby server capacity for essential workloads
The cost of a spare device is often significantly less than the cost of even one day of downtime.
Align IT Planning With 2026 Budgeting
Hardware volatility reinforces the need for IT strategy to be part of your annual budgeting process. Memory and storage pricing continue to fluctuate, and server hardware remains sensitive to supply constraints.
By reviewing infrastructure capacity and refresh cycles now, you can enter 2026 with clarity instead of uncertainty.
Moving Into the New Year Prepared
Hardware shortages and rising component costs have been part of the business landscape for over 18 months. While conditions may eventually stabilize, there is no immediate sign of a return to predictable pricing and availability.
Organizations that navigate this successfully:
- Forecast hardware refresh cycles early
- Budget conservatively for component increases
- Maintain reasonable spare capacity
- Work closely with their IT partner on proactive planning
If you would like to review your current hardware lifecycle or map out a 2026 replacement strategy, we encourage you to start that conversation now.
Tech Group | The Human Side of IT
sales@tgvt.net | 802-862-1197
www.TGVT.net
