Hardware ordered,
imaged, enrolled, shipped.
We source business hardware at distributor pricing, image and enroll it with your standard configuration, and ship it to the user ready to log in. New hires productive on day one. No more bad consumer laptops with bad warranties.
Everything you need, none of the upsell.
Real deliverables, with the boundaries written down. So you know what you're paying for and what counts as extra.
Distributor pricing.
Dell, Lenovo, HP, Apple, and accessories. Business-grade SKUs with proper warranties. Volume-priced through our distribution partners.
Autopilot or Apple ABM.
Modern zero-touch provisioning. Device powers on, applies policy, installs apps. User logs in and starts working.
Direct to the user.
Ship anywhere in Canada. Tracked. Insured. User confirms receipt and gets a quick onboarding call if needed.
Track from cradle to grave.
Warranty, lease end, refresh schedule, secure wipe, e-waste. So you stop finding mystery laptops at year five.
The order we work in.
A clear sequence so you can budget time, money, and risk against the work.
Standardize.
Pick the standard SKUs that match your roles. Knowledge worker, road warrior, exec, dev. Documented config.
Order.
We quote, you approve, we order. Distribution and shipping handled.
Image.
Autopilot or Apple ABM enrolment. Policy applied, apps installed, encryption verified.
Deliver.
Direct ship to the user with welcome materials. Optional white-glove unboxing call.
Get a quote on hardware procurement.
Tell us a bit about your environment and we'll come back with a scoped proposal in two business days. No obligation, no pressure.
Request a Quote Back to Project ServicesBusiness hardware procurement is not just buying laptops. It is sourcing the right hardware at the right specification, at a price that reflects business-tier warranties and support, imaging it with your standard software configuration, enrolling it in your device management platform (Microsoft Intune), and shipping it directly to the user or a field location ready to log in. The alternative is a manager ordering a consumer laptop from a retail store, a new hire spending their first morning installing software and configuring settings they should not have to think about, and IT having no record of what device is in whose hands.
For a Prince George engineering firm hiring four new field staff, hardware procurement means North Star sources Dell Latitude or Lenovo ThinkPad laptops at distributor pricing with a three-year ProSupport or Premier Support warranty, images each laptop with the standard Windows configuration and required software stack, enrolls them in Microsoft Intune so security policies apply from first login, and ships them to the job site or office address. The new hire logs in with their Microsoft 365 credentials, Intune installs the remaining applications automatically, and the device is productive within an hour. IT has a complete asset record including device name, serial number, assigned user, and warranty expiry date. That is the difference between ad hoc hardware purchasing and managed procurement.
- Hardware specification and sourcing: North Star recommends the right hardware (make, model, spec) for the role: field-hardened laptops for site work, standard business laptops for office staff, Macs for design or creative roles. Sourced at distributor pricing with business-tier warranty.
- Vendor coverage: Dell, Lenovo, HP, Apple, and Microsoft Surface. We purchase through authorized distributors to ensure warranty validity and avoid counterfeit hardware.
- Image and configuration: laptops are imaged with your standard Windows or macOS build. Applications, browser settings, security baseline, and configuration policy applied before shipping.
- Microsoft Intune enrollment: Windows Autopilot or Apple DEP enrollment so Intune manages the device from first login. Security policies, application deployment, and compliance checks apply automatically.
- Asset tagging and inventory: every device tagged, photographed, and recorded in your asset register with serial number, assigned user, purchase date, and warranty expiry.
- Direct-to-user shipping: devices shipped directly to the user's office, home, or job site address. No need for a central receiving point.
- Warranty management: warranty claims handled by North Star on your behalf. Failed device under warranty is diagnosed, claim filed, and replacement coordinated without you managing the vendor relationship.
- End-of-life processing: secure data wiping to NIST 800-88 standards when devices are decommissioned, and coordination with a certified electronics recycler for disposal. Documentation provided.
Managed hardware procurement is most valuable for businesses that hire frequently, operate multiple locations or remote sites, or have experienced the pain of inconsistent hardware quality and configuration. A Kelowna professional services firm that hires several new staff per year benefits from a repeatable procurement process where every device arrives correctly configured rather than IT spending hours on each new hire setup. A construction company in Prince George with project staff in multiple site offices benefits from consistent hardware specs and a managed replacement process when devices fail in the field.
In BC and Alberta, businesses in industries like oilfield services, forestry, and construction often need hardware that can survive harsh operating conditions: dusty environments, extreme temperatures, and frequent transportation. North Star specifies ruggedized or semi-ruggedized options (Dell Latitude Rugged, Panasonic Toughbook for extreme environments) where the workload warrants it, rather than defaulting to office hardware that will not last on a job site. Business-tier laptops from Dell, Lenovo, and HP have significantly better build quality and warranty terms than consumer models from the same brands, and the price difference is often less than the cost of one warranty repair on a consumer device.
For businesses with Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft Intune is already included in the license. North Star configures Autopilot enrollment so that new devices configure themselves from first login without any IT intervention at the device level. This is particularly valuable for businesses with staff in Whitehorse, Fort Nelson, or other locations where on-site IT support is not practical. The device ships ready to use, the user logs in, and Intune does the rest.
North Star charges a per-device fee for procurement, imaging, enrollment, and shipping coordination, plus the cost of the hardware at distributor pricing. The per-device fee covers the full service: specification, purchase order, imaging, enrollment, asset tagging, and shipping. Hardware pricing is competitive with retail for most configurations and significantly better for enterprise-tier models that are not available through retail channels. Volume discounts apply for orders of five or more devices. Contact North Star for a quote based on your typical device specifications and order frequency.
Why not just buy laptops from Costco or Best Buy?
Consumer laptops from retail channels have consumer warranties (typically one year, depot repair, slow turnaround), consumer-grade build quality designed for light personal use, and no business management features. Business-tier laptops from Dell, Lenovo, or HP include three-year on-site ProSupport warranties, significantly more durable chassis, better keyboards designed for all-day use, and support for Autopilot and Intune enrollment. The total cost of ownership over three years is typically lower for a business-tier device because it fails less often and has faster warranty resolution when it does fail. We have seen consumer laptops fail within 18 months in field environments that business-tier hardware handles without issue.
Can you ship directly to remote locations in northern BC or the Yukon?
Yes. We ship to any address in Canada, including Prince Rupert, Fort Nelson, Watson Lake, and other northern locations. For locations served by carriers with delivery limitations, we work with the carrier to confirm delivery feasibility and alternative arrangements where needed. For businesses with staff in very remote locations, we can coordinate delivery to a nearby town for pickup rather than attempting delivery to a location that carriers do not service. Lead times for remote shipping are longer and we confirm expected delivery dates before the order is placed.
What warranty coverage do you recommend?
For most business environments, a three-year ProSupport (Dell) or Premier Support (Lenovo) warranty with on-site next-business-day service is the right level. It covers hardware failure with a technician dispatched to the device location, which is important for businesses in BC and Alberta where sending a laptop to a depot and waiting two weeks is a significant disruption. For staff in very remote locations, we sometimes recommend the optional accidental damage protection add-on if the work environment is physically demanding. Apple devices use AppleCare for Business for warranty coverage and on-site service where available.
What happens to old devices when we replace them?
North Star coordinates secure decommissioning. When a device reaches end of life or is replaced after failure, we remotely wipe the device using Intune (or physically wipe it if the device is returned), apply NIST 800-88 standards for secure erasure, and coordinate pickup and delivery to a certified electronics recycler for disposal. We provide a written certificate of destruction documenting the serial number, wipe method, and disposal date. This documentation is relevant for BC PIPA and PIPEDA compliance and for businesses subject to equipment disposal requirements under their data handling policies.
North Star is headquartered in Prince George and serves BC, Alberta, and the Yukon. We source business hardware at distributor pricing, image it with your standard configuration, enroll it in Microsoft Intune, and ship it anywhere in Canada. We understand the hardware requirements of BC and Alberta industries: construction, oilfield services, forestry, and mining have different demands from office hardware than professional services or retail. We specify accordingly. We manage warranty claims on your behalf so you are not spending business hours on hold with a vendor's support line, and we handle secure disposal at end of life so you have the documentation you need for your privacy and data handling obligations.