Remote and hybrid work are no longer temporary adjustments. They are now the standard for businesses across the world. As of March 2025, nearly 23 percent of U.S. employees work remotely at least part of the time. With this shift, organizations face a critical challenge: how to provide laptops for remote employees and ensure they are properly monitored throughout their lifecycle.

Many companies still rely on manual procurement, scattered vendor relationships, and delayed deliveries. This leads to higher costs, frustrated employees, and potential security gaps. This guide will walk you through the process of equipping remote employees with laptops, explain best practices for monitoring devices, and highlight how Remo Asset simplifies the journey with leasing, provisioning, and monitoring solutions.

Why Businesses Must Provide Company Laptops for Remote Employees

Providing company laptops is more than an operational decision. It is a cornerstone of productivity, security, and compliance. Allowing employees to use their own devices may sound flexible, but it often introduces risks such as data leaks, inconsistent security settings, and compatibility issues.

Here are a few reasons why organizations choose to provide laptops for their remote teams:

  • Professionalism and standardization: Employees start with a consistent setup that aligns with company systems.
  • Security and compliance: Company-managed laptops allow IT to enforce encryption, VPN use, and access control policies.
  • Productivity and IT support efficiency: Devices can be pre-configured with the right tools and supported centrally, reducing downtime.

Delays in procurement can be extremely costly. A GetApp study found that 78 percent of businesses faced supply chain delays for IT hardware in the past 12 months, and 71 percent reported delays lasting up to six months. Without a structured laptop provisioning system, remote employees may wait weeks before they can even begin their roles.

Options for Providing Laptops to Remote Employees

Businesses generally have three main approaches:

  1. Purchasing laptops outright: Provides ownership but requires large upfront capital and is less flexible if your workforce size changes quickly.
  2. Leasing laptops: Treats laptops as an operating expense. Leasing laptops offers scalability, easier upgrades, and predictable costs.
  3. Hybrid approach: A core set of devices may be purchased, while additional laptops for contractors or new hires can be leased on demand.

The cost of unused laptops is another hidden factor. Research shows that two in five organizations waste over $100,000 each year storing unused or obsolete IT devices. This makes leasing or managed fleet solutions an attractive option for businesses looking to optimize their resources.

Laptop Provisioning Best Practices

A successful provisioning strategy ensures that employees have the right tools from day one. Best practices include:

  • Assessing role-based requirements: A designer may need a powerful graphics-ready laptop, while a sales team member may need portability and long battery life.
  • Pre-configuring devices: Operating system, productivity applications, and endpoint security should be installed before shipping.
  • Managing logistics: Efficient shipping and delivery processes minimize waiting time for remote employees.
  • Integration with onboarding: A laptop arriving alongside login credentials and company accounts creates a smooth first-day experience.

Monitoring Laptops for Remote Workforce

Providing laptops is only the first step. Monitoring ensures they remain secure, compliant, and productive throughout their lifecycle.

  • Endpoint security monitoring: Protects against malware, unauthorized access, and data loss.
  • Device health tracking: Regular updates and patches maintain performance and reduce vulnerabilities.
  • Activity visibility: Helps IT teams ensure compliance without overstepping employee privacy.
  • Remote management tools: Allow software installation, updates, or even secure data wipes when needed.

Monitoring is not just about security. It is about ensuring employees have consistent device performance and IT can respond to issues quickly.

Security Considerations for Remote Work Laptops

Remote laptops need to be secured before they reach the employee. This involves:

  • Installing VPNs and enabling full disk encryption.
  • Using multi-factor authentication and access controls.
  • Deploying antivirus and data loss prevention tools.
  • Ensuring compliance with regulations such as GDPR or ISO standards when operating globally.

By starting security at the procurement stage, companies reduce the risk of data breaches and compliance violations later on.

Laptop Lifecycle Management

The laptop journey does not end with deployment. Businesses need structured lifecycle management:

  • Usage tracking: Monitor performance and plan timely upgrades.
  • Employee offboarding: Ensure devices are returned or remotely locked when employees exit.
  • Sustainability: Recycle or refurbish devices at the end of their lifecycle to reduce e-waste.

Neglecting lifecycle management is costly. Idle laptops in storage represent not only wasted investment but also potential data security risks.

How Remo Asset Simplifies Laptop Provisioning and Monitoring

Remo Asset combines leasing, provisioning, and monitoring in one streamlined platform. Instead of dealing with multiple vendors and manual processes, businesses get:

  • Laptops pre-configured with security and productivity tools.
  • Localized sourcing and shipping across 130+ countries.
  • A centralized monitoring dashboard for visibility into every device.
  • Quick provisioning for new hires and secure recovery during offboarding.
  • Cost savings through leasing and lifecycle optimization.

For example, companies have used Remo Asset to onboard 50 remote employees in less than a week, with devices arriving pre-configured and ready to use. This level of agility is nearly impossible with traditional procurement models.

Conclusion

Remote work has permanently changed how organizations manage IT hardware. Providing and monitoring laptops for remote employees is no longer optional. It is essential for productivity, security, and compliance.

While companies can purchase laptops outright, the challenges of scale, speed, and cost efficiency make leasing with integrated monitoring a smarter long-term solution.

Remo Asset empowers businesses to deliver laptops quickly, monitor them securely, and recover them efficiently. The result is a workforce that is productive from day one and IT teams that are free from manual coordination headaches.

Discover how Remo Asset can help your business provide and monitor laptops for remote employees with ease. Request a demo today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do companies provide laptops to remote employees?

Most businesses either purchase laptops in bulk or use leasing providers. Leasing has become increasingly popular because it reduces upfront costs and allows for faster provisioning with pre-configured, ready-to-use devices.

Is it better to lease or buy laptops for remote teams?

Buying gives long-term ownership but locks up capital and can create inventory headaches. Leasing converts hardware into a monthly operating expense, offering flexibility, quick upgrades, and scalability as teams grow.

How do businesses monitor laptops used by remote employees?

Companies use remote device management tools to track usage, push security updates, and monitor device health. Platforms like Remo Asset provide centralized dashboards to simplify monitoring without compromising employee privacy.

What security measures should be in place for remote work laptops?

Every laptop should have encryption, VPN, antivirus software, and multi-factor authentication. Additionally, IT teams should have the ability to remotely wipe data in case a device is lost or stolen.

What happens when a remote employee leaves the company?

Offboarding should include secure retrieval of company laptops. If devices cannot be collected physically, remote lock or data wipe features should be used. With providers like Remo Asset, device recovery is built into the service, reducing risks of data loss.

How can small businesses provide laptops for remote employees cost-effectively?

Leasing is often the most cost-effective option for small and growing businesses. It reduces upfront spend, avoids idle inventory, and ensures employees receive up-to-date devices quickly.