Tight budgets. Remote work. Aging devices. The pressure on IT leaders has never been greater. They're not just tasked with maintaining infrastructure—they're expected to drive innovation, reduce costs, and elevate the employee experience, all at once. In the latest episode of Tech in Translation, we talk with Larry Meadows, product strategist on the digital solutions team at HP, about how data—specifically telemetry—is changing the game for IT modernization – and even the employee experience itself.
From Fixed Refresh Cycles to Data-Driven Decisions
"We used to replace laptops every three years and desktops every four," Larry explains. "But now, thanks to telemetry, we can actually see which devices still perform well and which ones don’t."
Telemetry refers to performance data pulled directly from devices: things like CPU and memory usage, battery health, disk space, and even how users interact with software. This data-driven insight allows IT teams to stop over-purchasing hardware and start making targeted refresh decisions based on real-world usage and need.
The result? Larry shared that IT refresh costs went down by as much as 20 percent at HP.
Smarter Devices for a Smarter Workforce
Matching technology to job title isn’t enough anymore. Larry argues for pairing devices to users based on how they actually work—whether they're crunching numbers in Excel, designing in CAD, or jumping from airport to airport with 50 browser tabs open.
And he speaks from experience. Early in his current role, Larry was traveling constantly and assigned a powerful mobile workstation—great on paper, but not built for life on the go. "It was a fantastic device for an engineer writing and compiling code," he says, "but not for someone hopping on planes every week and spending most of their time in meetings, PowerPoint, or Power BI."
Eventually, he switched to a lighter EliteBook that better matched how he worked—more portability, better battery life, and built-in tools for hybrid meetings. "The right device isn’t about the job title. It’s about what they do and how they do it."
Empowering IT (and Everyone Else)
The benefits of telemetry extend beyond refresh cycles. By monitoring device performance in real time, IT can spot emerging problems—like antivirus being disabled or memory maxing out—and fix them before they become tickets. This proactive approach reduces service desk volume and boosts productivity.
It also fuels smarter collaboration across departments. Facilities can use telemetry to measure how meeting rooms and collaboration spaces are being used. HR can see whether employees feel equipped to succeed. And IT becomes a more strategic partner to CFOs by showing ROI on tech investments.
Breaking Silos, Boosting Satisfaction
In fact, Larry points to research showing the CIO is often seen as the second most influential person on employee experience, right after the CEO.
"IT is the lynchpin," he says. "We touch everything—from onboarding to collaboration to long-term retention."
And as telemetry shines a light on silent struggles—devices that look fine on paper but frustrate users daily—IT gains the power to fix issues early, reduce turnover, and ensure every employee can do their best work.
Don’t Suffer in Silence
Larry’s parting advice for both IT and end users: talk to each other.
"If your device isn’t working for you, say something," he urges. "And IT teams: start listening to the data. Because the more we understand how people actually work, the better we can support them."
Learn how to match devices to real work styles—not job titles.
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