For years, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and resellers have built their businesses on a foundation of hardware. Whether it’s racking servers, managing on-premises storage arrays, or coordinating hardware refreshes, the "tin" has been central to the service model.

But as we move through 2026, that foundation is showing cracks. Global supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and shifting manufacturing landscapes have turned hardware procurement into a high-stakes gamble. For service providers, waiting six months for a switch or a storage node isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a threat to growth and customer trust.

Here’s why the hardware supply issue is coming to a head and how Druva is helping partners bypass the chaos.

The New Reality: Why Hardware is Becoming a Liability

The days of "just-in-time" delivery for IT infrastructure are over. Several factors are converging to make hardware-dependent models increasingly risky:

• Extended Lead Times: Critical components like semiconductors and even small ancillary parts (resistors, capacitors) continue to face shortages. Lead times that used to be weeks have stretched into 6–18 months for servers and networking gear.
• Geopolitical Volatility: Regional conflicts and trade barriers (including new export licenses for critical minerals) have fragmented global trade blocs, making the sourcing of rare materials unpredictable.
• Cost Unpredictability: Manufacturers are frequently moving to case-by-case quote validity. For a reseller, this means the price quoted to a customer today might not be honoured by the time the hardware actually arrives.
• The "Outdated" Risk: With delays this long, hardware can be "yesterday’s tech" by the time it’s finally racked. Outdated systems lead to higher energy costs, limited performance, and increased security vulnerabilities.

How Druva Empowers MSPs and Resellers to Pivot

Druva’s 100% SaaS-based data protection platform offers a seamless supply chain by eliminating the need for hardware altogether. By shifting to a cloud-native model, partners can transform these supply chain headaches into a competitive advantage.

1. Zero-Touch Onboarding & Scale

With Druva, there is no hardware to procure, ship, or install. MSPs can onboard new customers in as little as 15 minutes, meeting new tenant workloads instantly without waiting for a delivery truck. This "zero-infrastructure" advantage allows you to scale services across AWS, Azure, and on-premises environments without expanding your physical footprint.

2. Improved Operating Margins

Hardware is a CAPEX-heavy investment that often results in "stranded assets"—infrastructure you've paid for but aren't fully utilizing. Druva’s consumption-based pricing moves the needle to OPEX, allowing you to pay only for what you use. By eliminating hardware maintenance, patching, and power costs, partners often see up to a 40% reduction in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

3. Continuous Security Without the "Patching" Burden

Hardware-based backups are often "secure by implementation"—meaning the MSP is responsible for every patch and security update. Druva is secure by design. Our platform is fully managed, meaning your team doesn't spend weekends on security updates for appliance nodes. Features like Druva Threat Hunting provide proactive, zero-infrastructure threat scanning, allowing you to guarantee "clean" restores without setting up separate scanning hardware.

4. Market Differentiation

While competitors are explaining delivery delays to their clients, Druva partners are delivering Cyber Resilience. By offering air-gapped, immutable cloud backups that are independent of the customer's physical site, you provide a level of security that legacy hardware-based solutions simply can't match in today’s ransomware-heavy landscape.

The Bottom Line: Future-Proof Your Business

The hardware supply chain will likely remain fragile through 2026 and beyond. For service providers and resellers, the choice is clear: continue to struggle with lead times and shrinking margins, or embrace a SaaS-first model that removes the "tin" from the equation.

Druva doesn't just protect data; it protects your business from the volatility of the physical world.

Ready to break free from the hardware trap? Explore the Druva MSP Partner Program or calculate your TCO savings today to see how much you can save by ditching the hardware.