A Decade of Digital Progress: Cardiff University Transforms Campus Technology

Cardiff University has invested over £600 million to modernise its campus, facilities, and digital infrastructure. A central part of this transformation has been its ten year partnership with Converge.

Over the decade, Converge has supplied thousands of devices, supported significant improvements in asset management, and delivered a reliable, relationship driven service.

This long standing collaboration continues to evolve as the University explores new enhancements such as accredited asset disposal and improved tracking as part of its ongoing digital upgrade.

Meeting the demands of modernisation

As Cardiff University expanded its digital modernisation, the scale and pace of change demanded a technology partner capable of providing consistency, flexibility, and operational efficiency.

The University needed a way to source and deploy large volumes of devices without adding pressure to internal teams, streamline its asset lifecycle, and ensure the secure disposal of equipment containing highly sensitive data. 

With more students, more devices, and a rapidly evolving technology estate, Cardiff required a trusted partner who could do more than simply fulfil orders.

Ten years of support, service and success

For over ten years, Cardiff University and Converge have built a partnership centred on transparency, support, and long term reliability. The collaboration began as a traditional procurement relationship but quickly expanded as the University recognised the value of Converge’s wraparound services.

Converge has supplied more than 9,000 HP laptops, over 2,000 student loan devices, and around 3,000 Stone PCs for the university’s computing labs. As the partnership progressed, the University adopted additional services such as asset tagging, re imaging and autopilot configuration, enabling devices to be handed directly to end users with no additional setup.

Reflecting on this streamlined process, Head of IT Service Support Richard Powell said: “We receive the laptops, hand them directly to the end user, and the devices work straight out of the box. The asset management eam barely needs to get involved. It’s far less onerous than it used to be.”

The relationship is sustained by candid communication and informed guidance. Richard emphasised the strength of the working partnership, he said: “The reason we’ve stayed with Converge for ten years really comes down to the relationship we have with them.”

He added: “We get a really good service from Converge, and we can have real candid and honest conversations with our Partnership Manager.”

This proactive support includes early insights into market changes and product updates. Richard noted: “They make us aware of upcoming issues, like the recent RAM increases, and the knock-on effects it will have to endpoint costs.

“Our Partnership Manager understands our wants and needs and tells us when a huge update is coming or if they are unsure of anything.”

Converge’s strong framework presence also simplifies procurement, which Richard described as a major advantage: “Already having a trusted supplier takes the pressure off.”

Looking ahead, the University is considering Converge’s accredited asset disposal services, supported by Blancco and Valpak certifications. This is particularly important given the sensitivity of the University’s data.

Richard said: “We have some highly sensitive data on our devices, and we need to dispose of that in the correct manner. Converge’s accreditations are something we take very seriously and trust our devices to be recycled correctly.”

The IT team is also exploring opportunities to extend Converge’s role in its asset tracking initiatives as part of a wider asset management upgrade.

The benefits of a trusted partnership

The partnership has delivered significant operational improvements for Cardiff University. Devices arrive fully configured, reducing the workload of IT teams and enabling faster deployment across campus.

IT Service Delivery Manager Carl Snellgrove highlighted this impact: “To deliver the level of service that Converge does, it is highly valued and is a massive plus for us, it makes our lives so much easier.”

Support has remained consistently responsive, Richard noted: “If there is ever a problem, we pick up the phone, and it gets resolved quickly.”

Overall, the University values the strength and reliability of the partnership itself.

Richard summarised the experience: “We are a happy customer… I would recommend Converge to anyone; they offer a hiccup-free service. Compared to previous experiences we’ve had in the past, it’s a night and day contrast.”