Why Are Technology Shortages Increasing?

The technology supply chain is under pressure again.

This time, one of the biggest drivers is AI. The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is creating extraordinary demand for processors, memory and storage, putting pressure on components that are also fundamental to the laptops, smartphones, tablets and other technology businesses use every day.

The Financial Times reported in September 2026 that DRAM memory prices have risen by more than 200% year-on-year, with significant new manufacturing capacity not expected to arrive until 2028.

And it isn’t just theoretical pressure. HPE recently identified memory as its biggest supply bottleneck, followed by NAND, CPUs and drives, with the company securing longer-term component supply as demand continues to outstrip availability.

This isn’t a future problem. It’s happening now.

What Does This Mean for Business Technology?

Higher component costs are already feeding through into the devices businesses buy.

Gartner forecasts combined DRAM and SSD prices will increase 130% by the end of 2026, contributing to ...

  • PC prices +17%
  • Smartphone prices +13%
  • PC shipments -10.4%
  • Smartphone shipments -8.4%

Gartner also expects business PC lifetimes to increase by around 15% as organisations respond to higher prices.

For businesses, short supply doesn't necessarily mean no devices.

It can mean fewer configurations, longer lead times, higher prices and much less flexibility when you suddenly need 50, 100 or 500 identical devices.

It's Not Just Memory

The technology supply chain goes much deeper.

Semiconductors, batteries and other technologies depend on highly specialised critical minerals including gallium, germanium, graphite and rare earth elements.

The International Energy Agency reports that China accounts for more than 90% of global refined supply for gallium, graphite, manganese and rare earths. It identifies gallium, magnet rare earths, graphite and germanium among the materials most exposed to supply vulnerabilities.

AI demand. Manufacturing capacity. Critical materials. Geopolitics.

Different pressures with the same potential result.

Less certainty about what technology will be available, when, and at what price.

Should Businesses Delay Device Refreshes?

Not necessarily.

But waiting until devices need replacing before planning their replacement is becoming increasingly risky.

The better question is whether every device actually needs replacing in the first place.

This is where RVT360 starts to change the conversation.

Rather than looking at the age of a device alone, we look at your mobile technology across four connected tracks.

Productivity

Are existing devices still giving people the performance, reliability and experience they need?

Connectivity

Can people stay connected and productive wherever they're working?

Security

Are devices still properly controlled, protected, patched and compliant?

Continuity

Do you know what you've got, when it needs replacing and what happens when something fails?

An older device doesn't necessarily need replacing simply because it's old. Equally, keeping ageing technology to defer expenditure can create bigger productivity or security problems elsewhere.

RVT360 helps you understand the difference.

Get More From the Technology You Already Have

When new technology becomes more expensive or harder to source, the technology already in your business becomes even more valuable.

That means maintaining and securing devices properly. Repairing where appropriate. Redeploying underused equipment. Managing strategic spares. Monitoring performance. Planning refreshes earlier. And recovering value responsibly from technology that genuinely has reached the end of its useful life.

These aren't separate decisions.

They affect Productivity, Connectivity, Security and Continuity, which is why RVT360 looks at them together.

The objective isn't simply to make old devices last longer.

It's to get maximum useful value from your technology for as long as it remains right for your business.

And When You Do Need New Technology?

That's when sourcing becomes a skill rather than a search box.

RVT's sourcing team works across an established global supply network, using years of experience and supplier relationships to look beyond the obvious routes to market.

Specific models. Exact configurations. Discontinued devices. Large quantities. Difficult lead times.

And because sourcing can form part of the wider RVT360 conversation, we can look beyond simply finding the requested SKU.

Does another device deliver the same Productivity outcome? Does it meet your Security requirements? How will it stay Connected? What happens when it reaches the next stage of its lifecycle?

Sometimes the answer is finding the hen's tooth.

Sometimes it's finding the needle in the haystack.

And sometimes it's finding a better alternative.

Short Supply Needs Longer-Term Thinking

The answer isn't panic buying. It's planning.

Know what you've got. Understand what's working. Protect it. Improve it. Know what needs replacing and why. Forecast requirements earlier and start sourcing before availability becomes an emergency.

Because current evidence suggests the pressure isn't disappearing overnight. Gartner expects the storage crisis to extend into 2027, while the Financial Times reports significant new memory manufacturing capacity isn't expected until 2028.

That's ultimately what RVT360 is designed to help businesses do.

Productivity. Connectivity. Security. Continuity.

Four tracks that help you make better decisions about the technology you already have and the technology you need next.

  • Protect what you've got.
  • Improve what you can.
  • Plan what comes next.
  • Find what you need.