Navigating today’s hardware shortages: What you need to know and how to stay ahead

If your teams are planning device refreshes, scaling infrastructure, or supporting new IT initiatives in 2026, there’s one reality you can’t afford to ignore: significant hardware shortages and price increases are on the horizon.

Hyperscaler investments in AI data centers are driving a severe supply shortage with a drastic surge in pricing and demand expected for dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), as well as double data rate 4 (DDR4) and DDR5 memory devices. That shift means projected delays in hardware fulfillment, potentially more severe than the 2020–2021 shortage — along with rising costs for laptops, servers, RAM, SSD, and networking equipment.

This impacts more than procurement timelines. It affects budget forecasting, project planning, deployment schedules, and even long‑term IT strategy. Many manufacturers are also moving to case‑by‑case quote validity, meaning pricing and availability may be subject to change.

The good news? Organizations don’t have to navigate this alone.

Our experts can break down the current state of hardware supply constraints and outline practical steps you can take to protect budgets, mitigate delays, and maintain business continuity. We are proactively pulling forward quotes to lock pricing and allocation ahead of OEM changes. We will also monitor open quotes, orders, and distribution stock and promptly notify you of any changes. Additionally, our account executives can schedule planning sessions to assess your exposure to these delays.

From strategic sourcing and advanced planning to alternative solution recommendations, warehousing options, and hands‑on support, we can help you stay ahead of market disruptions rather than react to them.

NEXT STEPS

Reach out to an SHI expert to understand what’s changing, what it means for your organization, and how early planning can help reduce risk in the months ahead.