The right to repair continues to make its way in Europe and other geographies and, consequently, technology companies like Microsoft are taking steps to adapt to this “new” consumption model. And yes, I have quoted again because, in reality, again it has very little. Quite the contrary, for a long time the repair was part of everyday life. However, the reduction in manufacturing costs added to the interests of all types of companies to maximize their sales volumes, led to the repair being left in the background, and in some cases it has almost completely disappeared.
However, for some years global awareness in this regard has begun to change, partly out of pure logic, but on the other hand also encouraged by bad practices, such as planned obsolescence, which for years grew like foam. Fortunately, there came a time when users began to disapprove and denounce these practices and, although with very long deadlines, legislators began to work to put an end to them.
Thus, as the regulations related to the right to repair and self-repair are closer to becoming a reality, we see how the technology sector, the most affected by these changes, is preparing for this new scenario. Just yesterday we told you that Apple has already opened its first store for self-service repairs, and today we can read on Gizmodo that Microsoft is also preparing to expand its range of services when it comes to self-repair.
It is fair, yes, to remember that Microsoft has already taken steps in this direction in the past. For example, in 2016 it launched a diagnostic app for its terminals with Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile, and has also been offering a self-repair program for corporate customers for some time, although its scope is still limited. However, a report commissioned by Microsoft suggests that Redmond is already working on improvements in this regard.
Reading the report, which you can find here, reveals some very interesting data on the environmental impact of this type of measure. For example, repairing a product instead of replacing it can generate a 92% reduction in potential emissions of waste and greenhouse gases, an effect that is increased substantially if users have access to local repair services, something that should not be too much of a problem for Microsoft.
Let us also remember that Microsoft partnered with iFixit a few months ago, probably the largest online platform dedicated to self-repair, a collaboration aimed at making it easier for users of Surface family devices to repair them, one more example that Microsoft seems to have taken the growing demand from users quite seriously. and the legal frameworks that are yet to come.
