Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Buying Your Tech Vs. Renting Your Tech

Budgets can be a scary things, especially when it comes to possible tech that you may need. We are all aware that when dealing with new tech, price is usually the biggest deciding factor. A company needs to be aware of what exactly their needs are before they decide to actually pull the trigger on a possible purchase. There are pros and cons for both buying a renting when it comes to tech. Ultimately, if you are on a budget, figuring out what exactly you need and for what purpose can actually help when deciding to rent or buy.

Buying means one this is for sure; the product is yours. One worry that you may need to concern yourself is with the warranty and the return policy, should something go wrong. After all, when you decide to make the purchase of said computer, you are also paying for tech support and service. Another point to factor is the issue of mass produced technology. When dealing with a large consumer retailer, you are dealing with a company the is basically cloning each model of tech that they specialize in. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can affect the price, but that means that small faults might slip through the checks. This is the type of that that can't necessarily be avoided with a computer purchase. Should the warranty not cover the particular fault, you have essentially purchased a broken computer for your company's needs. Asking your retailer questions about the warranty and what is covered and not covered, all of the "what ifs" essentially, can be a time and money saver. Having said that, remember that when you buy a computer, tablet, or other mobile device, you are taking a huge chunk out of your budget. In the end, you may only need the product for that one thing.

Renting your tech means that you can have a lot more options for your budget. Nine times out of ten, you will be able to rest easy knowing that you will always have working equipment. It always does help to make sure that you read and understand the rental contract to see what types of damage is covered by the vendor and what would be covered by you. If you know that you are going to be needing your tech for a short amount of time, then renting is obviously the best call. Monthly payments are usually how most vendors will bill you. If you see your company requiring a computer, or printer, or anything else for extended periods of time, then buying the product may be the better option. There are some rentals, however, that will allow you to buy the product out right after your rental time is up. This way you get the best of both worlds. In the end though, you will find that renting your equipment will be a lot better in the long run since it doesn't affect your budget nearly as bad. Not to mention that renting in bulk usually brings the price down. Renting 100 iPads is definitely a lot cheaper than buying them.

When it comes down to it, you must ask yourself the main questions involving these decisions. What is my company going to need? How long is my company going to need it? How many of these is my company going to need? Do we have it in the budget to fix the equipment should something go wrong? All of these are huge factors on if you are going to buy or rent. Just remember that renting leaves more money in your pocket and less responsibility on your shoulders.

Source.