In the IT financing sector, the offer is extensive and the players numerous, as many companies realize that it is no longer advisable to allocate cash to assets that are rapidly becoming obsolete.
Since computer equipment is a convenience with a short life cycle, it is generally accepted that it is the use of computer equipment that takes precedence over ownership.
Lease financing, on the other hand, provides the necessary flexibility to maintain a constant level of equipment performance, which is the only way to support your company’s growth.
Learn more: 8 advantages of evolutionary renting
What should be considered when choosing a financial partner?
- Expertise : Its experience of the type of equipment to be financed (varying degrees of complexity depending on the architecture), its reactivity and its ability to propose alternative solutions, can influence the choice of partner. As a matter of fact, each financial institution offers a variety of solutions, with a range of additional services.
- Services included in the financing offer : financing an IT fleet is much more than just borrowing money at an attractive rate. Other considerations include the monitoring of equipment on several sites, the possibility of financing the entire solution (“hardware + software + services”) or the end-of-life treatment and recycling of assets.
- Contract terms and conditions : each leasing or rental contract uses its own language in terms of responsibilities and obligations of each party to the contract, such as warranty, maintenance, insurance, etc…
- Customer service : The financial partner chosen will logically be a long-term partner. This is why screening is important and must be made in full knowledge of the facts (e.g. professional experience, industry references, accessibility and understanding of your constraints and objectives, etc…).
To whom should you entrust the financing of your IT fleet?
Offers vary according to the actors.
- Banks are generally the first financial partner of companies, often via a granted credit line. Although choosing your bank may seem the most natural solution, it is nevertheless useful to carefully study their offer, as it may prove to be rigid and not easily scalable, compared to an operational leasing financing.
- Finance leasing companies : his service is generally offered by bank subsidiaries. They are the legal owners of the equipment, but you remain the operational manager. Finance leasing offered by banks generally does not include any additional services, except perhaps insurance. You must therefore take care of the maintenance, renewal of your IT fleet, as well as the very time-consuming process of managing assets at the end of their life.
Note : Financial leasing systematically includes a purchase option at the end of the leasing period, which may then seem contradictory for rapidly obsolete assets that you want to change as soon as the need arises.
- A growing number of suppliers/distributors are including a financing option in their offer. In this case, the quality of financing depends mainly on the financial partner.
This form of leasing is based on a partnership agreement between the equipment supplier and a financial partner. Services may be included in or outside the contract (such as insurance or equipment maintenance).Note : Make sure that the offer is flexible and expandable to meet your changing needs. Otherwise, you may have to multiply the contracts with other suppliers.
- IT leasing companies naturally position themselves as experts in the financing and management of IT equipment. They offer the right financing packages, for all sizes and types of companies.
Beyond traditional financing, as seen above, they offer a range of high value-added services, such as: administrative contract monitoring, supplier invoice processing, material insurance and claims processing, equipment upgrades during the contract, asset management as well as data collection and disposal logistics, etc…Note : The evolutionary rental solution proposed by an IT leasing company is an “all inclusive” formula: it is 100% personalized and measure-made, the costs are controlled and adapted to your financial capacity, it offers you a simplified administrative management, and above all the possibility to make changes when necessary.
- Planning the regular renewal of your IT fleet in a more flexible rental formula therefore makes leasing more than attractive.