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Financing Computers for Business?
Mercutio asks: "OK, I've been handed the responsibility of acting like a grown-up and changing from my normal day-to-day IT job to actually making decisions involving someone else's money. Specifically, I've been asked to deal with all the variables associated with purchasing/leasing computer equipment (desktops, laptops, printers etc) and I'm feeling a bit out of my league. Anyone have any tips for dealing with leasing or financing equipment, companies to avoid working with, or mistakes made in past leasing/purchasing arrangements? Any company that was really great to work with? Any help is of course appreciated.
Thanks."
Whatever you do, standardize the initial hardware config and image and get the vendor to load it. Also include everything you have a site license for in that image, then add user specific software/hardware. Sounds like an obvious no-brainer but it's AMAZING how many places I've seen that shop for cheapest price all the time and end up supporting dozens if not hundreds of different hardware configurations, different software versions, etc. What a mess. In the end, Total Cost of Ownership is far cheaper when you can manage a very homogenous environment. Ghosting out images whenever you have a serious desktop problem is wonderful. So is unpacking the PC right at the users cube and having it already imaged. You can allot a maximum time for desktop troubleshooting.. say 10 minutes.. past that it gets blasted with new image, done. No-Brainer. Over time one or two images for desktops and one or two for laptops will become impossible unless you have a small company, but keep it under control and you'll be a hero.
Operator, give me the number for 911!
To be honest just get an accountant (it may cost a little up front but could save you thousands down the road), they will know exactly what you want for a lease or purchase and will be able to tailor it for you tax/financial purposes. A good accountant can make the difference between owing more tax and not.