In a fast-paced age in which everything from toothpaste to technology continually changes, renting rather than owning assets can seem a smart option. Kuben Rayan, GM at Dell Financial Services, makes the case for rental: when a company purchases IT assets, he says, they reflect on its balance sheet and, once they depreciate, there is a negative effect on return on investment and total cost of ownership.

Different assets have different depreciating periods, but the fact is that IT equipment is upgraded almost every 18 months. “Power users want the latest and greatest technology, but they find their accounts departments feel differently about paying for regular upgrades. That`s why, in most cases, corporates opt to rent,” he says.