Whether you are running your own startup company, or the CIO of an international organization, there is a high chance you've asked your team this question. As companies grow, so do their printing demands, creating a need for a laser printer (or digital copier). Not only do these come in a variety of different brands and models, they also come in different purchasing options.

The first option is to purchase a printer/copier in full, and the second option is to lease a printer. Leasing your printer is now being referred to as Managed Print Services (MPS). It has grown from just renting out printers, to providing not only paper, toner, and updates, but regulation, tracking, and data collection.

Since here at VLCM we offer both Purchasing and Leasing through our Managed Print Services, we are here to give you the honest pros and cons of each.

First Up: Purchasing

VLCM currently offers a range of HP and Canon printers. But why would you want to buy a printer when you could rent one?

Pros:

1. Less Expensive Long Term: When you buy, you know you are getting the printer for what it's worth. When you lease a printer, you end up paying interest, which may cause you to pay more than the printer is worth in the long run.
2. There's No Contract: This means whenever you want to upgrade your printers, you can sell your current ones and buy new ones. This is also useful as your company starts to grow or shrink because you can continue to purchase new printers, or sell the ones you aren't using anymore. When you lease a printer, you are bound in a contract.
3. Maintenance is Flexible: If you own your printer and it breaks, you can immediately fix the problem instead of being at the mercy of your lessors.

Cons:

1. More Expensive Short-Term: High-end printers can cost upwards of $10,000 each - then add in the price of toner, paper, and maintenance - and times that by however many printers you need, and the cost adds up quite quickly.
2. Hard to Maintain Consistency: If you have multiple locations or departments it can be especially tricky to maintain the same regulations, standards, and updates across all your printers if you don't lease it out.
3. Maintenance/Replacement Costs: If you have ever worked with a printer, you know they can be temperamental and require inevitable maintenance. Not only will you have to pay out-of-pocket for these maintenance costs, but you will have to pay for replacements when they get too old, broken, or out-of-date.

Next: Leasing

VLCM has the #1 Managed Print Service in the state and offers free print analysis consultations. 

Pros:

1. Less Expensive Short-Term: With monthly payments, you don't have to fork out thousands of dollars per printer right up front. This is a wonderful option for startup businesses who might not have the cash currently to purchase needed printers. There is also an option to purchase your printers at the end of the lease.
2. Included Maintenance: We are sure that your IT (Miracle) workers have more important projects than figuring out why your printer won't print your Nicholas Cage meme. With MPS, you don't have to bat an eye or lift a finger when it comes to printer problems because the printers automatically send notifications to VLCM, who then sends someone out to fix it. All included in your monthly cost!
3. No Resale or Disposal Worries: When it is time to upgrade, it can be stressful trying to find a buyer for a used printer. Even worse, when your printer dies, where do you even take dead printers? Can they be recycled? No one knows! When you lease your printers, VLCM will send a crew to both install and uninstall all your printers.

Cons:

1. More Expensive Long-Term: Like it was mentioned before, when you lease you are paying interest; both on your printers and your maintenance package. Just like a lease on a car or on a house, you might end up paying more than the original printer was worth.
2. Stuck in Lease: This will be worry if you overestimate your printing needs and realize you don't need as many printers as you originally thought. Whereas if you buy your own you can just sell them; with MPS you are in until your lease is over.
3. At the Mercy of Lessor for Maintenance: While VLCM's team is incredibly fast, printer problems under a lease are at their mercy.

Your Decision

Hopefully this post gave you a better idea on whether purchasing or leasing printers will be better option for your company.

Ultimately it comes down to your organization's size, budget, IT department, and growth rate.

Love the idea, but stuck with a provider you don't like? VLCM also offers lease buyouts!

Contact our VLCM Managed Print Services department at (801) 214-9861 to learn more.