A systems administrator is planning the procurement of server hardware for a new, high-performance computing cluster. The project is funded for a specific 2-year term, after which the hardware requirements will be significantly reduced, and the specialized servers will likely be decommissioned. The finance department has expressed a preference for predictable monthly costs over a large initial capital expenditure.
Which of the following acquisition models best addresses these requirements?
Purchase the hardware outright to maintain full ownership and control.
Lease the hardware from a third-party vendor.
Purchase used or refurbished servers to reduce the initial capital expenditure.
Finance the purchase of the servers through a traditional capital loan.
The correct answer is to lease the hardware. Leasing is an operational expense (OpEx), which aligns with the finance department's preference for predictable monthly costs instead of a large upfront capital expenditure (CapEx). Because the project has a fixed 2-year term, leasing allows the company to use the hardware for exactly that period and then return it, avoiding the challenges and costs associated with disposing of or repurposing specialized, obsolete hardware.
Purchasing the hardware outright or financing the purchase would result in the company owning the asset, leaving them responsible for it after the project concludes. Purchasing used equipment addresses the initial cost but not the end-of-life disposal issue for a short-term project.