Balancing ease-of-use, functionality and cost is a constant struggle, especially as the types of solutions available increase every year. There are three primary acquisition methods for IT infrastructure: outright purchase, leasing and consumption-based models. The best model is ultimately dependent on your business needs. First, consider the advantages and disadvantages of each model.

The purchase model has the advantage of the greatest control over the infrastructure but the disadvantage of requiring upfront capital investment, which can be significant. Diligent planning is required before making a purchase decision. You will need to understand the capacity that will be required for the lifetime of the infrastructure — this is easy to either underestimate or overestimate. Additionally, if your organization has peak and valley workloads there may be times when you will be underutilizing the infrastructure you’ve bought.

Download this paper from Dell Technologies and Microsoft to learn more.