Renting Tablets Instead of Buying: The Flexible Solution for Businesses

Are you considering whether to rent or buy tablets for your business? Discover the advantages of renting tablets in this blog post. Learn which industries benefit most and how your company can gain from this flexible solution.

The increasing digitization of work demands greater flexibility from businesses. Choosing the right tools is a key part of this process. Tablets have become essential for enabling mobile work and productive workflows. But what’s the better choice —buying or renting tablets? In this article, we explain why renting tablets is the more flexible and cost-effective choice for your company, especially when it comes to business use.

Why Renting Tablets Makes Sense for Businesses

Purchasing IT hardware like tablets often requires significant upfront investments. Additionally, rapid technological advancements can lead to devices losing their value quickly. Renting tablets, on the other hand, offers companies a much higher degree of flexibility.

You can access the latest devices without long-term capital commitments and adjust your inventory as needed. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for business tablets used by different employees or teams. You can easily respond to changing demands by temporarily increasing your supply or replacing outdated devices.

Renting vs. Buying: The Benefits of Rental Tablets

Renting tablets offers numerous advantages over purchasing, especially for businesses focused on flexibility, cost control, and staying up to date with technology. Here’s a summary of the key benefits:

• Lower Upfront Costs and Cost Control: Renting tablets eliminates the need for large, one-time investments. Instead, you pay manageable, predictable monthly fees, improving liquidity and simplifying budget planning. Purchasing devices ties up capital and reduces liquidity.
• Liquidity and Flexibility: With rental tablets, you can add or return devices as needed. This is particularly advantageous during dynamic business phases, temporary projects, or workforce expansions. Buying more devices, on the other hand, requires significant upfront costs and limits flexibility.
• Technology Updates: Rental agreements allow you to regularly upgrade to the latest tablet models without incurring high replacement or disposal costs. Purchased devices quickly become outdated due to rapid technological advancements, requiring additional investments.
• Insurance Included: Many rental agreements include insurance to cover damage or defects, avoiding unexpected costs. For purchased devices, insurance typically must be arranged separately, adding extra expenses.
• Maintenance and Support: When you rent tablets, the provider handles maintenance and replacement of defective devices, easing the burden on your IT department and ensuring smooth operations. With purchased devices, you’re responsible for maintenance and repairs, which can demand extra time, resources, or costly external services.
• Mobile Device Management (MDM): Some providers, like Cortado Mobile Solutions, include comprehensive MDM solutions with their rental tablets. This ensures secure integration and centralized management right from the start. Purchased devices often require separate MDM solutions, increasing setup effort and costs.
• End-of-Life Solutions: At the end of the rental period, tablets can simply be returned. They’re often refurbished and prepared for reuse, supporting more sustainable hardware use. For purchased devices, companies must manage disposal or resale, often at a loss.
• Tax Benefits: Rental costs can be immediately deducted as business expenses, whereas bought devices must be depreciated over several years. This provides businesses with immediate relief in the current fiscal year.
• Sustainability: Rental tablets are professionally refurbished after use and prepared for reuse, reducing electronic waste and promoting resource-efficient device usage.

Use Cases: When Renting Tablets is Particularly Advantageous

Renting tablets is especially beneficial in various business areas and industries. Here are some examples where rental tablets can provide the ideal solution for your company:

Temporary Projects and Trade Shows

For temporary projects, trade shows, or events, companies often require additional hardware. Tablets are ideal for outfitting booths, presentations, or interactive kiosks. Since these needs are time-limited, buying devices is often impractical. Renting tablets offers the flexibility to get the exact number of devices needed for the duration — without long-term commitments or significant costs.

Training and Workshops

Businesses that conduct regular training sessions or workshops can greatly benefit from rental tablets. These can be distributed to participants and returned afterward, reducing the need for a permanent inventory of devices. Rental tablets can also be pre-configured for specific training content, enhancing the learning experience.

Business Expansion and Workforce Growth

When your business grows or hires more staff temporarily, renting tablets offers a flexible way to equip employees quickly and efficiently. This is especially useful during seasonal peaks, such as in logistics, retail, or construction industries. Devices can be returned easily after the project ends.

Mobile Teams and Field Sales

Tablets are indispensable tools for sales representatives and mobile teams. Renting tablets allows companies to respond flexibly to changes, such as team expansions or new software rollouts. Rental tablets ensure your mobile workforce has access to the latest technology without investing in devices that may soon become outdated.

Testing and Development Phases

IT departments often need to test new software or systems under real-world conditions. Rental tablets provide the necessary hardware for a limited time without long-term commitment. This is a cost-efficient solution for businesses developing new apps or testing internal applications.

Key Considerations When Choosing Rental Tablets

Before renting tablets, keep the following points in mind:

• Technical Specifications: Determine your employees’ needs. Do they require high storage capacity, powerful processors, or specific security features? The specifications should match the intended use.
• Security Requirements: Ensure rented devices meet current security standards and offer features like encryption and secure access controls, particularly for business tablets.
• Flexible Rental Terms: Look for providers offering flexible terms that allow you to add or return devices easily as your needs change.
• MDM and Unified Solutions: Choose a provider that offers tablets and MDM solutions as a package. This saves time and simplifies device management. For instance, Cortado Mobile Solutions offers business tablets with integrated MDM, streamlining mobile device administration.

Industries Where Rental Tablets Shine

Rental tablets are ideal for various industries where mobility, flexibility, and efficiency are critical. Here are five examples:

• Retail: Tablets can be used as mobile POS systems or for inventory management. They’re particularly useful for seasonal campaigns or temporary pop-up stores.
• Construction and Project Management: Tablets enable digital access to blueprints and real-time project updates on-site.
• Healthcare: Tablets help with patient care, documentation, and access to medical records. They’re ideal for hospitals or care facilities needing temporary additional devices.
• Logistics and Transportation: Tablets support supply chain management and real-time tracking, addressing seasonal fluctuations effectively.
• Education: Schools and universities use tablets for digital learning. Rental tablets provide a cost-effective solution for specific courses or exams.

How to Get Started with Tablet Rentals

Follow these steps to find the best rental solution for your business:

1. Assess Your Needs: Determine the number of devices needed and their purpose.
2. Select a Provider: Choose a vendor offering flexible rental terms, MDM integration, and reliable support.
3. Choose the Devices: Pick models that meet your employees’ needs.
4. Integrate MDM: Ensure the devices are integrated into a Mobile Device Management system for secure and efficient management.

Conclusion: Flexibility and Efficiency with Rental Tablets

Renting tablets offers businesses a flexible, cost-effective solution tailored to evolving demands. With better planning, reduced IT workload, and access to the latest devices, rental tablets are a smart choice for modern businesses. If your company wants to benefit from these advantages, renting tablets is the way forward.