European business spent $6,300m on leasing computers last year, according to a new report published by Frost & Sullivan. However, the Strategic Management Report on Leasing & Rental of Computer Hardware goes on to claim that despite its importance as a source of finance, many businesspeople still do not understand how it works, and some leasing companies have been prepared to trade on this ignorance. Frost & Sullivan says that given the ongoing financial liability that leasing represents, the financial strength of the leasing company is of primary importance. The report found that leasing varies in popularity across Europe, and although West Germany represents the largest computer market, investment in leased assets is greater in both France and the UK, reminding us once again that Germans are the cautious Europeans.
