High-level lunch was more than just a pie in the sky
08-04-2015 | By Paul Whytock
The 34th floor of the London Shard was the location chosen by test and measurement specialists Keysight Technologies and Microlease, the instrumentation equipment management company, to announce a new joint agreement.
Now, the events area of the Shangri La Hotel in the Shard is unquestionably impressive but did the reason for being there match such high-level splendour? The simple answer is yes.
This new agreement means Microlease will support and sell Keysight products from hand-held instruments to top-of-the-range bench instruments. The deal includes Keysight generators, sources, power supplies, RF test equipment and other instruments. Microlease will also offer Keysight thermal imaging instruments for the first time.
This is no mean venture for Microlease. It plans to spend £1 million in staff, premises, stock and e-commerce capabilities to support the expanded capabilities. To celebrate the launch of its new ecommerce site, it will be giving away some digital multimeters to the first orders placed via the web site.
The company's Kardex warehouse in Harrow has been expanded to store and manage the new stock and instruments purchased outright rather than rented will have same day shipment.
Starting this month Microlease will be offering customers the ability to purchase any product from Keysight’s basic instruments range directly from them. For higher value equipment, it will offer four options in addition to outright purchase: rent, rent-to-buy, divide-by-12 and lease.
Rent-to-buy allows companies to pay a fixed percentage of the list price per month to rent the equipment for at least six months, then return it, convert to a lease or purchase it outright at the end of the rental period. The divide-by option lets companies spread the costs of buying equipment over 12 months at 0% interest.
Other deals available include finance leases, operating leases and operating leases with services. The advantage of these is companies only pay for the equipment while they need it, have no upfront costs and have the flexibility to upgrade the equipment in the future. Asset management services are also available.
Microlease is already a Keysight Premier Rental Partner for Europe and North America, an authorised distributor in the Americas and Italy, as well as the authorised technology partner in the UK, Ireland, and Italy.
