Study Says IT Leasing Provides Boost To Economy

Companies that lease IT equipment because it conserves cash and keeps them on the leading edge now have another reason: it helps the economy, according to a new study.

A report released Monday by the Equipment Leasing Association says the IT leasing industry produced an additional $122 billion in IT investment between 1997 and 2002 by creating new ways for companies to acquire equipment beyond purchasing. The study measured direct impacts on the IT equipment vendors and the leasing companies themselves, as well as indirect impacts on the economy such as the creation of more technical jobs and increases in wages.

IT equipment, including software, was the largest category in the $229 billion in business equipment investment produced by the leasing industry during the period; aircraft and industrial equipment made up the most of the rest.