Leasing can be part of product design

Leasing is usually discussed as a financing option after the product has been designed. For infrastructure products, it can shape the product itself.

A lease can define who controls the device, who maintains it, what level of service is expected, and what happens when the equipment is no longer useful. It can align payment with actual capacity or usage.

The risk is that a clean subscription experience hides an operational business that is much harder than the software.

The financing structure is part of the user experience when it determines whether the product can be installed, maintained, upgraded, and trusted.