Used test equipment has growing importance in the market, writes Mel Porter, CEO, Livingston
With the economic environment still challenging, telecom operators and engineering companies are trying to avoid the need for making heavy financial investment, but at the same time the ability to address new opportunities and adhere to the latest technology standards cannot be compromised.
This has an acute effect on the state of test and measurement distribution here in Europe, as suppliers need to adopt new business models. The purchasing of used instead of brand new test hardware is now becoming more popular.
The issue is ensuring that no compromise is being made on quality.
Buying used equipment is an activity that in the past was often looked on unfavourably.
This was mainly because it entailed dealing with used equipment brokers who had no real record of how long this equipment had been in operation for, its treatment over that period, the regularity of maintenance/recalibration.
This meant that the risks involved were high as evaluating the true condition of equipment proved difficult.
Furthermore, as brokers only had relatively small inventories, choice would be limited and so getting a piece of equipment that was fully optimised for the intended task was not always possible. Technical support after purchase would also be a rarity.
I suggest there are benefits in sourcing used equipment from established test rental firms, as they can offer a wider portfolio of equipment as well as having detailed information about its operational life.
This approach means that the financial pressures that companies are currently under can be to some extent alleviated, as capital expenditure is far lower, but at the same time there is no longer a gamble in procuring instrumentation
