Will there be a buyout at the end of the current MLTI lease? Will the costs be the same or different for the different payment plans?
All MLTI devices are governed by the same Master Lease Agreement that is a part of the Department's contract with Apple, Inc. At the conclusion of the lease, the Department has the option to purchase some or all of the devices. The Department anticipates that it will purchase the devices at the conclusion of the lease and make them available to schools directly. Devices not purchased by schools would be made available to the general public through standard surplus property processes.
The buyout costs will be the same for all devices regardless of the payment plan. It should be noted that variations in the cost of the MLTI program are the result of non-capital cost services such as warranty, repairs, technical support, professional development and other costs that are not the actual capital cost of the device itself. As such, pricing for the MLTI solution has varied slightly depending on payment plans and when the devices were purchased. Shorter payment plans (1 year plans as compared to 4 year payment plans) tend to see minor savings as a result of reductions in accrued interest. Devices purchased after the initial deployment in 2009 see minor savings as a result of shorter warranty and support periods. For example, devices purchased in the spring of 2011 and deployed only for the 2012 and 2013 school years will receive MLTI Applecare warranty support services for only 2 years whereas device purchased in 2009 receive that same service for 4 years.
The Department anticipates that the buyout cost for all MacBook devices in service today or that may be purchased during the spring of 2011 will be less than $50 per device.
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