13th April 2026

For businesses of all shapes and sizes, regular IT refreshes are essential to avoid outdated equipment impeding productivity, frustrating users, heightening security risks, and leading to unplanned downtime.

With that said, refreshes aren’t always appealing or financially feasible for firms in the current economic climate. That’s not because firms don’t see the benefits of modernising devices, but because the upfront costs are simply too prohibitively expensive.

Traditionally, acquiring new devices has required businesses to commit to large capital outlays that, in recent times, have become even more eyewatering than usual. Largely driven by AI, demand for key computing components has risen and inventory shortages have emerged, driving up prices. Gartner has forecast a 130% surge in the cost DRAM and SSDs by the end of 2026, which will increase PC prices by 17% versus 2025, for example.

Conseque, many companies are delaying their refreshes and sweating their devices for longer due to a widening gap between what businesses know they need and what they feel they can realistically afford.

For the channel, however, it’s also a problem. When customers are hesitant to refresh or upgrade their devices, channel partners in turn lose sales opportunities.

The benefits of DaaS for channel partners and their customers

Here, Device‑as‑a‑Service (DaaS) finance models can provide a solution to these challenges for channel partners and their customers alike.

By giving businesses the ability to obtain devices on a financing basis, with simple monthly payments, DaaS can directly address those headaches for firms that cannot justify or afford large upfront expenses on tens or hundreds of devices.

Consider the impact: a single laptop refresh for a team of 10 might cost £6,500. For a small business, that is a significant investment. However, when those same devices can be leased from £17 per month per device, the finances no longer feel so prohibitive.

It’s also worth noting that in DaaS models, customers will often pay less than a device’s overall capital value due to the anticipated residual value that those lending the devices will retain when they’re returned. As a result, customers’ upfront costs are reduced, their total cost of usage is lowered, and budgeting becomes more predictable, enabling firms to easily scale up or down their devices in line with their needs.

For the channel, there are likewise several benefits. Indeed, financing payments in combination with the residual value of the devices can actually be more profitable than selling devices alone. Meanwhile, with many devices leased for fixed terms, channel partners can benefit from predictable refresh cycles.

In many cases, customers won’t buy all their devices at once. One year they might acquire 20. Six months later, they may need 20 more. As a result, channel partners can find themselves in a position where they have regular, predictable touchpoints with customers that can help to enhance regular customer interaction, with more touchpoints providing the opportunity to nurture relationships and improve customer loyalty.

Further, in my experience, customers typically tend to acquire more services and solutions when moving to DaaS models. This can include device enrolment, warranty extensions and support bundles that are far more margin-rich than the hardware itself.

Why the channel hasn’t yet solved the financing challenge

While there are clear benefits for both channel partners and their customers, IT financing adoption remains relatively low in B2B spheres, with penetration sitting around 5%. Versus sectors like automotive, where financing or leasing can regularly be the default approach, this is comparatively extremely low.

Often, the reason for this is that financing in IT is rarely positioned proactively. Indeed, many resellers will only explore it when a customer specifically asks for such a solution.

There’s a good reason for that. Indeed, traditional finance workflows are manual and painfully slow . Getting finance quotes can take hours, involving many emails, forms and constant back-and-forth.. As a result, there is little incentive for channel partners to proactively go out and seek financing quotes that customers may not even want to use.

To solve this challenge, channel partners should look to leverage fully digital, API-driven DaaS financing platforms. Critically, these can generate accurate, customisable DaaS quotes in under 30 seconds, which can then be delivered directly to the customer’s inbox.

With these tools, financing becomes a natural part of the sales process without the administrative burdens that usually come with it, replacing complex, hour-long workflows with financing options that we’re used to seeing in consumer spheres.

Democratising the market

Traditionally, DaaS hasn’t been made readily available for smaller customers.

That makes little sense. Indeed, those smaller, more cost-conscious companies that are impacted the most by significant capital outlays have been most underserved in terms of device financing. Many of these firms would like the option to refresh on finance, but lack the ability to do so.

With the right tools, channel partners can help bridge this gap for their customers. The topi platform, for example, can enable channel firms to offer leased /financed ‑based hardware solutions to any customer, whether they need two devices or 500, through the same seamless digital process.

For customers, it can feel instantly familiar. The model works much like car leasing – you get access to the equipment you need, pay a predictable monthly amount, use it for a term, and then return or upgrade it at the end.

The B2B market has been slow to follow in these convenient, digitised footsteps for years, until now. With API-driven integrations, modern DaaS tools can allow resellers to provide monthly pricing options directly on their website and allow customers to check out on a DaaS contract automatically.

A model that is gaining momentum

DaaS isn’t new, but it’s a space that’s evolving. With many large organisations already financing much of their IT through DaaS, there’s a real opportunity for channel partners to now bring similar solutions to the mid-market and SME space, catering to those firms that will benefit most from financing solutions.

It’s not a case of flipping sales processes on their head, but of making financing more flexible and efficient for customers to drive market growth.

Channel partners and customers, expect fast quotes, predictable and constant pricing and a consumer-grade digital experience. topi delivers in these areas, getting fast quotes to customers to drive more conversions, greater customer loyalty, and predictable refresh cycles that provide the foundations for long‑term, scalable growth.

13th April 2026

Following a year of strategic expansion, including the acquisition of ABN AMRO UK’s leasing business and just weeks after the UK launch of the topi subscription platform and the introduction of PEAC’s new Technology Channel team, Steve Bolton, Managing Director (UK) of PEAC Solutions (PEAC) discusses the year ahead.

When economic confidence is fragile, asset finance providers feel it fast. Businesses only borrow to fund investment when they are ready to buy – and in 2025, that willingness was inconsistent across the UK market.

For Steve Bolton, last year was “hard work… but constructive”: a period defined by cautious customer behaviour, but also by decisive strategic moves designed to set PEAC up for the next growth cycle.

“We operate in an environment where the economy has a very significant impact on the amount of investment that businesses want to make,” Bolton said. “It does feel now that we may be most of the way through that cycle of bumping along the bottom before confidence starts to lift again. But one thing is for certain, it always does.”

Against that backdrop, PEAC spent 2025 strengthening its UK platform through acquisitions – and in early 2026, moved quickly to turn that strategy into a new, tech-led proposition for the channel.

2025: Building scale and relationships

In September 2025, PEAC Solutions UK acquired ABN AMRO UK’s leasing book positioning it as a move that strengthens PEAC’s UK market presence and broadens its equipment leasing and asset-based lending capability – while ensuring continuity for existing ABN AMRO UK leasing customers.

Bolton points to the acquisition as a key milestone for PEAC in the UK, expanding balance-sheet capability and bringing in customers aligned with PEAC’s existing sector footprint.

“The acquisition of the ABN AMRO Asset Finance book… worked very well because there was a strong overlap with our existing customer base,” he said. “And it gave us some new customers to build relationships with, which we’re doing.”

2026: From acquisition to activation

If the ABN AMRO UK transaction expanded PEAC’s core platform, Bolton sees the acquisition of Berlin-based fintech topi as the catalyst for something more transformational: true incremental growth in a rapidly evolving technology finance space.

“We acquired topi… which is a business that we intend to invest in and grow,” he said. “We’ve already launched the offering in the UK. So that’s very exciting… and allows us to diversify into a space that’s rapidly growing – and a space that we’ve not really been present in.”

That speed is not incidental. The topi digital finance platform was launched in the UK just four months after completing its acquisition – with the rollout described as one of the fastest fintech deployments of its kind in the UK.

topi’s proposition is designed around digital-first, subscription-based hardware – helping IT resellers and vendors move from quote and credit approval through to contract completion “within minutes,” and enabling an embedded and “slick, consumer-style checkout experience” in a B2B environment.

Bolton believes the platform supports the circular economy by design, and he sees potential beyond technology in time.

“There is really no reason why the topi platform couldn’t be used to fund any catalogue of assets,” he said, suggesting that categories such as gym equipment could eventually be enabled through the same digital catalogue-and-checkout experience – once topi is scaled in tech first.

A new Technology Channel team to match the ambition

PEAC’s acceleration in tech is not only about platform capability; it is also about building specialist distribution strength.

In August 2025, PEAC reported the launch of a new Technology Channel team, created to expand its presence in technology finance across the UK and Europe and to respond to “rapid change in IT consumption and investment models.”

The UK team is led by Jordan Lisle, supported by Paul Fletcher and Karen Davies, with PEAC stating priorities that include driving adoption of financing models for software, hardware and services, and supporting partners with “flexible and sustainable payment structures.”

For Bolton, that channel focus connects directly back to what customers want, and what lenders must protect.

“What has not changed is the speed and ease of service that customers require,” he said. “That’s a combination of systems and people and mindset.”

The 2026 balancing act: speed, fraud risk, and digital capability

One of Bolton’s strongest warnings for 2026 is that “fast” must be balanced with “safe”.

He described a rise in sophisticated, AI-enabled fraud attempts across the market – including a deepfake impersonation attempt aimed at triggering a payment authorisation.

“If you’re that quick, the fraud’s already happened, the asset’s gone, you’ve lost your money,” he said. “Part of what the fraudster is playing on is our desire to serve customers quickly.”

At the same time, PEAC is investing in data, AI and internal capability – rolling out tools, testing specialist AI propositions, and pushing for adoption so teams can make better decisions faster.

“It’s a game changer,” Bolton said, describing how AI tools help him arrive at legal, risk or asset management conversations with better questions and a stronger baseline understanding.

Leadership: “Values are standards – service and excellence are a choice”

Asked about leadership and culture through disruption – from the financial crisis to PEAC’s 2021 transition into private credit ownership – Bolton repeatedly returned to consistency, accountability and trust.

He outlined PEAC Solution’s UK values as: partnership, respect, accountability, integrity, service and excellence – drawing a clear line between what he sees as non-negotiables and what differentiates a business.

“Partnership, respect, accountability, and integrity… you just have to do those,” he said. “But service and excellence are a choice and they need constant investment.?”

Bolton also described practical rituals designed to embed culture at PEAC’s current scale in the UK (around 140 people), including new starter lunches led by senior leadership to explain not only what the values are, but why they matter, so people “belong from day one”.

His advice to future leaders was straightforward: “Be authentic.” In a more anxious workplace environment, he believes resilience is built through relationships – inside the business and across the industry – especially as senior roles can become more isolating.

The year ahead

For Bolton, the story of 2026 is not just about doing more of the same – it is about combining PEAC’s traditional strengths with a new engine for scalable growth.

“We’ve got great people, strong partnerships, strong customer relationships,” he said. “We’ve got exciting opportunities, for example, the likes of topi… to do something new that is scalable.”

With topi now live in the UK and a dedicated Technology Channel team in place, PEAC’s direction is clear: embed the platform, grow its technology finance proposition, and capture demand as subscription-led IT investment becomes a mainstream buying behaviour – while ensuring the speed customers want doesn’t compromise the risk discipline lenders need.

And, as Bolton puts it, when confidence returns – as it always does – PEAC is ready.

2nd February 2026

PEAC Solutions (PEAC) is delighted to announce a major milestone in its Technology Channel strategy: just four months after completing the acquisition of topi, the innovative topi platform is now officially available to UK resellers. This marks one of the fastest fintech deployments of its kind in the UK.

topi, a high‑growth fintech, delivers a fully digital platform that enables IT resellers and vendors to offer subscription‑based hardware solutions to business customers. Its technology brings a modern, consumer‑like purchasing experience to the B2B IT market, streamlining the journey from quote, to credit approval, to contract; all within minutes.

The acquisition significantly expands PEAC’s digital finance capabilities, positioning the business at the forefront of the fast‑growing Device as a Service (DaaS) market. With topi, PEAC now offers an API‑driven solution that can be seamlessly embedded into a reseller’s sales environment, whether e‑commerce checkout, telesales operation, or point‑of‑sale; transforming how UK partners deliver flexible payment options.

Through topi, sellers can provide an instant DaaS price in only a few clicks, giving end customers an attractive alternative to upfront cash purchases or traditional lending. Its fully digital workflow provides simplicity for sellers, eliminates paperwork, and accelerates revenue for partners.

PEAC is also pleased to confirm that topi has been approved as a Lenovo Global Financial Services (LGFS) funding partner in the UK, following the strong collaboration already established across Europe. This means UK resellers can now earn additional Lenovo rebates on qualifying DaaS transactions, driving increased profitability across the channel.

Quote from Jordan Lisle, Channel Tech Director at PEAC, “I’m genuinely excited about the launch of topi in the UK. The platform brings true innovation to the IT channel, making it incredibly easy for resellers to offer effective payment solutions while removing the complexity that traditionally surrounds finance. As we continue building our Technology offering, PEAC has embraced a ‘dare to be different’ mindset, and topi is a perfect example of this approach brought to life.”

With topi now live, PEAC is committed to deploying the platform widely across the UK IT Channel, empowering partners to sell faster, grow margin, and unlock the full potential of the DaaS opportunity.

Quote from Leonard Coen, VP Partnerships, topi GmbH, “This UK launch marks a significant milestone for topi as we enter our fifth market, after operating in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium. We are equally excited to expand our close collaboration and partnership with Lenovo Global Financial Services and their team, and to become an official funder in the UK.”

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About PEAC Solutions

PEAC Solutions (PEAC) is a leading multinational asset finance platform specialising in providing innovative finance solutions to equipment manufacturers, distributors, and dealers across a wide range of industries and asset classes. With a strong focus on customer service, PEAC offers lease and loan products that enable businesses to access the equipment and technology they need to enhance productivity and growth. Operating across North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, PEAC has built a robust global network capable of delivering tailored financial solutions to diverse markets.   PEAC is a trade name of PEAC Holdings (UK) Limited.

In the UK, PEAC are the largest independent lessor, supporting businesses of all sizes with accessible and flexible financing.  For more information, visit www.peacsolutions.co.uk

About topi

topi is a fintech company redefining how businesses access IT hardware. With its fully digital platform, retailers and manufacturers can seamlessly integrate flexible renting and leasing solutions directly into their sales channels – whether online, in telesales, or in-store. The Berlin-based company is a subsidiary of PEAC Solutions, a global leader in
equipment finance and leasing. For further information, visit www.topi.eu