Which of the following models allows for decreased capital expense through a pay-as-you-go structure?

The model that allows for decreased capital expense through a pay-as-you-go structure is cloud-based infrastructure. In this model, organizations do not need to invest heavily in physical hardware or data centers upfront. Instead, they can utilize cloud service providers where they pay only for the resources they use, often on a subscription basis. This flexibility allows businesses to scale their usage up or down as necessary, ensuring they only pay for what they utilize rather than maintaining excess capacity that may not be needed.

Cloud-based infrastructure also eliminates costs associated with managing and maintaining physical servers, providing a more efficient allocation of resources. This makes it particularly attractive for organizations looking to optimize budget and operational efficiencies, especially for those with variable workload demands.

In contrast, on-premise deployments, colocation, and traditional server setups generally require significant upfront capital investment for hardware and ongoing costs for maintenance, configuration, and management. These models are less agile in terms of scaling and do not typically offer the same pay-per-use benefits, leading to higher overall costs and potentially unnecessary resource expenditure.