Today's small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) require a great deal of personal productivity and computing power to maximize employee productivity. But the total price of that computing power is much more than just the cost of acquisition. In fact, a complete total cost of ownership (TCO) model looks at all direct and indirect costs associated with the desktop. This includes not just the outright, upfront costs of the hardware itself, but also user training, maintenance and support costs, and the expenses associated with keeping machines compatible with others on networks and in a computing infrastructure.
Standardizing desktop hardware, software, and configurations can help you manage the costs of ownership for your desktop systems. While this approach may mean spending somewhat more up front on new systems, it can help save money in numerous ways through the remaining life of the equipment you buy. For one thing, standardization supports standard deployment, updating, and troubleshooting procedures; no "one of a kind" or "one at a time" approaches are necessary. Standardization also means employees can switch from one desktop to another easily and simply. Finally, standardization makes installation, repair, and maintenance easier, faster, and less expensive.
This How-To Guide will cover the basic terminology and concepts behind the TCO concept, explain the cost components that go into computing TCO, and explain why and how desktop hardware standardization confers TCO advantages and control. The sections of the guide include:
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