Windows 'TCO' Concerns

Dennis Faas's picture

In the business world there is a 'thing' known as the Total Cost of Operation (TCO).

In short, TCO is the sum of the initial cost for software, cost of the system required to run it, user training, and in-house support services when things go wrong. It can be expensive for a business to bring in a new release of software.

For example: to purchase, install, operate, and support one copy of Microsoft Windows is expensive. But now that Microsoft seems bent on selling "software as service," the annual licensing fees are a more serious consideration than the old one-time fees used to be.

In fact, you now have to compare the price of "renting" Microsoft software to "buying" open source. Paying the rental fee for one year might be acceptable -- but don't forget to calculate the amount of money spent during the next five years.

Will there be 'software rental' charges levied as there are with commercial users? It appears to be a real possibility in the near future.

In that case: how do we limit 'our TCO'?

One possibility would be to cut costs involved in running our computers from the get-go. For example: you might choose to operate an Apple PC, rather than an IBM compatible (which runs MS Windows).

Deciding to go with an Apple could be a reasonable answer. Apple computers are easy to operate and have plenty of great software programs that are reliable.

However, if you already have a PC, you do not need the expense of buying a new system. All you really need is the software and there are many possibilities in that arena, believe me.

So how DO you limit your TCO? All I can say, at this point, is to keep reading and watching. We will do our best to give you some ideas!

Have Fun!

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