When looking at the operating costs for PCs when used for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) the Hewlett-Packard company has some warnings. In a paper they released earlier this year they explain that you should watch out for those yearly operating costs.
"...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."
It looks like this white paper was originally written to justify spending a little more on a PC up-front by explaining how it can reduce your long term operating cost (TCO, or Total Cost of Ownership). One of the strategies they push is the idea of creating a standard desktop for every PC user, or for groups of PC users. If you can achieve this (and force your users to leave this desktop alone), they show that you can cut your maintenance costs.
However we see it somewhat differently. Rather than spend all that money purchasing and maintaining PCs, why not just buy Thin Clients?
Here is what they say about life-cycle cost:
"The costs involved after purchase -- as is the case for most life-cycle models -- normally exceed initial acquisition costs several times over during the useful life of computing hardware. Though SMBs are invariably sensitive to upfront costs, the real money is spent after the hardware arrives on the scene."
Another potential pitfall is purchasing a PC that will become obsolete once a more demanding software application is installed. Look ahead as much as a year before picking a PC platform to make sure it will support any new software:
"Above and beyond determining how your desktops will be used when they're first deployed, you must consider carefully any changes or enhancements you plan to make for your users in the near term. Set your time horizon between a few months and next year. If you're planning to introduce new end-user applications or software, or to upgrade existing programs or capabilities, it's vital to 'buy ahead' to support those plans. Then, you can implement those planned upgrades or changes without having to revise your desktop standards to accommodate increased desktop processing or data handling needs."
Editor's note: If you have 200 PCs and new software won't run on them, you replace 200 PCs. If you have 200 Thin Clients running on 4 Servers, you simply add a few more servers.
When compiling the PC specs, one of the unknowns is the amount of storage each PC will need. Interestingly, HP at this point suggests that you "guess":
"How much data your users must currently handle locally, and how that data grows over the useful life of your desktop deployment, will determine how much storage space your users will need. Sometimes, a bit of inspired guessing is required to quantify how much space you need right now, and how much more you'll need in the future."
But don't worry. They explain that you won't need to guess to far in the future. After all, they say, you only need:
"...to calculate how much additional storage they'll need over the 24- to 36-month period that's typical for a desktop life cycle..."
So when you replace all your PCs in 2 or 3 years you can pick out new specs then!
ACP thinks there is a better way. Moving to a Thin Client solution automatically saves you a fortune in long term operating costs. Give us a call and let us show you how.
While you can find the original HP paper all over the Internet, most places you will have to register to read the full 9 pages. Here is one such location:
For more information on ACP Industrial Thin Client computers, please visit our web site at http://www.thinmanager.com
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