Binary Business

The sales person assured you. Your IT person swore it wouldn't be a problem. And yet, one year later your server is telling you that it is out of space. I have seen it far too many times. Rather that spend an extra couple hundred dollars when the server is purchased, the smaller hard drive is choosen. Both the sales person and your IT specialist repeat the mantra "You will never fill that hard drive!" Any time someone uses the words "never" or "always" you should immediately be suspicious, particularly when used in the context of Information Systems.

A weekend of relaxing with the family recharged your batteries. Refreshed and ready to go you sit down at your desk and fire up the computer. Minutes pass and all that appears on screen is a blinking cursor. Your great mood turns sour and suddenly your replenished energy dissipates into panic. With shaky fingers you dial your trusty computer specialist. The technician hears the panic in your voice and quickly assuages your fears by calmly stating, "Don't worry we can just run a data recovery and get your data back."

Read enough technology magazines and you are bound to come across the phrase "Total Cost of Ownership" or TCO. The term has become a buzzword within the technology industry and unfortunately typically used to invoke FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt). However the concept of TCO is really very simple. Aside from the cost of purchase many products that we acquire have an ongoing cost associated with their use. Total cost of ownership is a measure of these ongoing costs.