• Software license purchase costs
• Hardware and software implementation / deployment costs
• Warranties and maintenance costs
• Software license tracking costs
• Operations infrastructure costs
• Infrastructure (floor space) costs
• Cost for electricity and cooling
• Network hardware and software costs
• Server hardware and software costs
• Testing costs
• Cost to build-in scalability
• IT personnel costs
• "C-level" management time costs
• Backup and recovery process costs
• Costs associated with failure or outage
• Diminished performance incidents (i.e. users having to wait)
• Costs of security breaches (in loss of reputation and recovery costs)
• Technology training costs of users and IT staff.
• Audit costs
• Insurance costs
• Replacement costs
• Tea, coffee and biscuits (Bourbon creams, mostly)
• Migration costs
• Decommissioning costs

The average cost of ownership of a desktop computer system in an IT-efficient, US organisation is around $4100¹ per year on an ongoing basis. UK costs are similar.

Compare this to an initial cost of $1000 or less (at bulk-purchase rates). The hardware represents such a small proportion of the costs that, in large, technology-driven US companies, PCs are often written off after one year and not depreciated further.

TCO—ongoing cost in particular—is so important that many large companies employ expensive consultants to manage and control it specifically. Teknocraft offers this expertise to you as an included part of our overall service.

¹2007 calculations: see this Microsoft white paper. Costs averaged between XP and Vista.

1. Desktop PCs and laptops often lose up to 50% of their performance over time, because of poor software maintenance and bad usage habits. It's unproductive, wasteful and frustrating for users.
2. Old systems are often electrically inefficient (as well as slow and noisy), increasing energy bills.
3. Staff frustration with their computers contributes directly to loss of productivity.
   It's a vicious circle that affects mental and physical well-being.
4. PC crashes DO mean lost work. Lack of a proven backup-recovery system WILL waste time and money.
5. Losing Internet access (because of a cheap service provider) can stop a busy office dead in its tracks.
   There's often no compensation, and recovering from the event usually takes longer than expected.
6. If emails are not delivered promptly or incorrectly classified as spam, deadlines get missed.
   Client relationships and income suffer. Sometimes it's terminal.
7. Inadequate firewalls mean company time is used for personal pursuits on the Internet, rather than work.