Understanding that computers have an initial cost or limited time lease cost, TCO studies show that holding on to desktop/laptop computers, servers, and storage and devices for too long becomes more expensive than their replacement costs. Considerations include maintaining old operating systems, network integration of several operating systems, driver incompatibilities and maintenance costs. One consideration is leasing computers with the lease schedule aligned to the district's refresh cycle. Leasing is also an alternative to deferred purchases as a result of capital budget cuts.
Intel White Paper - Using TCO to Determine PC Upgrade Cycles
When do rising support costs eclipse the savings from making the PC purchase last as long as possible? At Intel, we’ve developed a comprehensive methodology, based on total cost of ownership (TCO), that lets us calculate the real cost of operating more than 90,000 PCs. Using it, we can understand the real cost of deploying and maintaining PCs across varying time horizons.
John Mahvi, Intel Corporation
Avi Zarfaty, Intel Corporation
Info-Tech - The Creaping Costs of Old Datacenter Equipment
A report available for CoSN members:
Holding onto old equipment in the data center may appear to reduce IT spend, but can actually cost more in the long run. While there may be a gradual accumulation of costs associated with maintaining older systems, these costs can add up to a significant amount over time. Identify costs associated with old equipment in the data center, such as servers and HVACs, to help make the case for replacement.