The TCO Checklist: Cost Factors to Consider in Buying and Running a Messaging System
·Desktop/laptop inventories to determine hardware/software/network connectivity and bandwidth needed

·Desktop and laptop hardware/software/network connectivity and bandwidth upgrades (including labor)

·Application migration for the client

·Messaging client cost

·Pro-rated share of the desktop/laptop used for messaging

·User rollout support (extra staffing)

·Transportation, travel, shipping or network bandwidth rollout expenses

·Helpdesk user rollout support ( 5 percent additional staffing versus lost productivity with user-to-user support)

·Desktop and remote end-user training

·Helpdesk training

·Power-user training

·Lost productivity/revenue during rollout

·Client security hardware and software

·Incremental cost for remote user testing, training, unique issues

·Distribution and management software

·Maintenance and support contracts/upgrades

Server:

Migration Plan Development

·Assessment of existing administrative staffing versus future staffing (centralization issues)

·Server hardware/software (including temporary servers, database, application, capacity, utility servers)

·Added charges for clustering/high-reliability systems acquisition

·Network infrastructure, including routers

·Message switch hardware/software/administration and support

·Internal, external gateways and synchronization hardware/software/administration and support

·Facility preparation/power/heating, cooling

·Administrator/rollout staff training

·Administrator/rollout staffing

·Maintenance and support contracts/upgrades

Consulting

·Postal, network, airline and other transportation fees

·Migration tools/utilities (legacy post offices, address lists, directories) versus clean slate

·Planning and executing pilot

·Applications development/conversion

·Immediate additional bandwidth requirements

·Directory clean-up in preparation for rollout

·Software for application distribution

·Server security hardware/software

·Messaging management tools

·Internal billing for e-mail utilization among business units

·Costs for maintaining existing messaging system alongside new one (timing of migration)

·Effect of pending mergers and acquisitions

·International telecom price/deployment study (export restrictions, reliability and cost issues)

·Decommissioning/recommissioning of hardware

Factors to Consider in Messaging TCO Ongoing Costs

Client:

·New end-user and refresher training

·IS end-user support

·Helpdesk training and end-user support

·Revenue/productivity downtime loss

·Maintenance contracts hardware/software

·Increased bandwidth projections and budget

·Remote-access transmission costs

·Applications to be used or restricted bandwidth/server capacity

·Restrictions on message/mailbox size

·Client software upgrades

·Client hardware memory/disk upgrades

Server:

·Availability/purchase of off-the-shelf applications software

·Potential for freely bundled software in messaging upgrades

·Ongoing administrator training

·Management and directory tools purchase and administration

·Hardware depreciation/load variables (servers, gateways, routers, message switches)

·Server software upgrades/license

·Revenue/productivity downtime loss

·Maintenance contracts hardware and software

·Server management software

·Server/gateway/message switch support/management (directory maintenance, management and synchronization, gateway/message switch management, monitoring, backup)

·Facilities (power, heating, etc.)

·Server consolidation versus downtime revenue loss versus telecom expense versus network reliability

·Policies regarding the growth of public folders

·Policies regarding message size, mailbox size

·Server response time requirements

·Directory and management product granularity

·Downtime losses versus added cost for clustered servers

·Trade-offs in client memory and server backup

·IS server support and management