White Paper: The Magic Of TCO

When going out to purchase new mobile computers, most businesses may be tempted to base buying decisions solely on a product's purchase price. But because the purchase price does not refl ect the real cost of the unit, this could turn out to be a costly mistake. To truly evaluate what a product costs, we need to look at the cost over the life of the product. This is known as the product's total cost of ownership (TCO).

Even if we do not know the term TCO, we often apply it in other areas of our life. When we are buying a new car, most buyers will do at least some research to fi nd out about the vehicle's repair record. A cheaper car that spends half the time in the repair shop is no bargain.

The same concept applies with mobile computers. Computers taken outside of a safe office environment are going to be subjected to a lot of rough treatment. Drops, vibration, water, dust and extreme temperatures are only some of the conditions a computer may face in the fi eld. It seems logical that you would not take a delicate piece of electronic equipment into a rough environment, but that is what happens more often that you would think.