Workstation TCO / Explainer
The workstation decision beyond the purchase price
Compare the complete project decision, including the hardware you would keep.
Start with the actual project
Write down how many people need capacity, when they need it and how long the need may last. A permanent workstation and a temporary project requirement should not automatically be compared over the same period.
Distinguish cash outlay from ownership cost
Cash outlay records when a purchase is paid for. Annualized ownership spreads the purchase over a useful life. Both can inform a decision, but they answer different questions and should not be mixed into a single savings claim.
Keep the local baseline honest
Include only relevant hardware, maintenance, electricity, storage and replacement costs. Retained laptops and useful existing workstations do not vanish from the budget when remote capacity is considered. Consider the remaining value of purchased equipment.
Build the complete remote estimate
Ask about profile, usage, access terms, persistent storage, transfer, recovery, setup, support, endpoint changes and application licensing. Check minimums, currency, taxes and exclusions. Do not assume idle compute removes every recurring cost.
Test the assumptions
Change project duration, user count and actual hours. A regularly used local workstation can be economical to keep. Remote capacity may still be worth evaluating for temporary staff or access needs, without being universally cheaper.
Use the planning tool in its proper scope
The website calculator retains a multi-year ownership comparison with editable assumptions. Its managed monthly estimate must come from you; a missing estimate is not treated as free capacity. A scoped temporary-project proposal requires a separate review.