A recent survey by the Gartner Group estimates that the cost per computer to upgrade to Windows 95 will be between $250 (best case) and $750 (worst case). The primary difference between the best-case and worst-case scenarios is in the amount of advance planning and the level of automation of the installation. From the results, it's clear that time spent on planning pays off.
According to Gartner Group estimates, using Systems Management Server could affect the time required for installation, technical support, and administrative tasks, moving all of them toward the "Best Case" column shown in the following table.
Task | Best Case (hours per computer) | Worst Case(hours per computer) |
Installation | ||
Technician travel time | 0.10 | 0.50 |
Backing up hard disk | 0.10 | 0.75 |
Hard disk housekeeping | 0.20 | 1.00 |
Installation of Windows 95 | 0.20 | 1.00 |
Testing of new configuration | 0.10 | 0.50 |
Technical Support | ||
Help desk calls | 0.17 | 0.50 |
Tier-2 support calls | 0.33 | 0.67 |
Peer-support calls | 0.17 | 0.33 |
User disruption | 1.00 | 2.00 |
Administrative tasks | ||
Filling out forms | 0.00 | 0.50 |
Updating inventory system | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Total time for all tasks | 2.37 | 8.75 |
Hours saved per computer | 6.38 | |
Source: Gartner Group |
Your actual savings would depend on the number of computers you are upgrading and the price you pay for labor.