Overview:
The Reasons for Business Class PCs
When you make a PC purchasing decision, it’s important to realize
that the "consumer line" vs. the "business class" machine is
very different.
Consumer product is built with any number of components that can
change from one order to the next. You can even receive computers in the
same order that were built with different components, potentially
requiring different drivers and hardware for each system. The result is
that the knowledge, tools, and support for each machine must be
different. The vendor may not support a certain component, or provide
cross-platform drivers, for any future upgrades. The consumer must be
prepared to either a) never upgrade or change the original
operating system (OS) for the life of the computer, b) not expect
any technical support if you upgrade/change the OS or, c) accept the
fact that to get any support if you’ve changed the operating system,
the system will have to be backed up, wiped clean (reformatted),
and “rebuilt” with its original OS. This takes time – time that
the end user loses from productivity (can’t use email, can’t create
those documents, can’t balance budget accounts) and the time required
by the support staff to complete the rebuild just to get support.
Business Class systems are designed to be “supportable” by you
and the vendor for a much longer period of time.
- Components and Drivers - These systems are engineered with
a standard set of components that do not change for long periods of
time. The components have drivers that are cross-platform, meaning
that if you upgrade or change the system you’ll have better
success. Vendors who offer business class systems are aware of the
need to provide drivers that are backwards compatible. For instance,
if you have an “older” business class system, the vendor is
careful to develop and provide new software for the older components
that will make them work with new OS's.
- Application Requirements – Because of the attention to
engineering, components, and drivers, the enterprise can exercise
more flexibility in upgrades and support to enable the department to
grow with the software requirements of business applications. Need a
bigger hard drive or more memory to run a required application? This
shouldn’t negate the support you’d receive for your system, and
with a business class machine it doesn’t.
- Business Environment - These systems are specifically
designed for the business and networked environment like what we
have at the university. They are easy to configure, are compatible,
and have been extensively tested.
- Total Cost of Ownership - Longer life cycles and lowered
costs of ownership are achieved through consistency and
compatibility of the product. Longer term support potential exists
between the vendor and the customer. Support costs decrease because
less time is needed to maintain and upgrade these systems.
