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A Microsoft OCS configuration also requires one or more servers for each Exchange and OCS role. Also needed: several AD servers, a suitable PBX, and/or a media gateway. Each OCS and Exchange server role requires one or more physical servers; sharing of roles is not supported. Each telephony user requires a phone. To get the best out of an investment in UC, this should be a VoIP phone. We allocate an additional capital amount for repairs and spare parts.

The TCO model accounts for the number of administrators and support staff required to support the UC system. Roles are often shared, with employees having responsibilities in addition to UC. It is usually helpful to think in terms of “full-time equivalents” (FTEs) dedicated to UC. An FTE is a notional staff member—“one FTE” may in fact represent two or more people who share the UC responsibility.

The TCO model takes as an input parameter the number of FTE administration/support staff members. This figure varies, particularly by number of users and the complexity of the network.

As with most TCO analyses, the main costs are software, hardware, and the people to install and run the systems. Costs are modeled as one-off capital expenditures or annual costs. Capital expenditure is amortized over a three-year period (although the reader can change this to suit the organization’s accounting practices).