| Tom Franken |
Network Management Model |
Accountability |
Network Management Model Availability Security Recoverability Usability Documentation Accountability Performance Web Site Links |
Who is using the network and are they paying a fair share? Accountability comes from the days of mainframes and has been overlooked in many of today's PC-based networks. In the days of mainframes, users typically "rented" time on the computer. Accurate records allowed the IT department to bill users. With a server-centric network, the apparent cost of using the network is nothing more than the cost of paper used to print. This ignores the ongoing cost of supporting the infrastructure and servers required by the users. The often-quoted figure for the cost of PC is $30,000 for three years; a laptop is $45,000 for three years. (I have not been able to verify these.) Departments are sometimes billed for the individual computers used in the department, but rarely for the support costs. At first glance, it seems like a waste of time to track usage and bill individual users for their time on the system. However, by holding managers accountable for expenses related to the network, you will raise the awareness of the expense. Then, managers can choose to control that expense to the extent it is appropriate for the business. Each dollar saved from expenses translates directly into an additional dollar of net income.
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