Cost Analysis Using CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution

Overview

As with any capital expenditure, the benefits provided by CiscoWorks network management products must outweigh the investment required. One way to provide evidence of these benefits is to compare the cost savings of using Cisco network management products to a traditional, manual approach. It is difficult to provide a hard and fast algorithm to calculate exact savings, because there are many variables involved, ranging from expertise of existing staff, current policies and procedures, and the level of management desired. However, it is possible to calculate an approximate value based on commonly performed network management tasks and assumptions about some fixed variables. The online Cisco Cost Analysis Tool attempts to bridge this gap by estimating cost savings based on a set of assumed parameters and variables determined by the user. This paper is a companion piece to the online Cost Analysis calculator and explains the rationale and methodology used by the tool to produce the analysis.