Unisys Consulting Practice to Help Customers Manage Total Cost of Ownership in Distributed Networks

Business Wire, May 4, 1999

BLUE BELL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 4, 1999--

With IT organizations under increasing pressure to control escalating costs of distributed computing environments, Unisys Corporation today enhanced its Network and Desktop Consulting Practice with a consulting service dedicated to total cost of ownership (TCO) issues.

The Unisys Cost of Ownership Consulting solution is designed to help clients understand and more effectively managing their IT environments.

Based on a three-phased consulting methodology, the Unisys TCO Consulting solution measures an organization's existing cost of ownership, then benchmarks it against those of similar organizations and provides a customized roadmap to contain and manage the cost of ownership.

Leveraging Unisys proven expertise in the design, deployment and support of business-critical distributed computing environments, the solution systematically applies "best practices" and service solutions tailored to meet the client's unique business requirements.

Phased Methodology Emphasizes Business Objectives

The primary phase employed by Unisys in TCO consulting is the Assessment Phase, in which information is gathered regarding the client's environment and business objectives.

A thorough inventory of all hardware and software components associated with the direct costs of a distributed computing environment - including PCs, servers, mobile computing devices, network devices (routers, switches, hubs, CSU/DSUs), network and desktop operating systems and all applications.

Additional information is obtained regarding indirect costs of the IT environment, including informal peer-support costs and downtime.

The information obtained in the Assessment Phase, along with information pertaining to the client's business and geographic location, is entered into the Gartner Group TCOManager application for analysis by Unisys consultants.

Armed with the information obtained during Assessment, Unisys consultants can compare the client's current cost of ownership in their respective industry and geographic location(s) with that of companies in similar industries and locales.

During this Benchmarking Phase, the client information is compared to that in a series of databases containing cost of ownership data on over 200 clients in 300 locations.

The detailed cost-of-ownership summaries and comparative data, coupled with Unisys own extensive experience, provide the client with a clearer understanding of the true costs and the potential savings opportunities. The accurate measurement and benchmarking of TCO is a critical step in communicating the true cost of distributed computing environments to business management.

Based on the knowledge accumulated during the Assessment and Benchmarking

Phases, Unisys beings the Recommendation and Implementation Phase, providing the client with informed recommendations on how to maintain and improve cost of ownership.

These recommendations often include systematically implemented best practices including Asset Management, Standardization and implementation of new technologies - all geared toward improving TCO. In applicable cases, additional best practices can include outsourcing various IT functions including help desk, network desktop maintenance, and network and systems management.

"Ultimately, the mission of an enterprise's information technology organization is to deliver and maintain an efficient, effective network infrastructure," said Gerry Gagliardi, president of Unisys Global Customer Services.

"TCO consulting is a powerful tool for identifying ways to manage this infrastructure better. By accurately measuring and benchmarking an organization's TCO and then using this information to draw informed recommendations for improving it, Unisys Cost of Ownership Consulting represents a critical link in the value chain of IT economics."

The Cost of Ownership Consulting Solution is an offering of Unisys Network and Desktop Consulting Practice, which leverages Unisys expertise in distributed computing support services to provide a consistent, structured approach to the effective design, implementation, integration and support of an organization's technology needs.

The practice currently includes over 350 dedicated consultants with access to 15,000 additional Unisys post-implementation specialists. In addition to Unisys certifications, Unisys Network and Desktop Consulting Practice professionals hold certifications from Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Novell, Dell, Toshiba, Compaq, Bay Networks, Remedy, and other vendors.

About the Company

Unisys is more than 33,000 employees helping customers in 100 countries apply information technology to solve their business problems.

Unisys solutions are based on a broad portfolio of global information services including electronic business, systems integration including custom and "repeatable" application solutions, outsourcing, Microsoft Windows NT services, network services, and multivendor maintenance and support, coupled with enterprise-class servers and associated middleware, software and storage.