Evaluation of Objectives of Research

CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

5.2 Evaluation of Objectives of Research

In Section 1.8 the objectives of this research were outlined. These objectives will now be cross-reference with our findings to understand whether any were met. The following objectives were set and findings drawn:

• Objective: To determine all extraneous variables not already identified that will contribute to costing a Tca for a desktop environment

Findings: Variables identified were:

~ nature of job function of users,

~ end-user commitment through change-management,

~ management commitment

• Objective: To outline in detail all extraneous variables.

Findings: A number of variables were identified and used in calculation the TeO costing model of which they are:

~ the number of desktop users,

~ nature of job function of users,

~ IT support staff,

~ Training costs,

~ management of IT services to the desktop environment,

~ hardware costs,

~ software costs,

~ information security,

~ end-user commitment through change-management,

~ management commitment

• Objective: To evaluate end-user acceptability ofthin-client usage.

Findings: From the statistical analysis the majority of the thin-client users were satisfied with their thin-clients. Eighty-six percent of thin-client users expressed a minimum 'satisfactory' level of utilising thin-clients. The 86% comprised of the following categories of levels of satisfaction:

~ 10%' excellent'

~ 36% 'very good'

~ 21% 'good' and

~ 19% 'satisfactory'

This clearly suggests that over 80% of the users that had been migrated from fat- clients to thin-clients have accepted their thin-clients and are happy with operations thereof. Furthermore, based on questionnaire surveys 62% of the thin- client users opted not to move back to a fat-client environment. This concludes that the majority of thin-client users have accepted and are satisfied with their thin-clients.

• Objective: To identify the impact of training and change-management m migrating from PCs to thin-clients.

Findings: One-hundred percent of thin-client users responded that they were both communicated with and trained on thin-clients before the migration was undertaken. Thus training and change-management initiatives were put in place and executed to the satisfaction of the thin-client users which yielded a positive thin-client acceptance result.

• Objective: To construct a cost model for the TCO for both a thin-client and fat- client environment within National Ship Chandlers, based on an outsourced desktop solution.

Findings: Based on qualitative research methods of mapping the IBM DMS (Desktop Management Service) offering to Nationals Ship Chandlers and quantitative research methods of questionnaire surveys on thin-client users, a costing model was developed using the significant cost factors as outlined in Section 4.6.5. Significant cost factors attributed to both thin-client and fat-client environments included:

~ Mean-Time-To-Repair (MTTR)

~ Hardware Costs

~ WAN Costs

~ Desktop Management for Remote Control and Software Deployment

~ Citrix Licensing vs. XP Licensing on Desktops

~ Server Hardware Farm for Citrix Servers vs. Distributed Servers

~ Server Admin and Management for each of the environments

~ Antivirus for fat-clients vs. Server-side for thin-clients

~ Software Upgrades per Annum. Based on number of fat-client workstation visits

~ Training implications for each environment

~ Number of helpdesk calls for each environment based on questionnaire survey

~ Security of Data - Costs to this cannot be easily quantified.

There are other soft, people-issues that also contribute to user acceptance and ultimately the TCO for each of the environments which cannot be measured but management have to take cognisance of. Motivation, change-management, open communique between users and management and the impact of morale with respect to utilising the system with flexibly, without comprising security (access to computer games) are some ofthe soft, people-issues identified.

• Objective: To evaluate and contrast the cost structures against each other.

Findings: To facilitate this evaluation a hypothesis (HI) was defined together with a null-hypothesis (Ho) and tested against the results of the data analysis.

Costs were calculated with projections over a 36 month period.

Hypothesis HI: The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a Thin-client (TC) IS lowerlless than the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a Fat-client (FC) in an outsourced desktop environment.

THIN-CLIENTS: TCO_TC FAT-CLIENTS: TCO_FC

=

=

R 55,166.85 per month for 36 months R 72,275.77 per month for 36 months R 55,166.85 < R 72,275.77

Conclusions were that a monthly saving of RI7,108.91 could be realised through implementation of thin-client technologies over fat-client technologies at the defined

research environment.

Therefore: TCO_TC

<

TCO_FC AND HI IS TRUE

• Objective: To provide recommendations for strategic direction into the future for National Ship Chandler's desktop environment.

Findings: It is recommended that National Ship Chandlers outsourced their thin- client desktop environment on a thin-client platform as the hypothesis Ho proves true i.e., the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of thin-clients is less than the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of fat-clients in an outsourced desktop environment.

The organisation can envisage an approximate savmg of 23% per annum by implementing a thin-client desktop platform over a fat-client platform.

It is an imperative to note that thin-clients are NOT a panacea for the desktop platform in organisations today but yield a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) depending on the organisational dynamics, management and users of the technology.