Purchase price alone is not an accurate measure as to the true costs of a system. When evaluating the products offered by different vendors, the purchaser should take into consideration: purchase cost of equipment and software; cost of installing the infrastructure including data cable and mains power outlet and power cables; cost of installation; cost of maintenance; cost of energy used over the projected life of the system; cost of disposal at the end of the products life cycle. It is only after costs associated with all of the above have been determined that the true cost of a system can be arrived at.
