{"id":7572,"date":"2017-09-24T08:00:49","date_gmt":"2017-09-24T14:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jumpcloud.com\/blog\/?p=7572"},"modified":"2024-08-15T12:18:31","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T16:18:31","slug":"how-much-to-budget-for-active-directory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/how-much-to-budget-for-active-directory","title":{"rendered":"How much to budget for Active Directory\u00ae"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Owning various pieces of software and infrastructure is not unlike the proverbial iceberg. You have a sticker price that can sit at the top, but then when you dig into it or once you start implementing said pieces of software, directories included, everything below the surface starts to creep in. Often times the cost you had predicted when you implemented the software, ends up not covering the full cost needed over time. This makes it incredibly difficult to know how much to budget for IT investments.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let’s start by talking about the top level pricing that is often used when modeling out the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of Active Directory\u00ae.<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top Level Active Directory Pricing<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Microsoft<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Above the surface, the only real obvious cost we have is the CAL (Client Access License) costs. The price range for this is widely variant and many times depends on your organization, your purchasing power, and where you’re buying these Client Access Licenses through (either direct from Microsoft or from some other volume discount oriented program).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a perfect world, that would be it. You would have your Windows server and the licenses for it, and you would be able to connect the Windows endpoints easily with no associated costs. Unfortunately, this isn\u2019t true. Let\u2019s talk about the additional costs of Active Directory below the surface, so that you can really build out an accurate budget. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional Costs<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Let\u2019s dive deeper into your directory infrastructure and take a look at some of the costs you may or may not be factoring in. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the quick run-down of some of the additional expenses for AD:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n