As Ginny noted, when you evaluate the costs of any service, you have to
take a "Total Cost" basis. So that means you better know your base
numbers each year for every component of the deal. A lot of bean
counters see a low ball storage number and equate it to rent and assume
that the number is all-inclusive. That Total Cost also has to factor in
future migration costs. Just like any technology purchase, records
storage has to look at the cost to transition out at some future point
in time. Again, bean counters seldom factor that in.

When carpetbaggers show up and start pronouncing that you're
overspending, make sure that they are calculating a Total Cost
equation. Make sure that they also have their fees at risk if you don't
realize the savings in the future. A lot of these sorts of folks will
have your bean counters pay them based upon year one savings. They
never look at years four and five or at the next contract that you have
to sign with the vendor they locked you into.

Patrick Cunningham, CRM

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