The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculator, which is freely accessible, has been designed to highlight the key role of quality development tools in embedded engineering.
The TCO computation encompasses factors such as tool specifics, team size, project complexity, and organisational goals and looks to facilitate informed decisions about tool selection and maintenance, which is crucial for managing TCO effectively in embedded software tools.
Free tools often carry hidden costs, which are manifested in increased system administration and integration time, lack of formal support leading to extensive troubleshooting, and additional training needs. Moreover, when these tools fall short in functionality, unexpected expenses can accumulate, further intensified by the lack of clear technical roadmaps and inconsistent community support.
“As a developer, I can attest to the significant impact of high-quality development tools,” said Bill Lamie, Founder and CEO at PX5 RTOS and previously CEO/Co-Founder, of Express Logic/Microsoft Azure RTOS.
According to IAR, its suite of commercial development solutions presents a strong case for cost-saving through reduced administrative overhead, lower training and support expenses, and enhanced user productivity.
By enabling personalised scenarios and simulations to compare IAR solutions with free tools, companies will be able to gain valuable insights into cost efficiency and long-term economic benefits.
“Free tools may seem like a good idea, but they often result in higher long-term costs due to inefficiencies and the need for additional resources to compensate for their limitations,” said Anders Holmberg, CTO at IAR. “It's counterintuitive for companies to invest heavily in engineering talent while economising on tools. Premium commercial solutions, though initially costlier, represent a modest investment for the substantial productivity and innovation benefits they offer. The true cost is in the lost opportunities and inefficiencies from using inferior, free alternatives.”
