2.6. Formulating a Cost/Benefit Analysis

Perhaps the most difficult part of the decision to migrate is determining the cost of the migration. For organizations that perceive messaging to be a business-critical component, the real question is not, "How much does it cost us to migrate?" but, "How much will it cost us (in terms of lost functionality and lack of capability) not to migrate?"

Tools are available to help an organization determine the overall cost of operation for their messaging infrastructure. For example, organizations such as Gartner, Andersen Consulting, and Deloitte Consulting often evaluate the costs of operation for a given system by performing an audit.