Calculator
Hardware refresh planner
Plan a rolling device refresh cycle: how many devices are due this year, a three-year budget profile, and the annualised cost of ageing hardware.
Written by the 247connect Marketing Team
Enter your fleet profile
Extra annual support cost for a device kept past its target refresh age.
Devices due this year
45
Annualised cost
£35,000
Replacement cost spread across the cycle, plus rising support cost.
Year 1 budget
£31,500
Rising support overhead / year
£0
- Year 1: 31500£
- Year 2: 35000£
- Year 3: 35000£
How the maths works
Assuming device ages are spread evenly, dividing fleet size by the target refresh cycle in years estimates how many devices reach refresh age in a typical year. If your average fleet age is already at or beyond the target cycle, the planner assumes a heavier first year to reflect a backlog. Multiplying devices due by device cost gives the budget for each year. Devices older than the cycle length are treated as ageing stock and attract the rising support cost you entered, added as an annual overhead. Annualised cost is the full fleet replacement cost spread evenly across the refresh cycle, plus that support overhead.
Worked example
A fleet of 200 devices with an average age of 3 years, a 4-year target refresh cycle, an average device cost of £700, and a rising support cost of £60 a year for devices kept past their target age.
| Fleet size | 200 devices |
|---|---|
| Average age | 3 years |
| Target refresh cycle | 4 years |
| Average device cost | £700 |
| Devices per year (200 ÷ 4) | 50 |
| Devices due this year | 45 (below cycle age, lighter year) |
| Year 1 budget | £31,500 |
| Rising support overhead | £3,000/year |
| Annualised cost | £38,000 |
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These example figures are illustrative only. Use your own fleet data in the calculator above.
Frequently asked questions
- How is 'devices due this year' calculated?
- It assumes device ages are spread evenly across your fleet, so it divides the fleet by the refresh cycle length in years to estimate how many devices reach that age in a typical year.
- What is rising support cost per ageing device for?
- Older devices tend to need more support time and break more often. This field adds an escalating cost for devices kept past their target refresh age, so the model reflects the real cost of delaying a refresh, not just the purchase price.
- Why show a three-year budget profile instead of one number?
- Refresh spend is rarely flat: a fleet with an uneven age profile can have a heavier year followed by lighter ones. Seeing three years at once helps you plan procurement budgets rather than being surprised by one large year.
- What if my fleet age is not evenly spread?
- This model assumes an even spread as a starting estimate. If you know your fleet was bought in one or two large batches, treat the output as a rough guide and check actual purchase dates for a more accurate profile.
- Does annualised cost include support cost or just hardware?
- It includes both: the device replacement cost spread across the refresh cycle, plus the ongoing rising support cost applied per year of the cycle, based on the inputs you provide.
Managing ageing devices remotely
While a refresh budget is being planned, ageing devices still need supporting. 247connect gives you unattended access to managed devices for patching, diagnostics and remote fixes, which can reduce the support burden reflected in the rising support cost figure above, with unlimited operators on fixed pricing.