Patent ID: 8572003

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of collecting data used in assessing total cost of owning enterprise computing systems, the method comprising: distributing via a network adapter, to a first enterprise computing system, a first electronic data file that identifies, for use by a data extraction tool comprising pre-configured software content, predefined data source fields within the first enterprising computing system that specify predefined costs included in a predefined cost model, the predefined costs to be included in an analysis of a total cost of owning the first enterprise computing system; receiving via the network adapter, from the first enterprise computing system, first cost information based on data automatically extracted from the predefined data source fields of the first enterprise computing system by the data extraction tool using the distributed first electronic data file, wherein the first cost information is structured based on the predefined cost model; distributing via the network adapter, to a second enterprise computing system, a second electronic data file that identifies, for use by the data extraction tool, second predefined data source fields within the second enterprising computing system that specify the predefined costs included in the predefined cost model, at least one of the second predefined data source fields specifying a particular predefined cost being different from a predefined data source field of the first enterprise computing system specifying the particular predefined cost, and the predefined costs to be included in an analysis of a total cost of owning the second enterprise computing system; receiving via the network adapter, from the second enterprise computing system, second cost information based on data automatically extracted from the second predefined data source fields of the second enterprise computing system by the data extraction tool using the distributed second electronic data file, wherein the second cost information is structured based on the predefined cost model; using the received first and second cost information to determine, by a processor, benchmark total cost of ownership cost information that is structured based on the predefined cost model; and storing the determined benchmark total cost of ownership cost information in a storage device.