Calculating cloud total cost of ownership (TCO) should be an easy sell to management. In fact, it would be difficult to sell the idea of not determining TCO. Cloud TCO doesn’t guarantee success for a cloud migration, but it does give cloud projects a far better chance of succeeding, because it informs smart cloud decisions and prepares companies for the many details of implementing and managing a cloud environment. A thorough understanding of cloud TCO makes it easier to select the right vendor, budget for the long term, identify cost reductions or unexpected increases and understand the ongoing value of cloud investments.