Declining hardware and software costs have an impact on total cost of ownership (TCO), but how desktop PCs are managed remains the most critical factor in reducing TCO.   This Gartner article illustrates how a locked and well-managed desktop PC can cost 43% less to keep than a unmanaged one,  how  by reducing the number of applications installed locally on a PC reduces the amount of support required, and how a higher management level for desktops can achieve lower TCO and improved user productivity.