total cost of ownership (n)~ Specifically the cost of owning operating and maintaining a single PC; more generally the cost to businesses and organizations of setting up and maintaining complex and far-reaching networked computer systems. Total cost of ownership includes the up-front costs of hardware and software added to later costs of installation personnel training technical support upgrades and repairs. Industry initiatives designed to lower the total cost of ownership include centralized network management and administration as well as hardware solutions in the form of network- based computers with or without local storage and expansion capability.