When Autodesk was exclusively a desktop software provider, we had a fixed cost of goods associated with our offerings. It was basically a set of CDs or DVDs, a printed user manual, and some packaging. Now that we also offer cloud-based services, we have more variable costs. For example, we rent servers from Amazon Web Services as customer demand increases or lowers the number of servers that are needed to run our cloud-based services. With this in mind, we have a more explicit interest in Information Technology (IT). An It's Alive in the Lab reader, Chris Petrov, recently shared a "Global IT Economics" infographic with me. I found it fascinating, so I thought I would share it with other readers.
Click on the image below to see the infographic in all its glory:
For more information about the financials associated with the cloud, see Alex Landis: The Evolution of Cloud Financial Management.
Costs associated with Information technology are alive in the lab.