In this follow-up study entitled Are Some RISC-Based Clusters Easier to Manage Than Others?, TechWise Research probed into the area of cluster management cost to better understand the differences between HP and IBM and the possible reasons why HP has an advantage over IBM in this area. A key finding from this study is the overall importance of cluster management costs. Regardless of brand, management costs far exceed the initial purchase price of entry-level clusters over a three-year period. Given the continuing battle IT professionals face to manage limited resources, cluster brands that have lower management hours will not only free up limited IT resources, but also impact the bottom line.