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2.6The Coverage vs Cost Tradeoff
| Approach | Devices | Annual Cost (Cloud Farm) | Coverage | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimal (Tier 1 only) | 3-5 | $5K-10K | 50-60% | Low |
| Balanced (Tier 1+2) | 8-15 | $15K-30K | 80-90% | Medium |
| Comprehensive (All tiers) | 20-30 | $30K-60K | 95%+ | High |
| Exhaustive | 50+ | $100K+ | 99%+ | Very high |
The balanced approach is the sweet spot for most teams. Moving from 90% to 95% coverage roughly doubles cost and maintenance effort. Moving from 95% to 99% doubles it again. Make this tradeoff consciously based on your risk tolerance and user impact.