Have you ever compared third-party support for your storage and networking hardware with what the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) can offer? Did you know that third-party maintenance vendors can provide the same level of support for all your hardware as the OEM and can offer other advantages such as significant savings, availability, and expertise?

1. In the world of post-warranty support, the term end-of-life doesn’t
really exist - especially not in the way that the OEM will suggest it does.
When a system goes EOL in the OEM world, that doesn’t mean that
replacement parts cease to exist. Independent support providers have
access to a wide network and inventory of replacement parts, and keep
stock of all critical parts for systems they maintain, so that a part can be
replaced immediately when necessary.
THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT VENDORS
CAN’T ACCESS THE NECESSARY PARTS
OR ONLY HAVE ACCESS TO
LOW-QUALITY PARTS
Once equipment is deemed EOL by the manufacturer, critical OS or
firmware patches are few and far between. The equipment’s firmware
and OS are stable at the point, so third-party maintenance vendors can
fully support your EOL equipment at that post-warranty level. So, when
you don’t have to worry about OS and firmware updates from the OEM,
supporting legacy equipment through a third-party maintenance
provider is a cost-effective alternative with the same peace of mind.
OS & FIRMWARE PATCHES ARE CRITICAL
TO EOL EQUIPMENT SUPPORT
THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT
FICTION
FACT or FICTION
Have you ever compared third-party support for your storage and
networking hardware with what the original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) can offer? Did you know that third-party
maintenance vendors can provide the same level of support for all
your hardware as the OEM and can offer other advantages such as
significant savings, availability, and expertise?
If you’re ready to make the switch to third-party support for your
storage infrastructure, don’t forget these QUICK TIPS:
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT
THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT?
OEM engineers aren’t the only experts on their equipment. High-quality
third-party support providers will have engineers that are fully trained
on OEM equipment with the same certifications and qualifications that
the manufacturers’ engineers have. In fact, many third-party engineers
have prior experience working at an OEM and often have certifications
from more than one manufacturer.
THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT ENGINEERS ARE
LESS SKILLED THAN OEM ENGINEERS
When evaluating potential
support providers, don’t forget to
ask about certifications across
multiple vendors. You want to
make sure that the engineers are
fully qualified to support all the
equipment within your
data center.
1
Choose a support provider that
puts your needs as a priority.
Make sure they are available
when you need them and offer
you flexibility to determine the
terms and coverage you need for
your unique environment.
2
You will want to make sure that
the equipment going into your
data center is up to the highest
standards. When considering
third-party support vendors, ask
about their testing procedures
for their spares.
3
Customer service and technical support from the OEM usually comes
from a hierarchical chain of command, starting with the lower tier
engineers in order to minimize costs prior to escalation, which can
cause slow response times. Also, many OEM call-centers are located
overseas which can cause additional delays, whereas a third-party
vendor with a domestic based call-center can respond to a customer’s
needs and provide resolution for hardware issues quickly and easily.
RESPONSE TIMES FOR THIRD-PARTY
SUPPORT VENDORS ARE SLOWER
THAN THE OEM
Getting support for your end-of-life (EOL) equipment from the OEM
means that their priorities are divided between upselling to their
newest products and providing maintenance on older equipment. An
independent support vendor whose primary focus is maintenance,
regardless of the age of the equipment, allows you to extend the life of
your hardware for as long as you need and want it.
THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT PROVIDES THE
SAME OR BETTER SERVICE AS THE OEM
AND AT A LOWER PRICE POINT
The OEM’s goal is to promote their latest and greatest products by
pushing rapid upgrade paths, thereby minimizing the lifespans of
existing product lines. However, that doesn’t typically align with the
objectives of the end-user who is often looking to stretch the IT budget
and get the most value out of their hardware assets. When the OEM
controls both the cost of new hardware and the cost to support your
existing hardware, they have a lot of power in deciding when the cost to
support existing equipment becomes more expensive than upgrading
to new equipment, when that choice should really be up to you.
THE PRIORITIES FOR THE OEM &
THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT PROVIDERS
ARE DIFFERENT
FACT
FACT
FICTION
FICTIONFICTION
FICTIONFICTION
FICTIONFICTION
Let us help you separate fact from fiction so you know everything you
need to know when deciding how to support your storage, server, and
networking infrastructure.
Understanding the comprehensive services and benefits that third-party support
can offer your organization in terms of savings, reliability, and expertise can
simplify your decision making process and priorities.
To learn more about third-party maintenance & post-warranty
support , visit www.reliant-technology.com/support
or call 1.877.227.0828.