Can third-party maintenance services really save you money? Accenture, a leading worldwide business consulting firm, reported numerous saving opportunities, as a result of utilizing third party maintenance services for their network maintenance needs.
Companies can experience significant savings if they are willing to consider third-party maintenance options to optimize their IT cost structure, and the added benefit of possibly improving their global coverage.
Let’s highlight two ways your IT department can enjoy the same benefits from third-party maintenance (TPM) providers:
- Extended coverage on products no longer supported by OEMs
- Reduced IT maintenance and network costs without compromising quality
Continue reading to learn how you can start saving 50% to 80% simply by making the shift from your Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to TPM service providers.
Why shift from OEM services to TPM providers?
OEM’s are seen as the best option for IT maintenance services primarily because they are the manufacturers of these products and devices. OEM’s also have highly skilled and knowledgeable service engineers who are experts in troubleshooting hardware and network problems. So why are businesses making the shift from OEM’s to third-party maintenance services?
The demand for maximum value on hardware investment
It all began with the era called “end of support life (EOSL).” When these OEM’s ended their services and discontinued providing parts for certain product models as a strategy to compel their customers to upgrade, IT organizations looked for a more economical option. They sought a solution that could help them extend the life of their hardware investment — TPM providers.
TPM’s response to EOSL: The power to say “NO”
While OEM’s are putting an end to the service of outdated products, TPM providers breathed hope into these devices. They extended the coverage on products no longer supported by the OEM. Thus, rather than saying “YES” to the demand of OEM providers for them to purchase a new product model, businesses were able to say “NO.”
With this, third-party maintenance providers gave the power to decide, back to these companies. As a result, they are able to:
- Keep their current hardware infrastructure
- Maximize the value of their hardware investment
- Save on IT maintenance costs
NetGuard Maintenance Plan, the third party maintenance service offered by Worldwide Supply, is the top alternative to OEM’s network maintenance today. Learn more about the difference between OEM and TPM.
TPM and the disenchantment with the OEM’s service (CISCO)
Another reason for the shift from OEM to TPM is the level of service provided by these OEM’s. For decades, many thought of OEM’s as the best maintenance provider for their piece of hardware. It’s the brand name they carry, so they must be the best. Highly unknown is that many of these OEM’s are actually outsourcing their service delivery to other service providers.
CISCO, the number one provider of network equipment and flexible networking solutions, outsources their CISCO network service, CISCO maintenance, and CISCO router troubleshooting services.
Yes! This may come as a surprise, but the Level 1 and Level 2 support are often performed by CISCO partners and not CISCO themselves. The only time it is handled by an OEM is when the service has been escalated to a Level 3 request.
Why is this?
OEM’s reward their partners for the minimal use of OEM engineering resources. Therefore, these partners do their best to handle your service request at their level without escalating it to CISCO, even when it is clearly needed. This escalation process serves as a barrier, and, as a result, you end up waiting for hours before your concern is properly dealt with.
That is, however, never the case with TPMs. There are no artificial access barriers and all of the service requests are treated as a priority and are handled without undue delay.
Now it makes sense, right?
OEM providers are seeking help from third-party maintenance service providers to lower their operational costs at your expense. So why continue to pay more when you can directly hire the services of a TPM provider?
Now is the perfect time to make the shift. Start your savings today, especially with the following numerous benefits Worldwide Supply has to offer:
- Equipment substitutions with a 24-hour support line
- Impressive response time with 4-hour onsite service
- Single portal service for all your maintenance agreements and plans
- Vast troubleshooting capabilities support with over 100 past and present product lines, including 400 global service and sparing centers in 79 countries
Deciding to outsource to a third party maintenance service provider for the first time can seem like a big endeavor. However, the savings can be substantial and possibly include other benefits such as flexible SLAs and inventory management services.
