Sunday, 10 November 2013

Prolonging The Life Of Your IT Systems With Third-Party Support

By Joseph B. Kappernick


Most people will not argue that the number one benefit of choosing a third-party support provider over a vendor is the lower cost. Vendors typically charge a much higher price for the same or comparable service offered by a third-party alternative. But, cost isn't the only reason you should consider other options - the second best reason is almost as compelling as the first.

Vendors will often stop offering support on products that are still functioning in the network and have many good years left in them. Opting for third-party support will save you time and money if the vendor decides it is time to phase out service on products, like hardware, you have purchased.

Today's hardware products are built to last many years, even decades. Yet, vendors - eager to usher in new upgrade revenues and reduce cost to support their offerings - will frequently end support service for products long before they stop working. This forces customers to choose between an unnecessary, and often expensive, upgrade and running hardware that's either unsupported or under-supported. Neither of these choices is ideal for any business, especially when the goal is to cut costs for more revenue producing programs.

This budget-busting situation can be avoided by using a third-party option that provides support services on many items that the vendor considers to be obsolete or no longer supports. Third-party providers also often buy up these products right before end-of-life, giving companies a way to replace or add hardware despite discontinuation. So, in addition to providing support at a much lower cost, third-party options also help extend the value and longevity of your current hardware.

Third-party support providers are a great solution for any business that wants to stop spending money on unnecessary IT upgrades so they can use it to invest in new revenue producing initiatives. If this is you, it is time to stop throwing away usable products and consider your third-party support options.




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