6_Myths_of_Thrid_Party_Maintenance_v1

1M Y T H

INDEPENDENT SUPPORT VENDORS ARE

LESS SKILLED

THAN OEM ENGINEERS

3

OEM engineers are usually experts in their equipment - as they
should be. However, that doesn’t mean that OEM engineers are
the only experts on that equipment. High-quality third-party
maintenance providers will have engineers that are trained on
OEM equipment with the same certifications and qualifications
that OEM engineers have. In fact, many engineers working for
third-party maintenance vendors often have previous experience
working at an OEM.

Additionally, engineers from a third-party support organization are more likely to have
certifications in multiple manufacturer brands, giving them a broad understanding and
thorough knowledge of multiple equipment lines - ideal for supporting multi-vendor
environments. OEM engineers’ expertise is more limited to the brand they represent,
however storage environments are not always homogenous from one manufacturer.
Independent maintenance vendors can provide comprehensive support for your data
center, especially if you have more than one vendor within your data center.

You can work with one company and have one maintenance service agreement to cover
your entire data center instead of managing multiple contracts, coverage dates, and SLAs,
all while working with the same level of engineer qualifications.

QUICK TIP

When evaluating potential maintenance 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.

2M Y T H

OEM SUPPORT SERVICE IS

INHERENTLY BETTER

THAN THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT

3

The reality of getting support for your end-of-life (EOL) equipment
from the OEM is that their responsibilities are divided between
upselling their newest product lines and providing maintenance.
Often times, for the OEM, maintaining customers’ N-1 or N-2
hardware is in direct conflict with their sales goals and
upgrade paths.

An independent support vendor is focused on delivering hardware support in the best
interest of the customer’s needs - not pushing up-sells or more equipment than you
require. This focus on your organization’s best interests results in an overall better
capability of handling hardware issues, easier and faster support, and support from a
source that is only concerned with making sure your current equipment works the way
you need, want, and expect it to.

3M Y T H

THIRD-PARTY MAINTENANCE

RESPONSE TIMES ARE SLOWER

THAN THE OEM

5

Slower response times are often reported to be more typical of
an OEM than an independent support provider. OEM customer
service and technical support has a hierarchical chain of
command, starting support requests with the lower tier engineers,
in order to minimize costs before escalating.

Many OEM call-centers are located overseas which can also cause additional delays,
whereas a third-party vendor with a domestic based call-center can easily respond to
customers’ needs and provide quick resolution to any hardware issues. Third-party
support SLAs can provide direct and easily accessible technical support on the first call
every time. Third-party vendors also can have a national network of engineers to ensure
nationwide coverage is available on-site if needed.

QUICK TIP

Choose a maintenance 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.

4M Y T H

PRIORITIES FOR THE OEM &
THIRD-PARTY MAINTENANCE VENDORS

ARE THE SAME

7

The OEM’s goal is to promote their latest and greatest products.
However, that doesn’t always align with the objectives of the end
user. Business-owners, IT Directors, and Storage Architects are
often looking to stretch their IT budgets and get the most value
out of their storage assets, while the OEM is focused on pushing
rapid upgrade paths, thereby minimizing the lifespans of
existing products.

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 determining when the cost to support
existing equipment becomes more expensive than upgrading to new equipment.

QUICK TIP

A third-party maintenance provider is focused entirely on maintaining your existing
equipment, but many maintenance vendors can provide hardware upgrades as well.
When you extend the lifespan of your equipment, you get to decide the timeline of what
and when to upgrade.

5M Y T H

OS & FIRMWARE PATCHES

ARE CRITICAL TO

EOL EQUIPMENT SUPPORT

9

One of the concerns people may have when considering leaving
OEM support is that they will no longer have access to critical
OS and firmware patches for their EOL equipment. The truth
is that 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 level.

While the OEM will recommend that you upgrade your equipment once it has gone EOL,
it is usually that new generation of equipment that requires critical OS or firmware
patches. 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.

6M Y T H

THIRD-PARTY MAINTENANCE VENDORS

CAN’T ACCESS THE NECESSARY PARTS

OR CAN ONLY ACCESS LOW-QUALITY PARTS

11

In the world of third-party maintenance, the term end-of-life
doesn’t really exist - especially not in the manner that the OEM will
suggest it does. Just because a system goes EOL in the OEM world
doesn’t mean that replacement parts cease to exist.

Independent maintenance 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 if and when necessary.

QUICK TIP - ASK ABOUT REPLACEMENT PART TESTING

You will want to make sure that the equipment going into your data center is up to the
highest standards. When considering third-party maintenance vendors, ask about their
testing procedures for their spares.

WANT THE
FACTS?

Myths around what third-party support can offer your
organization in terms of savings, reliability, and expertise can

complicate your decision making process and priorities.

To learn more about third-party maintenance and if it is the right fit for
your organization’s needs, visit reliant-technology.com/maintenance
or call 1.877.227.0828.