Explore Your Hardware Support Options
Renew your hardware support contract or switch vendors?
Explore your options before signing on the dotted line.
For many of us, vendor contract renewals have recently come to the top of the pile on the to-do list. Whether you're looking at renewing your service with a TPM provider or your warranty is set to expire with the OEM, you've got options to explore. Before you sign on the dotted line, you owe it to yourself and your environment to take a closer look at your hardware support alternatives.
And even if your contract isn't set to expire right away, you might still be interested in saving money, getting better service, and simplifying your hardware support hassles. If that's you, you're in luck - we can help.
Find Service That Doesn't Disappoint — Swap TPM Vendors
If you have experience with other third party maintenance providers but have been less than impressed with the service (or were forced to transition due to an acquisition). In that case, you'll probably be pleased to know there is an alternative to Park Place. It is possible to get great service customized to your needs, whatever the budget. Here are a few things to look for when shopping for a new TPM provider.
Good Service for All
More often than not, you'll find that more important clients (read: clients with bigger budgets) get better service. Providers will jump to attention and respond promptly when handfuls of cash are waved at them. But if your budget isn't in the big leagues, you might be stuck waiting and waiting and waiting.
That's not how we do things at M Global. It's not that hard to give customers with smaller budgets the same great service. Everybody gets to go behind the velvet rope and get the VIP treatment. Learn more about why Response Times Matter.
When asked about his thoughts on this topic, one M Global help desk engineer said, “When a ticket comes in, I’m looking at what equipment had a failure, not who the customer is. I'm thinking, let's fix the problem, not well, I better fix it extra good because it's this or that client. We always fix the problem extra good — for every client."
Same Great Service - No Acquisitions in Sight
If you've been burned by the recent acquisition of your provider by a bigger fish, you know the drill. What might have started out as decent service tanks after the company is bought out by one of the big players.
We call it neglect through acquisition — once you are absorbed into the giant behemoth, you are unlikely to get the same kind of service you were getting before. You may have already experienced various types of deterioration in service, like unresponsive sales reps, no renewal quotes, not being able to provide a list of supported assets, and in some cases, no response at all. Yikes. You don't have to continue with that kind of service — there are other hardware support alternatives.
With M Global, you can rest easy knowing that the high-quality service you get when you start out with us is the service you'll keep getting.
Have It Your Way
Don't settle for a TPM provider that doesn't listen to what you want from your hardware support. If you are being told the TPM equivalent of, "you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit," move on to another vendor who will listen. It might be a great life lesson we should have all learned in kindergarten, but it doesn't apply to your hardware support SLAs.
Rather than facing steep contract minimums or being told no to the equipment you're most likely to need help with, you can get support tailored to your needs, budget, and timeline.
Do you work with a hardware support skeptic? Or maybe you are a recovering support snob so you can recognize the signs — a deep distrust of all hardware support not through the manufacturer, a firm belief that the only truly expert knowledge and troubleshooting must come from the bosom of the OEM, probably a big budget that can absorb the higher rates, and maybe even the urge to throw in a snarky comment or two. Sound familiar?
If you or someone you know struggles with this issue, there's no need to worry — it is possible for them (or you!) to see the value in third party hardware support services.
We've seen the transformation of TPM skeptics before. Usually, the opposite of sticker shock happens when our quote comes back, and it seems silly not to try it. Or out-of-warranty equipment fails, and they get to test drive our services to see how we do things. We've even had some support snobs come to us for other services that involved creating hardware solutions. Seeing for themselves what it's like to work with us opens their minds to new possibilities they hadn't considered before.
You might have noticed a few OEMs streamlining their product portfolios of products, with many of these popular models headed for (or already have) EOL or EOSL status. Regardless of whether or not you are a support snob, once a device goes EOSL, you won't be able to purchase OEM warranties any longer.
Multiple popular Dell EMC lines have gone or will be going EOL & EOSL soon, including Compellent (SC), VMAX, VNX, Data Domain, Isilon, and more. HPE also has a few, including the much loved 3PAR 7000. No need to worry, though! If you aren't ready to decommission your equipment, you can get post-warranty hardware support on devices that have gone EOSL. At M Global, we like to make things even easier — we can be flexible with contract time frames, so if you only need support for three or six months, no problem. We can do that. We help make the transition from OEM support as seamless as possible. Check out our EOSL prep checklist and our other EOSL resources for more.
If you need yet another reason to switch, how about for the moola savings? Depending on your current environment, the number of devices, and your desired SLA terms, you could cut support costs by more than half by switching to third party hardware support.
For more details on how much you could save with an M Global contract, check out our article all about the costs of third party maintenance support. We've even got you covered if you are looking for ways to spend your savings once you've switched (spoiler alert — Star Wars might be involved).
Author Note:
Written by Angie Stephens with contributions from M Global team members including SMEs, management executives, and more.
Get Started Now
Ready to make the switch to M Global? Call us today at 855-304-4600 to find out more.
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Third Party maintenance support is what we do. We live and breathe hardware support. But we can offer a few other additional services if you need them.
