The COVID-19 pandemic forced IT teams around the globe to review or set aside ongoing projects, create initiatives for sustainable business operations and adapt to a virtual working environment. But there are more smart decisions to make. So. how can companies make smarter decisions? Here are four key reasons.
Many organizations saw their IT budgets reduced or reallocated due to this unexpected event. They therefore decided to adopt a hybrid support model. A hybrid support model is a mix of manufacturer and third-party support to future-proof their IT ecosystems.
Before, some companies opted to upgrade sizeable portions of their IT infrastructures on the pretext of manufacturer EOL (End-of-Life) and EOSL (End-of-Service-Life) dates to avoid potential compatibility issues and being left without support. This seems logical and straightforward, and for a time it was.
However, as the efficient use of budget and the term flexibility becomes a dire need, more companies now incorporate third-party maintenance (TPM) in their IT environments.
Why is this a smart decision?
Key reason 1: Lifecycle differentiation
The first key reason why companies make smarter decisions thanks to third-party-maintenance is the lifecycle differentiation. Thanks to the detailed information and diverse research from various IT analysts about our corporate IT systems (servers, storage, routers, and switches), we conclude that not all equipment in the IT ecosystem requires immediate replacement, once proclaimed EOL/EOSL.
In fact, it is said that legacy IT infrastructure hardware has a higher mean time between failure (MTBF) rate, which—with regular equipment maintenance—translates into increased hardware performance, as most hardware bugs and inconsistencies are successfully fixed in the initial warranty years.
The shift to integrate TPM support in your environment breaks this forced lifecycle of IT equipment and enable companies to reduce unnecessary capital expenditure caused by replacing useful hardware. It further allows for a better ROI (return on investment) on initial equipment, as it permits you to replace or upgrade according to the needs of the business – and not according to the demands of the equipment manufacturers.
Key reason 2: Targeted innovation
The second key reason why companies make smarter decisions thanks to third-party-maintenance is target innovation. To enable organisations to choose which parts of their IT infrastructure they want to upgrade/ replace and which parts they want to cost-effectively maintain- to instead target new avenues of innovation, requires a hybrid approach to hardware maintenance.
For this reason third-party maintenance — which extends the support for IT equipment that has reached the ‘end’ of its predetermined lifecycle — have disrupted the IT landscape. Your business can now independently decide on the lifecycle for each equipment piece, based solely on your on-going business needs.
It is with no doubt that there will always be parts of your hardware that will require upgrading, but, thanks to detailed TPM insights, these components can be identified more precisely, saving you costs to invest in other important areas of business.
Key reason 3: Abundant support
The third key reason why companies make smarter decisions thanks to third-party-maintenance is abundant support.
As TPM providers do not have the same service focus as the hardware manufacturer and, most importantly, do not need to ‘sell’ the latest line of switches, routers, or servers, they can be purely customer-centric.
Over the years, TPM support has evolved around the need of the customer, in terms of both maintenance and spare parts. Signing with a TPM provider will therefore generally provide you with multi-vendor technical skills, customizable offerings, and a robust Forward-Stocking-Location (FSL) network, with the necessary import and export licences to deliver parts wherever needed.
Whether an organisation is based in one country or has footprint across the globe, the chosen TPM provider must have logistical capacity and resources to meet their needs. This is especially important when a part of their IT infrastructure requires immediate replacement, without the process affecting the running of the organisation.
Flexibility and reliability, seen as key focus areas of a TPM provider, is what makes this alternative option ideal for many IT environments and incorporating such support can eliminate time and money spend on the unnecessary management of multiple global service contracts.
Key reason 4: Sustainable development
The fourth and last key reason why companies make smarter decisions thanks to third-party-maintenance is sustainable development. By extending the life of IT hardware assets beyond EOL/EOSL contracts, companies help prevent e-waste and reduce CO2 emissions caused from producing new equipment. Breaking the cycle of “take-make-dispose” through the support of a TPM provider helps to make your IT infrastructure more sustainable, both from a financial and environmental perspective – which is key to modern IT business.
Partner with global TPM provider Evernex
With COVID still around and business continuing to bear the consequences, there has never been a better time to partner with a quality TPM provider to support your organization, safeguard IT investments, and free up resources to focus on your core business.
Evernex, as a global TPM provider, can help companies understand the lifecycles of various replacement parts and provide clients with unparalleled opportunities for cost savings and improved efficiency.
Contact Evernex experts to find out more about TPM possibilities in your environment.
