Many companies turn to independent and certified third-party support providers because they offer comparable support service at a much lower cost than most vendors. This is usually reason enough to decline the vendor support and go with a third-party provider. But if you are still not convinced that a third-party is a viable support alternative, there is another reason you should consider.
Many companies turn to third-party providers to support products that their current vendor no longer provides support service for, even if they are still working within the network. Take hardware, for example:
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.
The best way to avoid this situation is to opt for a third-party support alternative. Besides being a fraction of the cost, third-parties are able to provide much needed support on items that the vendor deems obsolete. Even better, they will buy up many products before their end-of-life so they can offer affordable replacements and additions that work within your network. This will allow you to save money and extend the life of your current systems, even if they are considered to be outdated.
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.
Joseph B. Kappernick specializes in helping Fortune 500 companies save money. He recommends that you visit NPI to learn more about IT expense reduction consulting