End of service life: It’s not a terminal diagnosis

The dreaded four words… end of service life

Have you received an announcement from your vendor that a vital device is going end of service life (EOSL)?

The good news is that there is no cause for alarm! When a vendor makes an announcement like this, you are normally given plenty of time to evaluate your options and make an informed decision on the best one for your organisation.

For a critical piece of infrastructure, this news triggers three key alternatives for an IT manager: replace the technology or migrating to another solution, or alternatively, finding another service provider to support the equipment.

Why replacing or migrating is never a simple lift and shift

Replacing the technology or migrating to another solution seems like the simplest solution, at face value. However, when you critically review the steps, it not always the best for your business. Often, replacement or migration doesn’t necessarily align with your organisation’s strategic roadmap, refresh cycle or budget.

If you have hardware in your IT infrastructure that is still very much fit for use and fit for purpose, and is stable and performing well, there is usually no need to incur the additional costs and risks associated with either replacement or migration.

IT budgets are usually set in place six to 12 months in advance, which can make it difficult to factor in the unplanned costs of a refresh or migration project. There is also the risk of refreshing one component of your overall IT environment and the impact that it might have on any interdependent systems, as well as limiting your ability to influence change and potentially locking you into your current architecture for a longer period.

What is third-party maintenance and how can they help?

Third-party maintenance (TPM) is service offered through a different company from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and it is usually for hardware maintenance. Many TPM providers have engineers who are trained and certified across various vendors including Cisco, IBM, Lenovo, HPE, and more. In addition, they often support hardware once its reached EOSL.

The key benefits of using a TPM over your OEM is the level of service. Commonly, OEMs are focused on development and sales—they profit when you purchase the newest versions of their hardware. Third-party maintenance providers, on the other hand, are focused on meeting their clients’ needs and finding a solution that fits their environment.

Benefits include:

1. A local and dedicated IT support

When working with an OEM, it can feel like you are just a number as the company is so large. Your account manager might only check in with you if something has gone end of service life or if you require to upgrade a service. When you chose a TPM, it you are more likely to receive a personalised experience.

2. Synchronised support and maintenance contracts

Moving to a TPM allows you can consolidate the number of different service providers you manage. It also allows you more flexibility to align your support contract renewal dates across your hardware platform. Both of these factors will reduce your administrative overheads and streamline operations, ultimately leading to cost savings.

3. Contract Flexibility

Rather than the typical fixed-term support contracts supplied by your OEM, you can negotiate more flexible contractual terms which will allow you to make the changes you need to make when you are ready to do so, freeing you up to be far more responsive to the business to help your organisation achieve its overall strategic objectives. For organisations migrating to a hybrid IT environment, that’s particularly important for optimising support costs on components of your data centre infrastructure.

Why choose us?

Interactive is Australia’s largest IT service provider and has over 30 years’ experience in hardware maintenance.

Our team of dedicated experts can find the right level support that fits your business and budget. Whether it be consolidating your contracts, assisting during an outage or supporting your EOSL devices, our hardware maintenance team can help you. Hardware and support are a part of our DNA at Interactive, so talk to our team for more about our services today.