Hardware Upgrade or Replacement Option
Upgrading is worth considering especially if your performance needs have grown. The arrival of low cost SSD drives and ever larger capacity bulk drives, means you can experience a considerable improvement in both performance and capacity by upgrading.
Check out our article on Dell EMCs storage roadmap for guidance on the options available. As a DellEMC Platinum Reseller, Abtech Technologies can advise you on the best options for upgrading. We can also make use of current partner promotions to get you the best possible deal.
Dell EMC Mid Range Storage Strategy
In many ways, OEM support ending after two or more years is a symbiotic process, if by force. They’re essentially weaning you off OEM support reliance so you can benefit from third-party maintenance.
Going with a third-party maintenance plan isn’t a bad transition for various reasons, though you’ll want to know when it’s appropriate. It’s better to transition before your OEM support ends so you won’t have to scramble to find something suitable.
Renewing OEM Support
For some IT equipment, it’s sometimes possible to enter a longer OEM support agreement than others. Often, they’ll allow you to enjoy several years of support and then extend to a limited point through contract renewals.
If your equipment is still fairly new, this may be a good option and Abtech can provide pricing to renew your OEM Support with Dell EMC.
You will maintain access to firmware upgrades and services like Co-pliot on SC/Compellent Arrays. OEM Support is generally of a high standard, although your initial call may be routed to a call center outside the US, initially.
Third-Party Maintenance
Dissatisfaction with OEM support is one of the main reasons companies switch to third-party maintenance recently. According to statistics, 75% of companies make this switch because OEM support didn’t help with changing business requirements.
Data like this shows why maintenance from outside sources has rapid growth in IT departments worldwide.
When you find a new maintenance team, you’re going to discover they give you many benefits over OEM Support, if you choose a reputable support provider like Abtech.
The main advantage is cost savings. Typically our 3rd party support is 50-70% cheaper than OEM support. Parts and EMC-trained engineers are local to site and the first call will always be routed to a US based engineer.
An additional benefit is that support will be available long after the OEM has ended their support on the hardware.
If you are not seeing any good reason to upgrade your hardware, but want to avoid the high costs of OEM support, EMC support from Abtech could be the way to go.
Summary and Recommendations
Upgrade or Replace – Recommended when performance and capacity needs have increased and you have capital budget available.
EMC OEM Support – A good idea if the equipment is still relatively new and regular firmware upgrades are being released.
Abtech 3rd Party Support – A good option when high support cost is an issue or if you are not happy with the OEM support. This is the only option if Dell EMC has ended support on the equipment.
