A viable alternative to purchasing new hardware is to maintain an existing infrastructure through an Extended Operating Program (EOP) solution. While not a radical alternative, it is an alternative that many organizations are now seriously considering. By choosing to extend the life of your hardware, you are selecting a viable and practical alternative to unnecessary CapEx with the purchase of replacement systems. Extending the life of your hardware through a DC Parts EOP solution allows you to maximize your return on investment while reducing operating expenses with lower support costs.

Understand the IT hardware lifecycle

We all understand the hardware warranty process. Most organizations have three- and five-year hardware warranty lifecycle programs before considering upgrading hardware environments. What happens when customers need to extend support over a long period of time and beyond? Manufacturers will provide an end-of-life (EOL) date for the hardware when production stops. Manufacturers will then move to an End of Primary Support (EOPS) date, when all support will cease and, finally, manufacturers will announce an End of Life (EOSL) date that denotes the obsolete model. The most frequently asked questions during the hardware life cycle are: what do I have the right to? what level of service can i expect to receive? and finally, has the service's risk exposure increased?

DC Parts' extended operation program takes questions or concerns about manufacturer support after the initial warranty period leading to hardware end-of-life dates and beyond. To find out if your hardware has reached or is about to reach the end of the manufacturer's life, contact one of our account managers.

Some key points of the extended DC Parts operating program

• Significant savings with DC Parts EOL support compared to the vendor support being withdrawn.
• Work with you to 'bank' any IP, such as firmware, patches and vendor updates to which you are entitled.
• A digital media retention policy (DMR) as an option.
• Providing technical support from a dedicated support team.
• Continuity of hardware support until economically unviable due to the availability of parts.
• Spare parts for your hardware on site or in some strategic place so when you need it, it's right there at hand.

Involvement with DC Parts can provide the cost savings you may need with an 'Extended Operational Program' (EOP). While this is not the only one, we believe that our comprehensive service package exceeds in areas that many customers are not able or unlikely to receive from the manufacturer.