It is wise to always buy SMARTnet, is this true?
Let’s be realistic, as we discussed above most of us get SMARTnet to ‘’extinguish sudden fires’’. We want an insurance plan for any equipment failures, problems, errors, queries etc. We want to get the maximum out of our Cisco equipment. Due to this tendency, we usually buy SMARTnet for mission-critical equipment. This is understandable. Downtime is to be avoided at all costs so we have to invest in a sure defense. The software updates and other features of SMARTnet can also benefit mission-critical equipment. The equipment replacement options include Next Business Day (NBD), 8x5x4, 24x7x4 and 24x7x2, so we can buy the insurance we need as per our urgency in case of downtime. So its settled then: When you buy a Cisco switch, get SMARTnet too. Done.
On the other hand, investing in SMARTnet for non-mission critical equipment may not be as beneficial or cost effective. Many of us might still have older Cisco hardware like switches and routers installed which fulfill our operational needs perfectly well. But with the passage of time, the support for old equipment will be phased out by Cisco as the hardware becomes obsolete. That is just the way Cisco works! You need to consider the reality that SMARTnet is a recurrent yearly or bi yearly cost, but at which stage does this repetitive cost become greater than the benefits? As your equipment becomes older, does SMARTnet still give you the same level of benefits? Support will be limited and most of us just want to have at least the peace of mind that we will be given an expedited equipment replacement option in case anything goes bad. In a nutshell, if your old equipment is still working well for you, you need to take into account that Cisco feels the opposite and you might need to take a glance at your other options.
How SMARTnet may not be a wise investment in certain instances
Each of us experiences a service in different ways depending on our situation. The same goes for SMARTnet. It might be very helpful to some of us in many situations, however sometimes you will need to look at other options that will better serve your requirements. Yes, we do have some other options. Many famous and proven companies are offering their own equipment replacement services. However, you will not get access to Cisco’s resources. The cost may be less to go with these companies, however you will have to get spares and the new hardware costs will be very costly. Regardless, in certain instances a combination of alternative equipment replacement services and spares will be the wisest investment if SMARTnet is not the ideal solution for you. But you will need to think long and hard with all stake holders on board to find the best solution for your organization. You will not regret the time you invest in this!
Conclusion
Study what adverse impact, in terms of money, any unplanned downtime could have on your network. Then you can identify the ideal SMARTnet offering (from NBD, 4 hour, 2 hour or on-site) which will give you the best ROI. You have to do your homework right. This much is obvious. Then why don’t most of us do this, even though we have seen that this is not a matter to be taken lightly. Some of us don’t really extract the maximum advantages from our SMARTnet contract, even though we are investing good money for this great service. Others don’t make an honest effort to identify if they are getting their money’s worth from their SMARTnet, but they still keep paying the recurring cost of it just in case they need to get a hardware replacement suddenly in the future. SMARTnet is a solution for businesses, hence we must ensure we are getting the most out of it in a manner beneficial to our organization by choosing the correct service level.
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