Preparing for IBM Going EOSL in 2020

You have critical instances running on your IBM servers and crucial data in your IBM storage—but have you been keeping up to date with the deadlines for your IBM hardware going EOSL in 2020?

When juggling a multitude of vendors on top of driving strategic initiatives, IT managers have little time left to track contracts, contacts, and support deadlines. Unfortunately, the OEMs often announce end-of-life (EOL) and end-of-service-life (EOSL) before companies are ready to update the hardware they’d already heavily invested in and currently rely on.

Don’t let the EOSL deadlines sneak up on you. See your options for IBM going EOSL in 2020.

Option One: Buy Brand New Hardware from the OEM to Replace Your IBM Going EOSL in 2020

Of course, you could always let the OEM continue to dictate your data centers’ refresh schedules and choose to upgrade your hardware whether it’s still working as well as ever for you or even if you had other, more strategic plans for that part of your budget. You’ll purchase new expensive hardware for a large investment that will also reach EOL, shortly followed by EOSL, in a short number of years.

The OEMs decide the refresh schedules based on what works for them and not what’s working (i.e. your current IBM hardware) for you. Additionally, extending OEM support on your IBM hardware past the EOL deadline comes with a large price tag, even though hardware is actually less expensive to maintain the longer it’s been on the market since more parts and spares are available than with newer models.

You can always decide to bite the bullet and refresh your hardware. But going with the OEM isn’t your only choice.

Option Two: Turn to Third-Party Maintenance for Your IBM Going EOSL in 2020

Dropping support critical hardware isn’t an option. Without a resource to help manage and troubleshoot the equipment in your data center, companies risk unplanned downtime, cybersecurity issues, and other inefficiencies. But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to the OEMs’ forced refresh schedule.

Ready to take back control of your data centers from the OEM refresh cycles? Third-party maintenance (TPM) enables you to extend the use of your hardware that still operates smoothly. Older hardware, like your IBM going EOSL in 2020, actually costs less to maintain not just because of the availability of spares, but also because engineering knowledge around these models are more widespread.

With TPM, you can easily maintain your IBM hardware going EOSL in 2020 at the same (if not higher) level of quality you’re used to receiving from the OEM—while saving 40–70% on your support costs over the inflated OEM price.

Additionally, TPM offers more flexibility over the OEMs, customizing SLAs that fit your needs, not the OEMs’.

CentricsIT Third-Party Maintenance Helps You Regain Control of the Refresh Cycle

CentricsIT Third-Party Maintenance keeps you ahead of the OEM EOSL deadlines and helps you break free from the forced upgrade cycle. With a global network of skilled engineers and over a decade of expertise in the secondary market, CentricsIT helps companies all over the world maintain their hardware—at a fraction of the price of the OEMs.

And, when you’re ready to update your data centers, CentricsIT can help you find the hardware you need for your mission critical systems without the commitment with our channel alternative approach to IT procurement. We offer flexible rental options, so when you’re ready to move on to the next thing, you’re not locked into a support contract or held back by your current investment.

Let us help you maintain your data centers with customizable SLAs that fit your needs.

IBM Models Reaching EOSL in 2020