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Many organizations have had to tighten their budgets to make it through the current recession and unexpected shutdowns. The OEMs like Cisco, however, haven’t changed their forced refresh cycle in light of companies’ inability to spend freely on their already expensive data centers. Whether you’re ready to invest again in new equipment for your infrastructure or not, 2020 Cisco EOSL deadlines are still fast approaching.
Businesses don’t have to choose between a costly technology refresh or losing support for their EOSL devices. Cisco’s refresh schedule doesn’t have to be yours. Take back control of your data center.
Option One for 2020 Cisco EOSL Hardware: Third-Party Maintenance
Cisco dropping support for its EOSL hardware doesn’t mean you have to refresh your equipment or continue running critical workloads on unsupported hardware. The OEM isn’t your only source of maintenance for that equipment. Third-party maintenance (TPM) helps extend the life of your hardware while it’s still in use.
Companies switching to third-party maintenance often realize:
- 40-70% in cost savings
- Better 24x7x4 SLAs
- Equal or improved quality of service
… over Cisco SMARTnet.
Leading independent industry research firm Gartner recommends third-party maintenance for cost optimization in the data center. According to Gartner, CIOs are more likely to receive executive support when proposing complex or controversial IT initiatives when following Gartner recommendations on IT cost optimization−including switching to third-party maintenance.
Option Two for 2020 Cisco EOSL Hardware: Replacing with Less Expensive Equipment
For companies agreeing that their EOSL Cisco hardware could use an upgrade but haven’t allocated the budget for a full technology refresh, you can still replace that hardware without the high price tag. While the OEM supply chains have been impacted by the recent pandemic, the secondary market is still operating at full capacity.
There are a lot of misconceptions around the secondary market. Namely, that the hardware available is outdated or somehow inferior to equipment sourced directly from the OEMs. Simply put, this just isn’t true. A reputable secondary market partner can deliver brand new Cisco equipment in addition to hardware that’s a season older. Additionally, these partners can source parts for your current equipment without the steep price tag from Cisco and other OEMs.
CentricsIT has the global network to source the equipment you need, and our reputation proves it.
Worried about other ill-informed “facts” floating around about secondary hardware? Don’t be.
- “Used IT hardware is junk−it won’t work well or last.”
Any reseller worth your time will only sell you refurbished equipment with a warranty. No reputable provider will ever sell used IT equipment “as is” so you should stay away from any that do. - “It’s called the ‘Gray Market’ for a reason.”
The only thing gray about our process is the manufacturer-provided paint used to touch up our certified refurbished equipment. Qualified used IT resellers can usually tell if equipment is counterfeit just by looking at it, but strict testing procedures are in place to guarantee the legitimacy of all equipment. With guaranteed authenticity and our warranty, you can rest easy knowing your purchase is secure. - “There will be warranty issues.”
CentricsIT matches the original warranty of the OEM. If your reseller doesn’t offer a warranty that’s comparable, you need a new reseller.
- “Used equipment is all older, EOL hardware.”
We’ll surprise you with how much “latest and greatest” used IT hardware there is on the warehouse shelves of trusted resellers.
Our team of hardware experts is here to help clear up any other concerns you have about the secondary market.
Upcoming 2020 Cisco EOSL Deadlines
| CISCO PRODUCT | EOSL DATE |
| Fabric Manager Server | 3/30/2021 |
| UCS C420 M3 Rack Server | 2/28/2021 |
| Cisco ME 3400-24FS-A Switch | 1/31/2021 |
| Catalyst 3560-X | 1/28/2021 |
| Catalyst 3750-X | 1/28/2021 |
| Prime NAM 2304 Appliance | 11/27/2020 |
| Prime NAM 2320 Appliance | 11/27/2020 |
| Cisco Catalyst 2918-24TT-C Switch | 10/31/2020 |
| Cisco Catalyst 2918-48TC-C Switch | 10/31/2020 |
| Cisco Catalyst 2918-48TT-C Switch | 10/31/2020 |
| MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric Switch | 10/31/2020 |
| 9148 8GB Switch | 10/30/2020 |
| Cisco Catalyst 2918-24TC-C Switch | 10/30/2020 |
| ASR 9000 Series Integrated Service Module | 9/30/2020 |
| Cisco Nexus 5548P Switch | 9/30/2020 |
| Nexus 5548P Switch | 9/30/2020 |
| Select Cisco 888 Integrated Services Routers | 9/30/2020 |
| Select WAN/LAN modules and cables for ISR G1 | 9/30/2020 |
| Cisco Business Edition 7000 (Cisco UCS M3 Server) | 8/1/2020 |
| Catalyst 6500 24 Port Fabric Enabled | 7/31/2020 |
| Catalyst 6550 24 Port Fabric Enabled | 7/31/2020 |
| Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3120 for HP | 7/31/2020 |
| UCS Invicta B3116 Blade | 7/31/2020 |
| UCS Invicta C3124SA | 7/31/2020 |
| UCS Invicta Scaling System | 7/31/2020 |
| Whiptail Racerunner 4.x | 7/31/2020 |
| Cisco ME 2600X 44FA-A-K9 Switch | 6/30/2020 |
Finding a Single IT Partner for Full IT Lifecycle Management
CentricsIT third-party maintenance provides the high-quality support you’re accustomed to from Cisco SMARTnet and the other OEMs−without the heavy cost. As a full-service IT lifecycle management provider, CentricsIT supports your entire data center from procurement to support to IT asset disposition.
With our presence in the global secondary market−and a global network of experienced engineers− CentricsIT is uniquely positioned to fulfill your IT needs anytime, anywhere. Through economical hardware procurement, global sourcing networks, and a dedication to excellence, we partner with you to change the trajectory of your maintenance budget.
You’re smarter than SMARTnet. See how third-party maintenance can improve your overall support experience over Cisco support with this free datasheet.
