Comprehensive Guide to Infrastructure Support Options

This guide explores these options in detail, helping you make an informed decision tailored to your organization’s needs.

Manufacturer Support Contracts

Manufacturer support contracts are the most common and widely used option. These contracts are typically included with the initial purchase of hardware, and are renewed periodically to maintain access to critical services and manufacturer’s helpdesk support.

The primary allure of manufacturer support lies in the direct access they provide to software updates and critical technical assistance. Beyond these, manufacturer support contracts often extend to offering access to extensive knowledge bases, fostering engagement within online communities, and even providing learning credits to enhance internal team capabilities. The logic is compelling: who better to diagnose and resolve issues with a product than its original creator, the manufacturer's own helpdesk and engineering teams? This direct line to specialized expertise offers a significant sense of security.

However, this premium level of support comes at a cost, as manufacturer support contracts are typically the most expensive option available. The price reflects not just the technical support that’s based on the manufacturer’s own intellectual property and deep product knowledge, but also the availability of software updates that could enable new features or offer better security.

Key Benefits

● Access to Updates and Patches: Manufacturers provide regular software updates, security patches, and firmware upgrades, ensuring your systems remain secure and performant. For regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance), staying up-to-date is often a compliance requirement

● Technical Support: Direct access to the manufacturer’s helpdesk and engineering teams ensures expert assistance when issues arise. Priority support tiers may be available for critical systems, reducing downtime

● Additional Resources: Many contracts include access to knowledge bases, online communities, and training credits, empowering your team with self-service troubleshooting tools

Drawbacks

● Cost: Manufacturer support contracts are often the most expensive option, with recurring fees that can strain budgets

● Vendor Lock-in: Heavy reliance on the vendor may limit flexibility in exploring alternative support solutions

Ideal Use Cases

● Mission-critical systems requiring the latest updates and patches

● Covered hardware may benefit from the latest innovations in software features and / or licenses

● Organizations with strict compliance or regulatory requirements

Third-Party Maintenance (TPM) Contracts

As hardware ages and potentially reaches its end-of-support date, organizations often turn to third-party maintenance (TPM) contracts. These providers specialize in supporting equipment that manufacturers no longer actively cover, offering a support level that closely mirrors what manufacturers provide.

A critical distinction, however, lies in software updates. These updates are the intellectual property of the manufacturer, and TPM providers cannot offer them. This means if your operational requirements necessitate the very latest software versions and patches, a TPM contract might not be sufficient.

Nevertheless, for a broad range of other essential services, TPM providers excel. This includes crucial onsite support, adhering to strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and the provision of necessary parts and labor for repairs. A significant advantage of TPM contracts is their cost-effectiveness: they tend to be more affordable than manufacturer support contracts and can be structured for single or multi-year terms, offering flexibility in budgeting. This makes them an attractive option for extending the life of reliable hardware beyond its manufacturer-supported lifespan, providing a balance between continued operational stability and cost efficiency.

Key Benefits

● Cost-Effectiveness: TPM contracts are generally cheaper than manufacturer support, making them attractive for budget-conscious organizations

● Comprehensive Hardware Support: TPM providers offer onsite support, parts replacement, and labor, often matching or exceeding manufacturer SLAs

● Flexibility: Contracts can be tailored to specific needs, including single-year or multi-year agreements

Limitations

● No Software Updates: TPM providers cannot supply proprietary software updates or patches, as these remain the manufacturer’s intellectual property

● Variable Quality: The reliability of TPM services depends on the provider’s reputation and expertise

Ideal Use Cases

● Legacy systems no longer covered by manufacturer support

● Non-critical infrastructure where software updates are not critical

Self-Sparing

For organizations with robust internal expertise and a proactive approach to hardware management, self-sparing presents a compelling and often the most economical solution. This strategy involves purchasing spare hardware upfront and storing it for immediate deployment should an operational unit fail. The financial benefit is clear: once the spare is acquired, there are no ongoing, recurring fees to a support provider.

Beyond cost savings, self-sparing offers unparalleled speed in problem resolution. In the event of a hardware failure, the faulty component can be swapped out with a working spare instantaneously, eliminating the downtime associated with waiting for replacement parts to arrive onsite. This immediate availability can be critical for maintaining business continuity, especially for mission-critical systems where every minute of downtime translates directly to significant financial losses or operational disruption.

Key Benefits

● Cost Savings: Eliminates recurring support fees once spares are paid for

● Rapid Resolution: Hardware failures can be addressed immediately without waiting for external support

● Control: Full ownership of the troubleshooting process allows for greater flexibility and customization

Challenges

● Expertise Requirement: Your team must have the skills to diagnose and replace hardware accurately

● Storage and Management: Parts must be stored securely and tracked to ensure availability when needed

Ideal Use Cases

● Organizations with skilled IT teams and predictable hardware failure patterns

● Environments where downtime must be minimized, and external support delays are unacceptable

The "Do Nothing" Approach

Lastly, though not recommended, some customers choose to "do nothing" regarding support. This approach carries immense risks, as it leaves an organization completely exposed to hardware failures with no formal mechanism for repair or replacement. The decision to forgo support can be driven by extreme budget constraints, a perceived low risk for non-critical assets, or a reliance on internal, informal troubleshooting capabilities that may or may not be adequate when a serious issue arises.

Potential Reasons

● Legacy Systems: Equipment is so outdated that support is no longer available or cost-effective

● Low Criticality: Non-critical hardware where failure would have minimal impact

Risks

● Security Vulnerabilities: Lack of updates exposes systems to exploits

● Extended Downtime: Without support, resolving issues may take much longer

Ideal Use Cases

● Test or lab environments where uptime is not critical.

● Organizations with extremely limited budgets and / or high tolerance for risk.

How to Choose the Right Support Model

Step 1: Assess Your Infrastructure

● Criticality: Identify which systems are mission-critical and which are secondary. For example:

• What is the role of each piece of hardware?

• If it is a perimeter firewall, what happens if I don’t have an active manufacturer support contract that grants me access to the latest patches?

• If it is an access switch deep within the network, do I really need to install latest software all the time?

● Lifecycle Stage: Determine if equipment is under active manufacturer support, nearing EOL, or already obsolete

Step 2: Evaluate Your Team’s Capabilities

● Do you have in-house expertise to troubleshoot hardware and software?

● While I’m building up this expertise, will TPM complement my infrastructure support strategy?

● Is your team comfortable managing third-party vendors?

Step 3: Consider Compliance and Security

● Are there regulatory requirements mandating manufacturer support?

● How important are software updates for your security posture?

Step 4: Budget Analysis

● Compare the costs of manufacturer support, TPM, and self-sparing

● Is management willing to pay extra for SLAs, or could cheaper options work?

● Factor in potential downtime costs when evaluating cheaper options

Step 5: Define SLAs

● What level of response time and resolution speed do you require?

● Can your provider meet these SLAs, and at what cost?

Step 6: Hybrid Approach

● Many organizations adopt a mix of support models, such as:

• Manufacturer support for critical systems

• TPM for legacy equipment

• Self-sparing for easily replaceable components

Conclusion

Selecting the right infrastructure support strategy is a balancing act between cost, risk, and operational needs. By carefully evaluating your organization’s requirements, you can design a support mix that ensures reliability without overspending. Whether you opt for manufacturer support, third-party maintenance, self-sparing, or a combination, the key is to align your choice with your infrastructure’s lifecycle, team expertise, and business objectives.

Take the time to review your current setup and explore the options available—your future self (and your budget) will thank you.

On a final note, these options are by no means exhaustive. Still stuck? Why not set aside a bit of time to work out a possible infrastructure support mix most appropriate for your situation?

Blend different support options into a strategy that balances uptime and costs.