Networking downtime is a costly problem for companies of all sizes. One minor outage and you could be frustrating hundreds of customers and wasting hours of work time. That’s why business owners, managers, and IT professionals need to consider insurance from the networking service provider.
Cisco offers 3 main options for their networking equipment: a standard warranty, Small Business Support Service (SBSS), and Cisco SMARTnet. Each comes with a different price and set of offerings.
Small-to-medium sized businesses might want to extend the life of their Cisco products through these support contracts. In general, SBSS is the cheaper option and a better value for smaller organizations but also doesn’t include some potentially useful features that Cisco SMARTnet has.
Let’s go into detail about the differences so your business can make the right decision.
Availability
Cisco keeps a list on its website specifying specifying which of its products are considered small business-certified. If your products are not on the list, then SBSS is not available on your hardware, and your choice is purely between a standard warranty and Cisco SMARTnet.
If they are on the list, then your products are eligible for either SBSS or SMARTnet services. Read on to find out which one is ideal in your case.
Replacement Time
When something breaks, a quick replacement is needed to get the network running again quickly. SBSS replacements occur within a few days, whereas Cisco SMARTnet brings you new hardware within a few hours. Not only that, but SMARTnet provides on-site Cisco technicians and spare parts to quicken the process.
Many smaller businesses won’t require this degree of hands-on support, but for those that need the extra insurance against network downtime, the options are limited to SMARTnet and certain, more expensive variations of SBSS.
Feature Set
Cisco SMARTnet’s biggest advantage over other plans is the number of features bundled in, which include online resources for educating employees on network maintenance and configuration. There’s also a case manager for dealing with problems individually.
Speed of Service
As mentioned, replacement parts don’t come in as quickly through SBSS. In addition to faster repairs, Cisco SMARTnet comes with an optional Smart Call Home service, in which certain devices send their operating data, performance reports, and potential issues directly to Cisco. Should any issues be detected, they can be fixed automatically before they become serious problems.
Cisco SMARTnet | Netcon Solutions | Toronto, GTA
It’s clear that SMARTnet is the way to go for any medium-sized business or any IT-focused company wanting a strong and reliable network for the employees and clients. SBSS could be a good choice if you believe the coverage is sufficient for your preferences.
If you do take the pricier route, why not save some of the budget on networking equipment? Netcon Solutions specializes in providing used and refurbished networking equipment in excellent condition to enterprise-grade businesses throughout Canada.
We stand behind every sale we make thanks to one-year warranties and excellent customer support. Combine the benefits of Cisco SMARTnet or Small Business Support Service with Netcon Solutions for the ultimate business networking experience.
• Cisco clients can choose between standard warranties, Small Business Support Service, and SMARTnet for protecting themselves against networking failures, errors, and downtime.
• SMARTnet, while more expensive, comes with a variety of extra features and coverage that could be invaluable to medium-sized companies. Certain organizations may find SBSS perfectly suitable for their own IT needs.
• Regardless of your choice, there’s no reason not to pick up refurbished networking equipment from Netcon Solutions for the best prices with quality that matches the experience of getting new hardware.