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For example, HP and IBM offer to give support to the competitor's products at a lowered price.

My situation is that the 16TB NetApp we have is fine, but the contract is about to expire and renewing a support contract on old hardware is exceeding expensive compared to what we pay now, and we don't need the highest level of support.

So I'm wondering, if there's a similar situation in the storage area, where other vendors offer to support NetApp equipment?

HopelessN00b
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Sandra
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  • can't comment, perhaps Dell? But I'd be wary of support a 3rd-party will provide: a) are they just sub-contracting out for NetApp, so you're adding another layer of triaging on top of the real support? b) does it cover hardware replacement or just technical support? – gravyface Aug 23 '12 at 12:42
  • NetApp is pretty strict in the area of support. I do not believe they contract out – JMeterX Aug 23 '12 at 13:11
  • Dell won't sell you a support contract on an IBM power 6 server, so why would they sell one for something like a Netapp? – Basil Aug 23 '12 at 14:59
  • I'd do the ibm support, they at least sell netapp stuff rebranded I think but it is netapp stuff.. – tony roth Aug 23 '12 at 15:04
  • Buy a new NetApp with support, and sell the old to offset the cost? Or give it away to the poor HopelessN00b who suggested replacing it? :D – HopelessN00b Aug 24 '12 at 00:35

2 Answers2

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You might be able to get a reseller to support it for you, but there aren't many who will do that, and you might not be lucky enough to share a geography with them. I heard of one in Delaware, but that's the only one I know.

You might be best just buying a new unit and specifying that it has to come with a 5 year warranty. Support contracts are the industry's way of levering companies into replacing perfectly good hardware.

Basil
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  • +1 but a reseller is most likely just going to call NetApp anyways, and even with a high level partner status, they're likely not going to be able to beat (if at all) any support contract costs that NetApp would sell you directly. Plus you'll likely be paying more on top of what NetApp would charge you for the reseller's time. – gravyface Aug 23 '12 at 15:05
  • The one I linked is an aftermarket reseller. It's the only one I know of. – Basil Aug 23 '12 at 15:18
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At the slight risk of self-advertisement, you might want to consider joining the toasters-administrators mailing list, and asking on there. List's at http://www.teaparty.net/mailman/listinfo/toasters (disclaimer: I started this list, in 1997, and still administer it).

MadHatter
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  • Might want to add some feature/benefits to that pitch. The list name/URL is not exactly self-promoting. EDIT: Had no idea about the "toasters" term of endearment(?). Carry on. – gravyface Aug 23 '12 at 15:06
  • thanks, gravyface. That's what NetApp informally called them Many Many Years Ago (tm), when they were trying to pitch them as (you guessed it) appliances. – MadHatter Aug 23 '12 at 15:11