Usually a server is a single point of failure. In otherwords, if the server fails, no one can access documents, email or applications . So, the question is, how long can you be without these critical services?
If you are a Manage IT (Fully managed) customer, you will most likely have received a quote to keep your equipment under the manufacturers warranty. Quite often I receive the question “do I need this?” or “don’t you support our servers?”. These are both valid questions which I will address.
Extended warranty – I don’t want that!
First, it’s easy to confuse the warranty that high street electrical shops used to sell when you bought your product. The sales person used to try and sell you a ridiculously overpriced warranty that sometimes cost 50% of the product you were buying in order to get their commission! I promise you server warranty is not the same….
Taking Dell as an example, here’s the process of in and out of warranty.
In warranty
1. The whole office cannot access files, Ingenio Technologies help-desk investigate.
2. The help-desk remotely diagnose faulty server hardware and contact Dell with results
3. Dell and Ingenio Technologies analyse results and agree hardware failure
4. Dell organise a selection of possible faulty parts and engineer to your site within 4 hours or next business day (your level of cover)
5. Everyone working within 5-6 hours of initial problem
Out of warranty
1. The whole office cannot access files, Ingenio Technologies help-desk investigate.
2. Most likely a Ingenio Tech engineer despatched to site within 1 hour to verify the exact failure
3. Engineer narrows down to most likely parts and informs internal sales at our office
4. Internal sales need to acquire parts schematics to work out the exact part number
5. Internal sales contacts Dell, then parts stockists for parts – often we have to order from Ebay stockists who split old servers for parts.
6. Delivery will be next day up to 5 working days, depending on the supplier
7. Ingenio Technologies engineer arrives with parts, fits and tests. It’s not unknown for second hand parts to not work or fail soon after installation.
Conclusion.
In the case of Dell or HP, they keep stocks of parts for several years – for warranty customers only. You cannot buy these direct from Dell or HP.
If you have business critical servers, then we advise you to have the manufacturers hardware warranty. If you don’t. it’s all a bit of a gamble.
Customers on our proactive ManageIT service will always be alerted to their servers warranty status with an appropriate action plan.
Ingenio Technologies provide managed IT support to Brighton and surrounding areas. Ring 01273 806211 for a free trial or audit of your network.