An Affordable EMC VNX Maintenance Solution

Has your EMC VNX maintenance service that came with your warranty run out? Are you considering purchasing or renewing a support contract with EMC for this equipment? Before you make any decisions, it is essential that you read this article.

VNX is About Affordability…Usually

The 2011 launch of the VNX product line, which ended EMC’s Clariion/Cellera bifurcation and presented the market with a unified storage solution, gave the entry and mid-range storage consumers something to cheer about. The VNXe allowed small and mid-sized businesses access to impressive technology and VMWare integration for less than $10,000 and the “full” VNX hit a similarly attractive price point for the enterprise.

Since then, new models have delivered “the performance of the previous generation at only one-third the price” which makes this blogger wonder “how other data services outfits can even enter the market.” Per Tech Week Europe, “the recently launched VNX-F array is EMC’s lowest price all-flash storage system, created to deliver raw performance and capacity.”

Unfortunately, EMC’s dedication to keeping customers’ costs down does not extend to maintenance and support. In that high-margin arena, the company plays the same games as the other OEMS. They all put their finger on the scale for customers weighing the TCO of an existing piece of equipment (energy requirements, space needs, service contract, etc.) against the cost of new hardware. By artificially raising support contract prices, EMC makes new, warrantied equipment look more attractive.

Reset the Balance in Your Favor

The time to reconsider your support provider is NOT when you’re considering upgrading your equipment. You should examine other options while still experiencing the pleasant flush of new hardware ownership, because as soon as warranty coverage ends—and even before—a third party maintenance provider can start delivering value and savings.

If one of your key criteria for IT decisions is affordability—and as a VNX or VNXe owner, it likely is—when you apply it to maintenance contracts, you’ll have an immediate basis for action. Third party maintenance companies cut 40% to 70% from EMC’s contract costs. These savings add up year upon year after you switch.

Unlike other “budget” options you may have tried, the savings (at least among reputable providers) don’t come from skimping on quality. In this, going with an alternative EMC support provider is akin to taking a generic aspirin, rather than paying extra for the same product in a bottle labeled Bayer.

Or it would be if that generic aspirin were extra strength!

Putting the Extras in VNX Maintenance

Park Place Technologies does more than save customers money. We also offer more comprehensive EMC maintenance service than EMC itself, and put a bunch of premium features in our standard, highly affordable contracts—no matter what SLA level you choose.