HP XP Support Concerns: HP XP24000, HP XP20000, and HP XP P9500 Support Customers Weigh Provider Options

Is it time to look elsewhere for HP XP support for the HP XP24000, HP XP20000, or HP XP P9500? With the impending break-up of HP, some customers believe so. The media seem to agree. The Platform has been among the many outlets questioning HP’s future:

[I]n the next five months, HP will be two separate companies going their own ways, and the company’s hundreds of thousands of datacenter customers are correctly concerned about how the new HP Enterprise, to be run by current CEO Meg Whitman, will be better suited to providing them technology and services. It is not at all obvious how an HP enterprise business divorced from the PC and printer businesses will somehow be better at riding the technical and economic storms that afflict the datacenters of the world.

Yikes! The Register is similarly pessimistic: “While CEO Meg Whitman is occupied with splitting HP into two, there is not much exec mindshare focused on getting the storage business out of its slump,” they say. “The storage business, at just three per cent of HP’s overall revenues, probably gets a three per cent Meg Whitman mindshare.”

The only part of HP’s business likely to get less attention would be the long-term support of storage hardware. That’s why many IT professionals who had previously purchased HP Care Packs for their StorageWorks systems are now seeking alternatives. It’s a prudent move and one with some impressive financial benefits.

Customer-Centric Service

We may not know what’s ahead with HP, but we can speak with authority about the attention to support paid by top-tier third party maintenance companies, such as Park Place Technologies. In our case, we are 100% support focused, so we aren’t distracted by hardware sales, consulting arrangements, and other services. This fact sets us apart not only from HP, but also from many other alternative maintenance providers.

The difference in service becomes clear from day one. Park Place’s support is more personalized to the customer. We help each IT organization design a custom support solution to meet their needs and budget. Once a contract is in place, we then arrive on site to perform a free systems analysis. It’s a great chance to get to know the local, Level 3 engineer who will be assigned to the account, to address any questions or issues, and to get recommendations on anything from fine-tuning performance to optimizing backup processes. From there, we check in quarterly to review trouble calls, spot and resolve systemic problems, and ensure the support solution continues to exceed the IT organization’s expectations. These proactive discussions just don’t happen with HP support.

Save More, Get More

Worries about HP’s service quality are leading data center managers to research third party HP XP maintenance options, but it’s the combination of cost-savings and comprehensive contracts that is encouraging many to make the leap. An Park Place agreement, for example, is typically priced 40% to 70% below an HP Care Pack. For the money, clients get:

• Full component coverage, certified spare parts, and on-site installation. Drive failures and other hardware issues will have minimal impact, because Park Place will arrive quickly with parts in hand.
• Complete hardware, software, and firmware support. We’re more than a hardware insurance policy. We’re a full HP XP StorageWorks support solution.
• 24/7 remote monitoring. Park Place is always in touch with your systems, and we guarantee it with a daily diagnostic process.
• Telephone and online support with no escalation procedure. We staff exclusively Level 3 engineers, so there’s no low-skill help desk staff to deal with in order to get answers and assistance.
• Online portal for tracking product information and filing trouble tickets. The convenience of tracking product IDs and contract information, contacting us for break/fix, monitoring the Park Place response, etc., is all at your fingertips.
• Engineering help with issues that aren’t the usual break/fix calls. We give each client four hours to four days of engineering time to use, as needed.

We know that data center managers are being asked to make the most of IT investments.