NetApp 6280: To Renew or Not to Renew NetApp Support?

The NetApp 6280 was part of a massive NetApp revamp of its high-end and mid-range storage products, an overhaul that replaced 80% of the company’s line (according to ZDNET) and coincided with the release of ONTAP 8. While it’s hard to parse which products contributed what, NetApp sits happily in second place for NAS storage, so the hardware product refresh, including the 6280, seems to have worked.

It’s been almost three years since the November 2010 release, so most customers’ support contracts for the NetApp 6280 are or soon will be up for renewal. So should you renew support with NetApp? From both a cost and quality-of-service perspective, we’d advise against.

A Lower Cost Solution Exists…

Cost is a simple topic to cover. Third party maintenance saves 30% to 70% compared to NetApp 6280 support contracts. When you add in the lack of pressure to upgrade—service is not rescinded as part of the end-of-life process if you use third party maintenance, so you can keep your equipment longer—the savings can touch both your operating and capital budget.

…and it’s a BETTER Solution

Of course, saving money isn’t the only consideration, or you would probably go it alone. You need a high-quality, responsive support provider. Fortunately that’s exactly what third party maintenance gets you when you choose the right partner!

There is a white paper that really lays out the advantages of third party maintenance, we’ve also discussed some of key advantages of Park Place Technologies, and support for the NetApp 6280 specifically here. Let’s take a moment to discuss some of the less apparent, more qualitative advantages. Third party maintenance is:

• Personal service—by which we mean picking up the phone and speaking immediately with a Level 3 engineer—is quicker, easier, and more effective than going through NetApp’s escalation process. And over time, your support engineers learn a lot about your business needs and challenges, so you get constantly improving outcomes.
• With Park Place Technologies, you have someone local to you who can come on site, see what you’re seeing, and take it from there. And if the problem is with hardware, the spare parts are local, too.
• Years in the business have ensured we are among the most experienced providers of NetApp support, so we can help you optimize your systems, give unbiased input regarding upgrades, and troubleshoot with the best of them.

Third party maintenance is like going to the farmer’s market rather than the grocery store. You get to ask questions of real, local people who have a hands-on understanding of the product. And just like farmer’s markets, third party maintenance is catching on and growing.

Whether you’ve been reading about third party maintenance for a while or have just started searching out a better choice for supporting your 6280, the next step is to start a conversation with a reputable provider. To get some prices, discuss the contract options, and get an idea of how the solution will fit your situation, feel free to contact us anytime