What Does 8x5xNBD Support Mean for Your Business?

Extended warranty service level agreements (SLAs) vary drastically from one provider to the next. Plus, there’s a lot of specific terminologies that can add confusion. What does 8x5xNBD coverage really mean and how does it affect your business? We will break it down in this post. 

What Is a Service Level Agreement? 

Before we go too far, let’s make sure everyone is on even footing when it comes to understanding what an SLA is. It’s nothing more than a contract between a customer and a service provider that spells out what the customer can expect in terms of assistance, when that assistance might be provided, and what kind of availability to expect. 

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN AN 8X5XNBD SLA? 

The service level agreement you choose dictates your experience – when you’ll have access to support, how long you’ll wait for help when there’s a problem, and more. It’s a critical consideration. 

8×5 

This simply means 8 am to 5 pm, which are the hours during which you can access the help desk. If you have an issue, question, or concern, simply reach out by phone, email, or support ticket to the company providing this SLA. 

Some providers even enable call home monitoring from 8 am to 5 pm. That means you have continual network monitoring during standard business hours. Their teams can monitor your data center for warning signs that might indicate an issue and report those immediately if present. In addition to system-critical network issues, this can include monitoring performance, backups, updates, and more. 

NBD 

NBD stands for next business day. With 8x5xNBD coverage, you have a next business day response window when it comes to parts delivery, although it may take even less time. When a hardware component fails, time is a crucial consideration. If your data center is not fully functional, your business cannot compete. Your ability to serve your own clients may also be hampered. Having access to timely replacement is vital. 

On-Site Engineers 

Don’t have your own in-house team of IT specialists and engineers? Is your team occupied with other mission-critical tasks? You can rest easy knowing that most 8x5xNBD SLAs include the option of having on-site engineers locally dispatched to your location when a problem arises. 

Having access to on-site engineers is an important consideration for organizations struggling to create an in-house IT team, but also for those seeking to reduce IT costs and run leaner. With access to expert engineers, you can focus on building the in-house team that best fits your needs and budget without worrying about the impact of outages or equipment failure. 

On-Site Spares 

Immediate access to critical parts is essential in this day and age. 8x5xNBD SLAs provide the option to include on-site spares, which ensures that spare parts are kept on hand for emergencies. Such an inclusion means no wait time for parts to be shipped (not even the next business day), but most importantly your in-house IT team can replace failed or damaged components without missing a beat. 

Parts Replacement 

One thing that often surprises companies working with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is that while the manufacturer might cover the cost of the equipment if it’s still under warranty, it usually doesn’t cover parts replacement. 8x5xNBD agreements may include parts replacement as part of your coverage, ensuring there are no surprises. 

Don’t Let Downtime Be Your Reality 

Downtime can cost you thousands of dollars every minute – the right partner can help you avoid network downtime if possible. With Park Place Technologies, you get the peace of mind and protection you need. Our customizable service levels offer access to a team of certified experts, the assurance of engineer response in as little as 4 hours, and protection against detrimental outages and their associated costs. 

Get in touch today for a quote on our industry-leading third party maintenance services.