What Is Co-Term Support?

As companies grow, their technological footprint grows and diversifies too. As this happens, more equipment is required to keep up. Sometimes, this results in a company purchasing devices from more than one manufacturer. For instance, a large company may use a NetApp device for its network, but an EMC device for storage. One major problem that these businesses run into is the hassle and expenses of having to structure and maintain separate contracts with each original equipment manufacturer (OEM) they buy from. 

For those in charge of their company’s budgets, these separate contracts are not only costly, but require a great deal of time to attend to. Many companies are not aware of something called “co-term support,” which is available from qualified third party support providers like Park Place Technologies. This article will help to explain what co-terming is, and how it can help your business thrive. 

Defining “Co-Term” 

“Co-terming,” refers to combining different devices, services, or products into a single support contract. Additionally, it can mean combining products with differing coverage start dates, or even varying Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Essentially, it helps eliminate the need to draw up an entirely new support agreement for each device by make, model, initial service date, coverage duration, coverage level, and other varying factors. This is the latest evolution of multi-vendor hardware support. 

Here is an example to illustrate: suppose a company has a Cisco-branded switch in its data center which began receiving Next Business Day (NBD) support in June, but you also have a NetApp network device that requires 7x24x4 coverage which will be up for support a few months later. With co-term support, both of these devices can be signed for and covered under the same contract, in spite of the fact that their support began at different times. 

Co-term support becomes even more beneficial for devices that have reached their end of service life (EOSL). When devices reach EOSL, they will no longer receive the same level of support, if any, from their OEM. This often puts companies in a position where they have to scramble to restructure contracts, or buy the newest products from OEMs. This is an unnecessary hit to the company budget. Co-terming gives you the opportunity to keep your devices under a simple contract that saves money over the long term. 

What Does Co-Term Support Mean For My Business? 

Usually, a company will have one device which is under a support contract, and another which does not need extended support until a later date. In this case, that company will be forced to structure an entirely separate agreement for the period of support they want on the second device. This is time consuming and costly. 

Co-terming with Park Place means that all of your devices can be combined onto a single contract, where the devices that most recently needed support are prorated to the initial service date. This way, all of your fees are due at the same time. 

One of the main objectives for those in charge of the way their company spends money is the balance between savings and growth. It can be incredibly difficult to find space in a budget while making business expansion a priority. In those situations, having peace of mind surrounding your business and budget can seem impossible. Fortunately, Park Place Technologies’ co-term support is designed to make this possible. 

Don’t Overcomplicate Support – Choose Park Place! 

There’s no need to overcomplicate support! But, to successfully co-terminate your data center devices, you need an experienced partner. That’s where we come in. At Park Place Technologies, our goal is to provide you with the support you need on each and every one of your data center assets, and to make arranging this coverage as simple as possible. Between our co-terming solution, flexible SLAs, and online portal, getting the support you need has never been easier. 

Get in touch with us today and we’ll ensure you never have to worry about managing complicated hardware maintenance agreements ever again!