
Alternative to Cisco Support
Maximize the value of your Cisco equipment. Explore your post-warranty maintenance options for solutions that best fit your needs.
Understanding post-warranty
support shouldn’t be complicated
When the warranty coverage ends for your server, storage or network hardware, do you know what your post-warranty options are?

OEM post-warranty maintenance
If you continue with OEM support, you’ll often find this option includes:
• Costly service coverage
• Contract restrictions and penalties
• Support limitations over time
• Pressure to refresh equipment

Third-party maintenance (TPM) option
You have control of your equipment and support decisions with TPM solutions. Advantages include:
• Extended equipment life cycles
• Improved service quality
• Flexibility to make changes
• Lower service coverage costs
Cisco post-warranty support FAQ
Yes, according to Cisco, all customers are eligible to receive support from Cisco TAC for certain security vulnerabilities, regardless of contract status. Free software updates may also be offered on a case-by-case basis for critical and high-severity security advisories.
Cisco states the following in its security vulnerability policy:
Incident Response Eligibility
All customers, regardless of contract status, are eligible to receive support from the Cisco TAC for a known or reasonably suspected security vulnerability in Cisco products and services. For more information about how to contact the Cisco TAC, see the General Security Related section of this document. Customers who contact the Cisco TAC should reference the URL of the Cisco security publication to assist in connecting with the proper support team.
Cisco may enforce relicensing and/or inspection of equipment before reinstating support.
In our experience, once coverage has been transferred to our TPM solution, customers rarely return to Cisco support. The decision to use our maintenance occurs only after careful analysis and evaluation of the Cisco equipment and its support needs.
We will work to extend the life of your Cisco equipment as long as we can:
a. Access quality spare parts
b. Meet your business needs
When we are no longer able to meet parts or business needs, we will recommend refresh or upgrade options.
For our customers requiring continued access to updates that are not freely available or have reached the End of Software Maintenance, we recommend continued support with Cisco until access to the entitled updates is no longer required or available.
Find the EOSL dates for the Cisco equipment in your environment by using our EOL & EOSL Database.
The end of service life (EOSL) date marks the end of the standard limited hardware warranty and the end of the extended warranty if applicable. After the EOSL date, Cisco will no longer provide software updates or technical support for the affected product or family of products. At that point, third-party maintenance can offer you the option to extend the equipment’s life cycle and reduce support costs.
Yes, we have engineers with Cisco Certification levels ranging from CCENT to CCIE.
A major advantage of third-party maintenance is that it provides a cost-effective option for organizations using equipment that no longer requires Cisco Smart Net or support due to freely available updates, no updates being developed or Cisco’s last day of support has been reached.
Meet three of our Cisco experts

Brandon Harmsen
Technical Solutions Manager
5 Years at Service Express
Brandon supports strategic IT decision-making by identifying opportunities to optimize maintenance and offering data-driven recommendations for Cisco products.

Craig Edwards
Lead Network Engineer
18 years in the industry,
CCNA & CCNP Certified
Craig prioritizes customer satisfaction by providing clear and effective communication while resolving problems as quickly as possible.

Jim DelRe
Senior Network Engineer
Over 20 years in the industry,
CCIE Certified
Jim is committed to customer success and is passionate about working with technology. His extensive experience includes leading network teams and supporting network infrastructure projects for various customers.
Supported Cisco products
Hyperflex
UCS Series
Catalyst
MCS Series
MDS Series
Nexus

Post-warranty resources for you
We’re here to help you get the information you need for a more successful maintenance strategy.
EOL & EOSL Database: Find important OEM dates that can impact your post-warranty support.
Maintenance Navigator: Connect with our experts for a customized review of your data center maintenance options, including both OEM and TPM support recommendations.
ExpressConnect®: Eliminate exposure risks by tracking warranty coverage for your data center assets in our all-in-one platform.
Search thousands of End of Life & End of Service Life dates
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What are the alternatives to Smart Net? What are the benefits of an alternative? What is a Cisco hybrid support approach? Find out here.

Where do you start when it comes to your Cisco network maintenance? In this webinar, we help you take an informed look at the realities of equipment life cycle, software access, performance reliability and saving opportunities. Learn more about your options as we compare Smart Net and a support solution that gives you more flexibility and reduces your maintenance spend.

Supported Products
Browse server, storage, network, & software we support – products listed by OEM and category. Custom coverage always available!