Third-party support for IBM equipment
Ensuring your IBM hardware is up and running is one task on your growing list of responsibilities. Leverage data center support that works alongside your team to meet IT goals.
THIRD-PARTY SERVER, STORAGE AND NETWORK SUPPORT
Understand your maintenance options
IBM hardware is built to last. Take advantage of the opportunity to extend the life of your investment while continuing to meet your performance demands with the help of third-party maintenance for IBM equipment.
*These options apply to North American contracts only.
IBM |
Service Express |
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| Maintenance Support Features | ||
| 24/7×365 onsite support |
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| Warranty & post-warranty support |
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| Gap coverage |
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| EOL & EOSL support |
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| Dedicated primary & secondary engineer |
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| Engineer callback in 30 minutes or less |
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| Locally stocked parts |
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| Adjustable & penalty-free terms |
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| Easy-out agreements & locked-in pricing |
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Third-party IBM I And AIX Support
Unbundle hardware and software support
Ensure your IBM hardware continues operating at peak performance with third-party IBM i and AIX software support.
Our certified IBM experts provide the guidance you need to continue meeting demands.
IBM |
Service Express |
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| Third-party IBM i & AIX support | ||
| 24/7×365 remote support |
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| Dedicated software support team |
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| Extended support for older versions |
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| Annual health check |
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| Layered product support |
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*OS version upgrades, Service Pack and Technology Level updates require OEM entitlement to access – contact us for more information.
Get the most from your third-party IBM data center support
We understand the challenges of increased workloads, demands and requirements you face every day. ExpressConnect® helps your team accomplish more by simplifying support and optimizing performance.
30+ years of experience
Average 10-minute engineer callback
97% first-trip repair success
13,000+ IBM products on contract
All supported IBM products
BladeCenter
Flex System
iSeries – AS/400
Power Systems
pSeries – RS/6000
PureFlex
xSeries
zSeries
3584 Tape Library
DS Series
ESS Series
FlashSystem
N Series
PureData System
Storwize
SVC Series
TS Series
XIV
Server Networking
Storage Networking
AIX
IBM i
Search thousands of End of Life & End of Service Life dates
Understand your equipment life cycle
Where is your IBM hardware in the product life cycle? Select the year below to discover equipment support options and the next steps for your equipment.
General Availability
New equipment is introduced and made available to consumers. OEM warranties are typically sold with the equipment and vary in timeframes between 1-5+ years.
Support options:
- Third-party maintenance may be an option if additional support is needed.
End of Life (EOL) / End of Sale (EOS)
Manufacturers begin sending EOL alerts for equipment. This means the OEM no longer produces, markets or sells the equipment. At this point, firmware, patches or upgrades are reduced.
Support options:
Action:
- Connect with a third-party maintenance provider if you have immediate concerns regarding bug fixes, security, performance, etc. Third-party software maintenance may be a good fit if firmware or microcode is freely available.
- Evaluate your immediate and long-term infrastructure strategy. Just because your equipment has approached the EOL milestone doesn’t mean it’s time for a hardware refresh. Your hardware will continue performing well beyond the 6-year lifespan. Consider a third-party maintenance provider to help you extend the life of your equipment and save critical budget dollars.
End of Development (EOD) / End of Service Life (EOSL)
Manufacturers no longer produce, develop, update or support the equipment.
Support options:
Action:
- Take the time to determine if a hardware refresh is the best decision for your business needs. If your equipment is meeting immediate compatibility, capacity and reliability needs, consider delaying a hardware refresh to extend the life of your investment.
Real customers, powerful solutions
“The best vendor, period. The reps to the techs who come onsite (and everyone in between) have top-notch people who know their jobs and get them done. For the rest of my working career, if it’s my decision, Service Express will be my support company.”
Service Express
Data Center and Network Third-Party Hardware Maintenance
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The engineers are well experienced and have good knowledge. They have timely responses.
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Service Express has provided hardware services for our older servers and storage well after the manufacturer has dropped support and they do it for much less.
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They truly try to help customers save money without sacrificing support or degraded service. This service will truly help you optimize your budget dollars and extend the life of technology hardware.
”(read more)
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Switching Service Express is the best decision we have made
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We had a great experience with them. They are more concerned with getting things fixed for us than making sure they get paid. We had one location that was not in the contract.
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We have a very complex environment and it makes servicing our datacenter very tricky. Service Express constantly strives to provide the most customized and tailored support,
”(read more)
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When we were faced with the decision on how to move forward with our aging equipment that would no longer be supported by the original manufacturer via a support agreement,
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The transition to ServiceExpress was seamless. Once everything was onboarded, support continued as it should with no interruptions. Service delivery has been top notch, with
”(read more) -
Service Express' response times to tickets is phenomenal, their network engineers are very knowledgeable and helpful when needed
”(read more)
IBM maintenance FAQ
EOL and EOSL are terms used to indicate an equipment life cycle stage related to OEM support, updates and development. Your hardware will continue to perform well after its EOL or EOSL milestone. View our EOL vs. EOSL Tip Sheet to learn more about what these terms mean for your equipment.
Our team of IBM experts can help you determine what equipment is best to remain on OEM maintenance or switch to third-party maintenance. We’re always available to discuss your options — contact us to get started.
Switching to third-party software support ensures your IBM hardware continues to operate at peak performance without the high price tag.
- Access to our dedicated software support team without phone trees or delayed callbacks
- Assistance troubleshooting performance and reconfiguration issues
- Maintain legacy equipment without upcharges or penalties
- Easily make changes as they occur with flexible coverage
Contact us for more information about third-party software support.
Coverage that meets your needs
24/7
30-minute engineer callback
Four hour onsite response
24/7×365
Same business day
30-minute engineer callback
Four hour onsite response
M-F, 8am-5pm
Next business day
30-minute engineer callback
Next business day onsite response
M-F, 8am-5pm
Custom
Need a customized solution?
We’ll work with you to create an SLA that meets your needs.
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Featured resources
EPISODE TWO Our In a Flash video series aims to educate IT professionals on popular topics and solutions for data centers in a concise and straightforward way. In this episode, Service Express IT aficionado, Chad, covers the basics of third-party maintenance and how it fits into your overall data center maintenance strategy. How is third-party data center maintenance different than OEM support? What […]
International delivery company solves service obstacles and saves $5 million in OpEx costs
The distribution company dealt with repeated service gaps, support issues and a lack of confidence in their current third-party maintenance (TPM) provider’s expertise. A new solution would include responsive communication, reliable service and consistent responses. The IT team connected with Service Express to support over 400 systems, including Brocade, EMC, HPE and IBM, in 28 locations.
OEM support vs. third-party support – be prepared with what to know for each: how costs differ and why, coverage and service offers of each, flexibility and support options for both, is there possibility of customization?Which fits your needs better? Which option should you choose?
