Don’t Gamble with Your Network
“Network problems…it’s nothing serious. Considering the money we saved on this equipment, it’s worth the risk.”
In these tough economic times, it may seem harmless for customers to take advantage of that too-good-to-be-true deal from an uncertified reseller. However, buying uncertified equipment may cost more in the long run in terms of lost time, repairs, and legal problems. This is according to an IDC Executive Brief “Creating Corporate Policies to Protect IT Infrastructure.” (PDF)
The report goes on to say, “Uncertified IT equipment is generally introduced into corporate systems inadvertently. Buyers looking for discontinued products to maintain the system infrastructure, an emergency replacement for a failed unit, or better pricing on new products to fit into a constrained IT budget are just a few of the possible scenarios that could introduce the uncertified equipment.”
Cisco relies on channel partners to deploy more than 90 percent of commercial and enterprise products. To ensure that customers get authentic Cisco products, they should buy only from authorized Cisco Channel Partners. For those with tight budgets, Cisco Certified Refurbished equipment comes with the same warranty as new products.
To learn more about the secondary market, counterfeit and third-party products, and refurbished solutions, visit these resources below.
Information and resources:
- Brand Protection website
- Cisco Certified Refurbished Equipment
- Global Business Controls (software licensing, SMARTnet/service entitlements)
Posted by Alexandra Krasne at 02:29PM PST
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