Maintaining your company’s IT hardware involves knowledgeable decisions and management, especially important practices in today’s technologically advanced environment. Proactive in nature, proper decision-making and management reduces time and effort in the future.
Third-party maintenance (TPM) is a hardware support solution worth considering. Your support is provided by vendors who are independent of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The TPM providers offer hardware support for servers, storage, and network equipment. It works as an alternative or in addition to OEM at any point in your hardware’s lifecycle. For the most part, TPM support is equivalent to or better than OEM offerings. Best of all, TPM support can be used creatively to extend technology budgets.
TPM providers deliver an array of customized service choices and individual attention, as well as flexible options that include multiple service solutions. TPM supports clients with online technical support, phone support, parts handling, on-site engineering assistance, remote monitoring, and help with cost management.
Companies of all sizes can benefit from TPM. Third-party maintenance offers small business’s manageability and affordability. Large companies can utilize TPM to help reduce overhead and boost profit margins. TPM support, overall, can provide a savings of 50-60%. A smart way to maximize your budget for IT spending. Of course, storage and data backup are vital and increasingly important in contributing to data recovery. For example, you open your Outlook and find it has crashed, but you have backed up your data with diligence. This one act of backing up data allows you to retrieve it immediately!
WHAT DOES TPM INCLUDE? |
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| An advantage of TPM is its money-saving benefits. Third-party service can help companies in many areas, saving valuable time on the computer and engineering-related issues, all with less cost than most OEMs. In a variety of areas, TPM services often extend far beyond the bounds of OEMs traditional offerings. It’s important to note that with TPM, your company retains full control of its own data center and computing infrastructure while benefiting from the support and expertise of a qualified, certified, independent third party. |
| Phone & Online Support - A TPM service can offer support via phone for various computer-related issues such as troubleshooting, system upgrades, virus removal, and firewall protection. It can be a cost-effective option for smaller companies that cannot afford to hire in-house IT staff. Online support is also available for companies of varying sizes, providing assistance with computer-related issues and scaling up or down when needed. |
| On-Site Engineering Assistance - Some TPM services offer on-site support and assistance with various aspects of engineering and equipment use. This type of service can be beneficial for companies that require help with the details of their organizational infrastructure. |
| Remote Monitoring - TPM remote monitoring provides valuable insights into the safety and efficiency of your operation, helping to defend your assets. It can alert you to any potential dangers before they affect your system, allowing for proactive measures to be taken. |
| OS Support - A third-party service can assist with a smooth transition each time you upgrade your operating system. This can be particularly time-saving for smaller companies. Additionally, for larger companies with devices of varying compatibility, TPM can help with rollouts across the organization and even when switching to a different operating system. |
Hybrid TPM Model or the Cloud: Which is Better for your Data?
Typically, storage is by tape libraries and disk arrays, or through using a cloud service. Tape libraries and disk arrays are network storage. The network storage differs from cloud storage because the network storage is private; some refer to it as “private cloud storage.” Network storage systems, like all systems, require service, typically covered by OEM, but can also be subsidized and supported by TPM. A company can do this at any point in the hardware’s lifecycle.
What is a better system for storage? A comparison of some important aspects of a hybrid (TPM/OEM/SPARES) model with cloud management help when you’re thinking about which is best for you. While comparing, it is important to consider the hybrid support model to include a spares program. The hybrid model support strategy can be designed to provide various options for your infrastructure needs.
Hybrid TPM and Cloud Storage Comparison
| Elements | Hybrid TPM Model | Cloud Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Maintenance | Flexible customized support. Examples: month-to-month contracts can be terminated without penalty. Quick attention to needs accelerates repair. | If online presence isn’t critical, this isn’t an issue. If your systems are critical, it may be frustrating when unable to speak directly with an engineer. |
| Speed | Dedicated servers are desired when looking for fast processing and retrieval of information. |
Dependent on Internet connection, upload and download speed; high latency, can impede data access in real-time. |
| Strategy | Strategic use of OEM, TPM, and spares program model empowers the company’s ability to build solutions that fit their unique needs. Data saving strategies: only store what is needed and create a policy for data retention. | Base decisions on sound business goals and realistic expectations. What are potential benefits? What is the end goal? Further, cloud strategies must ably accommodate various services and possibly various levels, models, scope, and applications. |
| Ease of Use | Network-attached storage continues trending toward user-friendliness. | hen service providers make configurations Enables users to manage remote storage on computers and smart devices. |
| Data Security | Storing your data off the Internet protects privacy. Although cloud providers try to rely on sophisticated cybersecurity systems, the companies are in the business of making money. Securing your data is your livelihood. |
Agile wPrivacy issues and data security continue to plague cloud-based storage infrastructure. Cloud security is improved with multi-authentication, cybersecurity disclosure, and general data protection regulation (GDPR). Risk managers should consider a rising proportion of cloud data, non-cloud provider third-parties with access to cloud data, unauthorized employee usage of cloud services, and changes in product offerings or contract terms from cloud providers. |
| Price | Many companies find a hybrid solution is cost-effective. TPM systems let companies retain full control of their own data center and infrastructure. | Cloud-based cost savings are possible, but not always the case. Cloud migration and operations can be costly. |
WHY A HYBRID TPR IS THE BEST DATA STORAGE SOLUTION FOR YOU
With the use of a cloud service provider, the provider controls your data, On the other hand, when you use a hybrid TPR model for your network attached storage (NAS), you are holding your own data. You must ask, to what degree are you willing to store your data with a third party. Cloud service providers may offer a second layer of security with two-factor authentication, but there are considerations and drawbacks. First, a rising proportion of data stored in the cloud might indicate risk. Also, you need to think about a growing percentage of non-cloud provider third parties with access to data in the cloud. Third, are changes in product offerings or contract terms from cloud provider(s) being noted? A final indicator of risk is unauthorized employee use of cloud services.
Emerging risks, those that are new and carry unforseen potential for harm were reported to be:
- Global economic slowdown
- AI/robotics skill gaps
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Cyber security disclosure
As we move forward in the age of big data and the Internet of things, third-party maintenance and hybrid support can work creatively with ease and less cost. Using a hybrid TPM strategy can help your company save money. This applies to all; whether your entity is small, expanding, or large. And if you store sensitive private data, a third-party maintenance service can maximize system security with a single group of trusted specialists.
Managing an infrastructure can be complicated. It’s smart to count on the assistance of a unified team whose knowledge and experiences are on your side. In this Internet time of things, it isn’t the big fish that eat the small; it is the smart fish that best serve a need.
