Small-to-medium sized businesses have more options for Cisco support than ever before, with a range of support contracts that can be purchased to extend the lifespan and ROI of Cisco hardware.
The two major options are between Cisco SMARTnet or the Cisco Small Business Support Service. The latter is much more affordable for smaller operations, but brings a reduced set of services.
Here's a quick rundown of the major differences.
Choosing Between Cisco SMARTnet or Small Business Support Service
1 - SBSS is only for certain products.
For starters, the Small Business Support Service is only an option if you have products in Cisco's Small Business line. This page on Cisco's site lists all the supported hardware.
If your Cisco product isn't from the Small Business line, it's just a choice between Cisco SMARTnet or the standard warranty. If it is from their Small Business portfolio, you've got your choice of SBSS or SMARTnet (in certain cases).
2 - SMARTnet offers faster parts replacement.
One of the biggest limitations on SBSS is that most parts replacement happens on a next-day or two-day, whereas Cisco SMARTnet allows for 4-hour or even 2-hour turnarounds, for extra charge of course.
That said, if you're a small business that still thinks you'd have a need for 4-hour replacement times, you also have the option to upgrade to the Small Business Support Rapid Response Service, which is otherwise identical to the regular SBSS.
We'd suggest having a cost-analysis done to determine exactly how much you would lose per hour/day if your network went down. The faster parts options are basically insurance against that.
3 - SMARTnet has Smart Call Home for certain products.
If your Cisco hardware is listed on this page, SMARTnet brings even more advantages over SBSS. Smart Call Home is a revolutionary new form of proactive technical support. When subscribed, your key network appliances continually 'phone home' to Cisco with stats for tracking, analysis, and optimization.
This allows Cisco's smart systems -or their technicians- to spot problems with an absolute minimum of delay. Many times, they catch problems before they become problems. If not, the Smart Call Home system can be authorized to automatically alert a Cisco representative at the same time it alerts you.
4 - SMARTnet brings you your own case manager.
Unlike SBSS, which simply grants 24/7/365 access to support services, SMARTnet subscribers get a dedicated case manager, along with greater access to online tools relating to their service issues.
5 - SMARTnet can include on-site support.
At the high end, SMARTnet can include direct dispatch of certified Cisco technicians to install and verify your hardware, including any replacements that need to be done. Such support isn't available through SBSS. This can also be combined with their Advanced Replacement Parts system to keep spare parts on-site, waiting for a technician to install them.
Most smaller businesses probably don't need the hands-on support, unless you're focused on high-end hardware or cloud services.
Cisco Offers Truly Top-Grade Support
While there are plenty of other companies with more affordable products, Cisco is still the top name in networking because they employ many of the best technicians in the business. With Cisco Small Business Support Services, they can now offer top-grade support to even smaller firms.
Or, Cisco SMARTnet can take you from your very beginnings all the way to a global-scale network, with service offerings that scale upward to match your needs as you grow.
Need more advice? Just contact Hummingbird Networks today. We're a 100% Cisco-Certified Select partner and can help you with any of your Cisco support questions.
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