What is a Third Party Maintenance Provider?
Cisco say “A Third Party Maintenance Provider is a company that is not a Cisco Channel Partner and offers maintenance services for Cisco products.”
Are any Third Party Maintenance Companies approved by Cisco?
No.
If you need Compliance you need Smart Net
If compliance is important to you then keeping your network software current is going to be essential, you will need to update the software on your devices, and the only way to get those updates and maintain compliance is from an authorized source.
How can Smart Net be cheaper than TPM?
You can take out a Smart Net contract at any time, and that includes the day you have a problem with your device. There is no inspection, no fee, no need for “SHOW” outputs and no requirement to have had any Smart Net on the device in the past. All Cisco ask is that you are the legal owner of the license.
How does that make Smart Net cheaper?
You simply don’t need to cover every device in your network, with thoughtful planning and the use of spares, it’s possible to have a Cisco Supported Network at a much cheaper price than a third party alternative.
What about Software Updates?
Cisco devices working in the inside of your network generally do not require constant software updates, and unless you are using advanced features the original software will normally continue to work perfectly.
For critical devices you should update software as necessary, but one software support contract will cover multiple devices. If necessary a single hot spare can be covered by Smart Net for resilience.
