What is Cisco SMARTnet?
Downtime isn’t just a technical hiccup; it’s a nightmare for businesses.
Every second your organization is down costs you time, money, productivity and customer trust.
Turning downtime from a full-on emergency to a minor inconvenience is key for any small business. And a big part of minimizing downtime is receiving technical support when your hardware or software goes down.
Cisco SMARTnet: Keep Your Network Running
Cisco SMARTnet is a support service that gives your IT staff or managed service provider access to Cisco experts and additional online resources.
SMARTnet’s features include:
- Hardware replacement: Replace broken hardware with options ranging from two hours to next business day, as well as return for repair.
- Operating system updates: Access to critical updates that keep your systems secure.
- Support from experts: Connect to the Cisco Technical Assistance Center staffed by certified professionals to troubleshoot your issues.
- Online self-help support: Access a range of online, self-help resources, including an online knowledge base, communities and tools.
- Diagnostics: Detailed diagnostics and alerts on your connected devices.
- On-site support (Optional): Certified engineer will travel to your location to replace failed hardware.
“With SMARTnet, your IT team or managed service provider can identify and resolve problems before they affect business continuity, mitigating the risk of possible security issues before they can disrupt your network.”
These services apply to any Cisco-branded devices, such as firewalls, wireless access points, switches, etc.
Not only does it offer a plethora of support tools and expertise, but it also expands upon the Cisco Standard Hardware Warranty.
For example, you could opt for a two-hour advance replacement with SMARTnet — which replaces a broken device within two hours — but with the standard warranty, you’d have to wait up to 10 business days to receive a new device.
Here’s an explanation of the different service levels Cisco offers. Below that, you’ll find a table contrasting SMARTnet services with Cisco’s standard warranty.
Service level | Description |
8 x 5 NBD | Hardware will delivered next business day, 5 days a week during normal business hours |
8 x 5 x 4 hour | Hardware will be delivered within a 4-hour window, 5 days a week during normal business hours |
24 x 7 x 4 hour | Hardware will be delivered within a 4-hour window, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays |
24 x 7 x 2 hour | Hardware will be delivered within a 2-hour window, 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, including holidays |
If you have a firewall, switch or other critical piece of hardware down, you can’t afford to wait 10 days to have a replacement shipped to you.
Unfortunately, Cisco essentially forces you to purchase SMARTnet, as it’s the only way to receive operating system updates.
Cisco SMARTnet Benefits
With SMARTnet, your IT team or managed service provider can identify and resolve problems before they affect business continuity, mitigating the risk of possible security issues before they can disrupt your network.
It also improves your organization’s operational efficiency by keeping your IT staff or managed service provider up to date on the latest security threats.
And of course, broken hardware won’t impact business operations as much because you can receive replacement hardware much quicker than with a standard warranty.
Learn More About Cisco SMARTnet
Your network is your lifeline, and a down network affects more than just your bottom line. Contact us here to learn more about how Cisco SMARTnet can minimize your organization’s downtime.
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