At CXtec, we always have great advice for you on what to look for when buying used network hardware. There are always telltale signs to look for in order to ensure you’re getting quality equipment.

But there’s another side to that coin. Once you’re ready to sell your used equipment, there are certain factors that should help guide your decision. Keep these things in mind when it’s time to sell your hardware.

Protect your sensitive information on your network hardware

When you’ve sold your hardware to a vendor, what do they do with it? That’s really the first question to ask yourself. Because regardless of how much money they give you, there could be potential repercussions down the road.

Think about it. That vendor will probably look to resell your equipment if it still has industry worth. Which is great, it extends the life cycle of the hardware. But a lot of that hardware has private information stored on it. What would happen if it fell into the wrong hands or was made public because the vendor you sold it to didn’t properly erase your info?

Seek out a vendor that can assure you that the equipment you sell them undergoes a full data cleansing and is returned to factory defaults. That’s the only way to be certain your sensitive information isn’t in danger of being leaked.

Protect your reputation

So what happens if the equipment you’re selling no longer has industry worth and is ready to be recycled? Do you know the vendor you’re working with will recycle that hardware through the proper channels? What happens if they don’t?

Unfortunately for you, if your hardware winds up improperly disposed in a landfill somewhere, you’re still legally liable. That could cost you big in legal fees, and just as important, your reputation could take a pretty bad hit.

It’s imperative that your vendor can prove that they use the proper means of recycling your equipment. They better have downstream partners that do things the right way; otherwise you’re taking a huge risk with your organization’s good name.

Shipping your network hardware isn’t cheap

If you have to pay to ship the equipment you’re selling to that vendor, it will take a huge chunk out of your profit margin. A reputable vendor will provide pre-paid shipping labels so that the expense is taken off your hands. It’s a sound business practice and it ensures you get the best return on your investment as possible.

How much is a vendor really worth if they saddle you with the expense of getting your hardware to them?

Get the maximum value for your network hardware

How can you ensure you’re getting the best price for your hardware? It’s not easy; both sides are going to try to get the best deal they can. But here’s a clue: how financially stable is the company you’re doing business with?

If the company is debt-free and has a good rating, that means the way they do business is sound and they’re able to offer maximum value for the equipment they buy. On the other hand, if they can’t prove that they’re fiscally sound, chances are they’re going to be fleecing you on price to make up the difference.

Look for a vendor that can prove their fiscal solvency. That’s just a fancy way of saying they’re not in debt or have a terrible credit rating! Then you know that the offers they make are based on true value, rather than them trying to bilk you.

Don’t look for a network hardware vendor – find a partner

It’s something we say often here at CXtec. A vendor is one thing, but finding a technology partner who’s there with you every step of the way is vital. It makes all your decisions easier. A lot rides on your asset recovery strategies. Make sure who you’re working with is reputable, and has your interests in mind as well as their own.

Earth Day is April 22, and this time of year definitely gets us thinking about how we can better “go green” and institute environmentally-friendly corporate policies.

Turns out one of the best ways we can do just that is by extending the life of our network hardware. But that’s not the only smart reason to extend product life cycles.

Check out the top 5

5. Do the environment a solid.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “A large number of what is labeled as ‘e-waste’ is actually not waste at all, but rather whole electronic equipment or parts that are readily marketable for reuse or can be recycled for materials recovery.”

This quote certainly can refer to network hardware. Just because one user no longer has a use for a certain product, that doesn’t mean that other users can’t find value in that hardware. There’s no need to de-commission equipment that could still be used. Especially when you consider these statistics from the Electronics Take Back Coalition: “It takes 539 pounds of fossil fuel, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer and monitor.”

Granted, those figures are for a PC, but they’re probably not much different for the manufacturing of network equipment. The bottom line is that creating new hardware is not good for the environment either. So utilizing refurbished or used networking equipment is a great idea.

4. Quality is not an issue. Seriously.

Lots of times people will have this misguided concept that if they use refurbished network hardware instead of new, they have to sacrifice quality and reliability. To this we say… well, we were going to say, “Poppycock,” but we thought it might make us sound old.

Instead we’ll just say, “That’s so untrue!” If you choose quality refurbished networking equipment, you get hardware with a reliability rating superior to new equipment. How does that happen? Simple. A reputable vendor doesn’t spot-check one out of every 50 or 100 units like a manufacturer might; they will rigorously test every device.

And that testing leads to a very reliable offering.

3. Yes, maintenance is still a viable option.

Another misconception we often see is that people sometimes feel that if they use refurbished hardware then they lose the option of having a maintenance program. Once again, this simply isn’t true.

Reputable vendors back their refurbished hardware offerings with the option of a quality maintenance program. When they believe in their own offering, it’s easy to provide a program to back it up. And the best part is, these programs can save you a lot of money over traditional OEM maintenance. Which brings us to our next reason.

2. Save yourself a bundle of budget money.

Utilizing refurbished hardware to maintain your current investment maximizes the return on your investment. All that saved money can be extended to other areas of your business to help provide competitive advantages.

Hey, you could even implement a spares program to gain the ultimate insurance for uptime. The affordability of refurbished equipment makes a program like this attainable.

1. It’s your network, not the manufacturer’s.

You’ve spent years honing your network to suit your business needs. Why would you now let the manufacturer force you into a forklift upgrade with all new equipment that you might not even need?

If your infrastructure is working for you, then it should be business needs and competitive opportunities that drive your upgrade schedules, not the mandates of manufacturers. Extending your technology life cycles gives you the time and the means to move at your preferred pace.

Never feel forced to move into a technology solution you don’t need, or you’re not comfortable with yet. Once you know you have reliable, reputable partners who can help you maintain your current investment, you’ll find incremental upgrades when and where you prefer them will provide confidence and peace of mind.

Are you someone who has ruled out using Cisco in your network because you think the costs are too high?

Hey, we can sympathize. You’ll find no judgment here. Cisco technology has numerous merits and it’s the most popular choice around the world. But as a manufacturer, they’re always pushing the latest and greatest products, and the costs involved with that can really add up on you.

However, there are so many people out there who can afford Cisco and they just don’t know it.

So what are you to do?

Well, have you thought about top quality used Cisco? Wait. Before you fall back on the tired old knee-jerk reactions and myths about pre-owned network hardware, just read on.

What if you could get used Cisco products that are as good as new and have a reliability rating better than new hardware?

Sounds a little better, doesn’t it?

Here are a few reasons why we recommend using high quality pre-owned Cisco hardware  and how it makes Cisco  affordable for you.

Don’t think used Cisco, think as good as new

Answer this question.

What do you really get when you buy brand new Cisco hardware?

Now imagine that all of those positive things you get from new product can also come from buying used Cisco.

Yes, it’s possible.

If you thought about high reliability, a great warranty, and the peace of mind of SMARTnet maintenance coverage, then we have good news. High quality used Cisco can rival those, with a few little bonuses thrown in.

High Quality Used Cisco vs New Cisco

Better than new reliability

For instance, the reliability rating CXtec backs its equal2new hardware with is a robust 99.51%. You might not realize it, but that rating is actually just as good as new products. Now you won’t find manufacturers, Cisco included, routinely telling you what their failure rate is, but most new product failures happen with DOA items or devices that fail within the first 30 days.

The nice thing about high quality pre-owned equipment is that most devices will work nearly flawlessly once burned in. And unlike manufacturers, CXtec tests absolutely every piece of equal2new hardware that goes out our doors. Manufacturers tend to just do spot-checks on every 50^th or 100^th device leaving their doors.

Warranty for a lifetime

It’s hard to see an advantage for new Cisco products in this regard when most come with the standard 90-day warranty. In contrast, you don’t have to look very hard to find top quality pre-owned Cisco hardware with a lifetime warranty and first year advance replacement.

Affordable peace of mind

People often point to SMARTnet as being one of their prime reasons for preferring new Cisco hardware. There’s no arguing that SMARTnet is a quality program.

However, what if you could get next business day advance replacement for your Cisco gear, but it would cost as much as 60% less than SMARTnet?

There are some great amazing Cisco SMARTnet alternatives that allow people to save a bunch of money. You will get a quick, simple, reliable option to guarantee your hardware is up and running in a flash, at a fraction of the cost.

And the best part…

Save from 50% to 90% List! Can You Afford That?

Now that you know you can find top quality used Cisco equipment, what would be the icing on the cake? Well, consider the fact that equal2new certified pre-owned Cisco equipment routinely costs upwards of 70% or more off list price, then you really have something to take note of.

Get all of the benefits you are looking for from new Cisco and a ton of savings? Why not give it shot? With a lifetime warranty backing up the product and NBD hardware replacement, you have nothing to lose.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day this weekend, we wanted to discuss the idea of taking a chance on “luck” in regard to purchasing previously owned or refurbished networking equipment. Typically, around this time of year we hear luck being tossed around playfully as “The luck of the Irish” or the lucky leprechaun with his pot of gold. In reality, luck doesn’t always have a happy ending.

According to Oxford Dictionary, the term luck is defined as “success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.” Failure? No, thank you.

Simply put – your data center is no place for the game of luck. As IT professionals, we should not be comfortable just taking our chances and relying on any equipment for our data centers unless we’re willing to risk the occurrence of a potentially catastrophic failure (which we’re not!).

Used equipment is not all alike. The days of, “Gee, I hope this used switch works well enough” are over. When you know the source you’re purchasing from, you can forget about luck and be confident that you made the best decision for your business. Understand that cost is different than value. Just because ABC Company is charging $0.25 per switch doesn’t mean that your company will benefit from this initial cost savings (so save your quarter and buy a gumball).

You can save money (up to 90% off list price) AND not sacrifice on quality with CXtec’s equal2new brand of certified refurbished networking equipment. All equal2new equipment goes through a 10 step testing and certification process – taking “luck” out of the equation.

Let equal2new be the pot of gold at the end of your data center rainbow (okay, that was really lame, we know). But, trust us on this one. Contact us and see how equal2new can make your life easier and your pockets more full.

Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

We hear from IT professionals all the time who claim that they aren’t allowed to purchase used equipment for their data centers. For some reason the word “used” automatically has a negative connotation – if it has already been owned, and well…used, by someone else it must not be as reliable. As we are all well aware, performance and reliability are critical in our line of business. Downtime costs money, and there is really no time or room for error.

We understand these worries and hesitations. However, we also know firsthand that used equipment can be just as good – if not better – than brand new, out-of-the-box equipment. You just have to know the right place to look. We wouldn’t recommend buying used Cisco switches from ABC Company down the street because chances are you have no idea where they came from or how reliable they will be.

With CXtec’s brand of equal2new certified pre-owned phone and networking hardware, you have full knowledge of the process – from the stringent testing and refurbishing that takes place at our Technology Certification and Distribution Center (TCDC) to the moment it arrives at your door.

Our ISO 9001:2008-certified, ESD-protected facility is truly where the magic happens. See for yourself in this quick video:

We believe in our equal2new products so much that we offer lifetime warranty on all hardware and full first-year advance replacement.

The common belief is that when you cut costs, you must sacrifice on something else such as quality or performance. While this may be the case for certain things, it no longer applies to used equipment if you are working with a trusted, reliable vendor. Besides, can you honestly say that newer is always better? Of course not (yes, we’re lookin’ at you Star Wars prequels).

While we can’t promise you that unicorns are real or offer you an endless supply of bacon (or maybe we can, our customer service team is top-notch…) – we can guarantee that you will save money and get quality, reliable networking equipment with equal2new brand products.

Bottom line: don’t let just the word “used” scare you away from making smart decisions for your business. When you know your source of used equipment you can rest assured that is it possible to keep your network up and your costs down.