Have you considered stepping up your switching platform to the Cisco Nexus? Wondering what some of the differences are between the 6500 Series and the Nexus?

In this short, informative video, Nathan, CXtec’s Cisco Product Engineer, explains some of the differences between the Cisco 6500 and the Cisco Nexus, helping you decide which platform might work best for you.

Wondering how to cable up a stack of Cisco 3750s? Do you know how high you can stack them?

In this short, informative video, Nathan, CXtec’s Cisco Product Engineer, explains some of the factors and gotchas involved with stacking Cisco 3750 switches.

Here’s a quick tutorial video on how to install OEM batteries using the existing battery tray of your Universal Power Supply (UPS).

This is a handy little video that teaches you how do a simple, helpful fix that can save you money.

As you can see, installing cost-effective, reliable OEM replacement batteries in your existing battery tray is a pretty easy process.   Quick, easy, and money saving fixes like this add up over time.

If you’d like more information on OEM batteries or have UPS questions, feel free to contact us.   We love talking to people about these kinds of things that help keep their network up and their costs down.

OEM Replacement Batteries

UPS systems

IT budgets seem to be remaining pretty tight out there. We’re all adopting cautious optimism that things will improve, but for the time being the belt-tightening seems to continue.

So what does that mean for your average IT professional? Well, quite simply, it means he/she has to find ways to do more with less. It’s pretty much a recurring theme we at CXtec see all the time, therefore it’s exactly what we try to help our customers do. And it’s kind of one of the driving philosophies behind this blog.

You can save on network hardware maintenance.

One overlooked opportunity for savings is your hardware maintenance program. Many times we find that IT professionals see maintenance as a necessary evil. They often think, “I spent all this budget money on these high-priced switches, of course I have to invest in a maintenance program no matter the cost.”

There’s nothing inherently flawed in this logic, except for the cost part. It’s very true that a big investment in network hardware should be backed by some sort of insurance policy. A maintenance program is certainly one effective way to accomplish this. But why feel handcuffed to an expensive manufacturer maintenance program?

There’s a more cost-effective maintenance alternative.

Many reputable vendors offer their own version of hardware maintenance, and for far less than what the OEM would charge. For example, CXtec offers RapidCare®, our own next business day advance network hardware replacement for your technology. What’s really sweet about a program like RapidCare is that you get guaranteed next business day delivery of your hardware for as much as 50% less than what you would pay for an OEM-sponsored maintenance program.

That’s peace of mind for half the cost. Plus, it opens up another avenue in your budgetary planning where you can save some money to invest in other areas of your network or business.

Spare yourself the trouble.

Then there’s the option of incorporating a spares program. If you feel the mission-critical switches at the core of your network are absolutely vital and that downtime is completely unacceptable, why not get spares for that hardware? You could get refurbished equipment at a fraction of list price, and save a lot off the recurring cost of a maintenance program for the equipment at your core. That way you have back-up technology that’s hot, swappable, and ready to go.

Then if you backed the technology at the edge of your network with a lower-priced maintenance option like RapidCare, you could have the best of both worlds. You save precious budget money on both fronts!

It’s imperative to back your investment with an insurance policy. But with budgets being so tight these days, it’s just as important to choose the proper methods of insurance. Utilize a cost-effective maintenance program where appropriate, but don’t rule out using low-priced spares where those make the most sense. Combining these strategies will lead to the most ideal and smart investment you can make for your own peace of mind.

Shipping business phones to CXtec the right way

We buy business phones from our customers all the time. Acquiring quality used equipment is at the heart of our equal2new® value proposition. But in order to ensure the equal2new equipment we sell is of the highest quality, it is paramount that we attain good quality products from those we buy from.

Ship your phones to get the most money for your business phones you can.

In order to show folks how easy it is to package phones to send to us, we created this video. It illustrates how simple it is to pack your phones in such a way to assure you get the most money from us in return. Good, safe phones make the best refurbished phones. So we’ll offer you the best return on your investment if your phones arrive to us safely and undamaged.

Packaging business phones – quick, easy and great for your budget

It won’t take you any longer to pack your phones the right way, and it could put a lot more money in your pocket. Check out the video and you’ll see how simple it is. And keep in mind if you don’t have boxes or bubble wrap, just let us know. We’ll get you some! It’s our goal to make doing business with us as easy and beneficial to you as possible.