Buying Tips

Network Equipment Trend - Refurbished Products

A Step-By Step Guide To Buying Quality, Refurbished Networking Equipment
By Frank Kobuszewski, Vice President, Technology Solutions Group

The following article appeared in Network Magazine.

To stay ahead of today's competition, net managers are constantly challenged with making sure their companies have access to the latest technology available to them - while staying ever mindful of the bottom line. However, in an era of mergers and acquisitions, where the aftermath of consolidations can leave thousands of dollars worth of networking equipment suddenly obsolete, the IS team's challenge is compounded. Unfortunately, as companies multiply and their network needs grow, the net manager's budget doesn't always do the same. The question then becomes, "What can net managers do to keep their companies' networks current, when fast-evolving technology threatens to make them obsolete a few months later?"

The answer can be found by exploring "Aftermarket Equipment" that has been historically overlooked, but is becoming increasingly popular as net managers continue to accomplish more with less.

The Aftermarket: Quality, Refurbished Equipment At Bargain Prices

By choosing to replace your outdated network equipment with certified, pre-owned products, net managers can expect to save their companies as much as 70 percent off what they would have paid to purchase the same equipment new. While the aftermarket is nothing new to the industry, the recent proliferation of internetworking devices like switches and routers are suddenly making second-hand equipment more appealing to many in the industry. And don't make the mistake of thinking second-hand translates to second rate. Cheap, poor quality products are no longer the industry standard. Resellers now have years of experience behind them and offer hundreds of pre-owned brand name product lines from such leading companies as 3Com, Nortel Networks, HP and many others.

Savvy net managers who are looking for ways to increase their company's profitability and efficiency are finding that they can save countless hours and thousands of dollars by replacing their obsolete or redundant equipment with certified, pre-owned equipment. The trick is to know which reseller to do business with, which can sometimes be difficult given the growing number of resellers on the market. Knowing what questions to ask these resellers will go a long way toward minimizing the risk involved with buying pre-owned, refurbished equipment.

For starters, insist on a thorough certification process for testing and approving pre-owned equipment for resale. This process includes a comprehensive series of quality control tests - even live network testing - to ensure that all equipment meets, and in some cases exceeds, the original manufacturer's specs. In a nutshell, the certification process is the net manager's guarantee that their company will receive high-quality equipment at a substantial savings. Finally, make sure all pre-owned hardware comes with a warranty and free tech support.

A New Level of Service

Say goodbye to the fly-by-night mom and pop operations. Free technical support, live assistance and more responsive, comprehensive service are now required in the network industry. Customers demand more products and services, flexible ordering and support methods, and personalized extranets providing customized solutions to meet their unique business needs. Turn-key technology solutions, backed by full product warranties, are becoming the wave of the future.

Equipment resellers have greatly expanded their offerings of network equipment and support services to help IS departments on tight budgets address the needs of their servers and network storage equipment, network design, configuration, installation, project management, and even asset recovery needs. As this number of resellers continues to grow, however, it is incumbent upon you to carefully research them, ask the right questions and do your homework before deciding on which is best for you. This will prevent any headaches for you later on and make you your company CFO's new best friend.

Frank Kobuszewski is the VP Technology Solutions Group for CXtec, 5404 South Bay Road, Syracuse, NY 13221. email:fkobuszewski@cxtec.com.

* CXtec now offers a lifetime warranty on equal2new certified network hardware. Call your account manager at 800.767.3282 for details.