Manufacturer Support Contracts: SmartNet, FortiCare and Alternatives

Cisco SmartNet, FortiCare, Aruba Care and JuniperCare manufacturer support contracts: understand SLAs, select the right service level and negotiate effectively. Cost: 12-20% of the annual price before tax. A guide for CIO support decisions.

Support Levels

Cisco SmartNet

• SNT: 8×5xNBD (Next Business Day): ~12% of the annual price before tax
• SNTC: includes software updates
• SP: 24×7×4h (H+4): ~18%
• PSS: Premium Solution Support
• Solution Support: for multi-vendor environments / SD-Access

Fortinet FortiCare

• FortiCare 24×7: ~15% of the annual price before tax
• FortiCare Advanced Services: +5%
• FortiCare Premium RMA NBD or 4h
• Includes firmware updates

Aruba Care

• Foundation Care: basic support
• 4H Onsite Response
• Next Business Day Onsite
• Price: 10-18%, depending on the service level

JuniperCare

• Core: 24×7 software support + RMA NBD
• Premium: 4h onsite RMA
• Price: 12-16%

What Support Includes

• Firmware/software updates
• TAC support (phone + portal)
• RMA (replacement of defective hardware)
• Access to the knowledge base
• Bug fixes
• Advance parts replacement (with a paid premium plan)

What Support Does NOT Cover

• Deployment / installation
• Migration
• Architecture consulting
• Non-critical cosmetic patches
• Feature requests

Negotiation

• Volume: 20-40% discount on multi-year contracts
• Multi-product bundles
• 3-5-year commitment: -10-20%
• Renewal: 10-20% lower with renegotiation
• Invite competing bids from multiple resellers

TPM Alternative

• Third-Party Maintenance: -40-60% vs manufacturer support
• Park Place, Curvature, SmartBlade
• Covers hardware RMA
• No firmware coverage (an issue for security patches)
• Suitable for stable, post-deployment equipment

When to Purchase Support

• Always for critical infrastructure
• Optional for lab/dev environments
• Consider TPM for secondary sites
• Budget: 12-20% of the annual price before tax

Order from OPTINOC

SmartNet + FortiCare + AruCare + JuniperCare from OPTINOC. Volume negotiation + alternative TPM. Quote within 2h.