If your renewal quote for Cisco Smart Net Total Care (SNTC) keeps climbing while the hardware keeps working, third-party maintenance is worth a serious look. Servnet delivers independent break-fix cover and replacement parts across your Cisco estate — often at a fraction of the OEM renewal, and frequently on gear Cisco no longer wants to support. Use the calculator on this page to model your own numbers.
| Your OEM support / yr | Third-party / yr | You save / yr | Over 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| £35,000 | £10,500–£17,500 | £17,500–£24,500 | £52,500–£73,500 |
| £65,000 | £19,500–£32,500 | £32,500–£45,500 | £97,500–£136,500 |
| £130,000 | £39,000–£65,000 | £65,000–£91,000 | £195,000–£273,000 |
| £230,000 | £69,000–£115,000 | £115,000–£161,000 | £345,000–£483,000 |
Figures are indicative estimates shown as a range, based on the Gartner 50–70% saving band applied to an example spend, and confirmed by a free Servnet support audit — not a quotation. Third-party maintenance covers hardware break-fix and defers refresh; it does not supply software or firmware security patches.
A genuine alternative to SmartNet and Smart Net Total Care
Cisco bundles hardware cover, TAC access and software entitlement into SMARTnet, now delivered as Smart Net Total Care (SNTC). It is comprehensive but priced accordingly, and every device is renewed on Cisco's terms. Our third-party maintenance keeps the hardware protection you actually rely on — proactive replacement, engineer escalation and defined SLAs — while stripping out the OEM premium. You keep one flexible contract across mixed generations, rather than a stack of individual SNTC line items climbing at each renewal.
Cover across Catalyst, Nexus, ISR, ASR, UCS and Firepower
We support the breadth of a real Cisco estate: Catalyst access and core switches, Nexus data-centre fabrics, ISR and ASR routers, UCS blade and rack servers, and Firepower security appliances. One agreement can span campus, data centre and edge, blending current and older product lines under a single SLA and a single point of contact. Sourced, tested spares and Cisco-experienced engineers underpin every response, whether you need next-business-day or a tighter round-the-clock target with on-site attendance.
Keep running past Cisco end-of-support
When Cisco publishes a Last Date of Support, SNTC renewal stops — but perfectly serviceable Catalyst, Nexus or UCS hardware rarely fails on schedule. Third-party maintenance lets you extend the productive life of that estate on your own timeline, deferring a costly refresh until it genuinely makes sense. We carry spares for platforms Cisco has moved past, so an end-of-support classification becomes a budgeting decision rather than a forced migration deadline driven by the vendor.
FAQs
How is third-party maintenance different from Cisco SmartNet?
SmartNet, delivered as Smart Net Total Care, bundles hardware cover, TAC access and software entitlement under Cisco's pricing and renewal rules. Third-party maintenance focuses on the hardware side — break-fix, replacement parts and engineer support with agreed SLAs — independently and typically for far less. It also continues on kit Cisco has declared end-of-support, which SNTC will not.
Do you cover IOS, NX-OS and Cisco security updates?
No — and it is important to be clear. Cisco restricts IOS, IOS XE and NX-OS software updates, feature releases and PSIRT security advisories to customers holding an active SmartNet or Smart Net Total Care contract. Third-party maintenance covers hardware break-fix and replacement only. If you need ongoing firmware patching and vulnerability fixes, that requires a separate Cisco software entitlement alongside your TPM.
Which Cisco hardware can Servnet support?
We maintain the mainstream Cisco portfolio: Catalyst and Nexus switches, ISR and ASR routers, UCS blade and rack servers, and Firepower firewalls — across current and older generations, including many platforms already past Cisco's Last Date of Support. Send us your inventory or serial list and we will confirm exactly what we can cover and at which service level.
How we work these figures out
- Saving band: Gartner, "Market Guide for Data Center and Network Third-Party Hardware Maintenance", 29 Aug 2019 (ID G00414695) — TPM contracts save 50–70% off OEM support NET prices. IDC (2022) separately reports savings of up to ~50% vs OEM. Reports are dated; net-price basis (not off-list).
- Optional spend estimator seeds ONE editable per-device figure anchored to HPE-published post-warranty Tech Care pricing (buy.hpe.com, captured 2026-07-04, ~$1,700/yr → £ at 0.74). Non-HPE OEM support pricing is quote-gated — enter your own renewal figure.
- EOSL life extension: TPM providers report 3–5 (up to 7) additional supported years past OEM end-of-service-life; indicative.
- All figures are indicative estimates shown as a range and confirmed by a free Servnet support audit — not a quotation. TPM covers hardware break-fix and defers refresh; it does NOT supply software/firmware security patches.
Third-party maintenance across your estate
One independent contract can cover every OEM below. Model your saving →
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