The recession has changed the way IT departments think about their equipment. In the past it was common for an IT department to throw away a server as soon as the manufacturer’s warranty ended. This made some sense. Extended warranties from manufacturers are notoriously expensive as they simply want you to buy new equipment and besides, the money was usually available.

Not any more. Nowadays IT departments have to ‘sweat’ their assets. This means they have to hold on to them for longer than before and increase the lifespan of their equipment from the usual three to five years or longer. In order to do this, many companies are increasingly turning to the services of specialist third party maintenance companies who can offer a full support service at a fraction of the cost of the original manufacturer.

The days when equipment could be swapped out on the stroke of three years seems to be behind us. Now, when every penny has to be carefully accounted for it’s more likely that IT departments seek post-warranty support. The key thing to remember here is that the manufacturer is not the only option and in the long term could cost more.