So your router’s (included) 90-day warranty expired, and you aren’t sure if you should renew it. Perhaps you think you’ll just upgrade your (hardware device) if it goes out instead of protecting it with an extended warranty? Think again, and consider these top 5 reasons why renewing your warranty IS important:
1. Replacement Costs: The obvious one here is if/when your hardware fails, it’s going to cost you money to replace it (sans warranty). Many small businesses think, “we’ll just buy a new one if that happens”, thinking it won’t actually happen, and then end up kicking themselves when they are shelling out 3 or 4 times more than what the warranty renewal would have cost. Oh, and don’t forget the labor costs associated with installing and configuring your new device. Most extended warranties cover equipment AND labor, and these labor cost savings can be tremendous.
2. Downtime: In my opinion, this is actually part of the aforementioned cost of replacement (opportunity cost). Sure, even with a warranty in place, you are likely to have some downtime when your hardware fails, but the difference is how much downtime. With a warranty in place, you are likely to get advanced replacement, which means you should have your new device in 24 hours as opposed to (potentially) days. Excuse the rhetorical question here, but how long could you go without your router/firewall, for example? No amount of downtime is good, but unnecessary downtime is not only of great detriment to your business operations, but completely preventable.
3. Updates and patches for firmware: Without a warranty in place, it is up to you to stay up on your updates and patches. If your hardware is a couple years old, there are good chances the firmware is outdated and needs patching. Even better chances that those patches and updates have been back-burnered, and especially in the case of security related devices, this is crucial.
4. Tech Support: Have a laptop that is on the fritz? Quite often, you’ll have to pay extra when you call in for tech support, but with an extended warranty, that tech support is usually covered. If you don’t have an in-house IT department or a managed service provider handling your IT needs, this can come in handy.
5. Shelf life: Keeping warranty/subscription renewals up to date can mean getting service and replacement parts long after they would otherwise be available. This is significant and can give you an average of25% longer life for standard networking/server/workstation hardware. So, that is not only a savings, but it’s a reduction in new resource use. This means it has positive “Green implications as well, considering that, while E-waste represents only 2% of America’s trash in landfills, it accounts for 70% of our overall toxic waste!
Interested in learning more about the importance of warranty renewals for your business’ hardware? Want to find out how a managed service provider like The Launch Pad can proactively better your technology plan? Let me know and I’d be happy to arrange a free technology assessment!
Ryan Montague, Sr. Marketing Manger
rmontague@launchpadonline.com
813-920-0788 ext. 212
