Cisco Systems Hardware Support Program. Cisco SMARTnet: Enterprise Network Budget and Warranty Assessment Cisco Support Worksheet

As practice shows, neglecting the risks of equipment failure or failure can lead to serious consequences. Business process interruptions due to equipment failure in most cases lead to the loss of critical data, loss of customers and undermining the credibility of the company. The most unpleasant thing is that it is practically impossible to calculate the amount of material and non-material losses in this case. Cisco offers an optional Cisco SMARTnet service package to help you determine exactly how much investment you need to secure your business processes. And this price will be significantly lower than the losses from the failed network infrastructure.

Cisco SMARTnet Service is the technical support that Cisco has been providing to its customers around the world for many years. This support has received numerous awards, including the STAR Award for Best Practices, and received top marks in VARBusiness' annual report for "After Sales Support" and "Technical Support Quality", as well as the "Best International Web Support Sites" award. Recognition of professionals and colleagues, impeccable work of service centers around the world, trust and gratitude of customers are the key to success, which is provided by Cisco SMARTnet technical support.

Cisco SMARTnet Service and Standard Warranty: Key Differences

It is worth noting that Cisco SMARTnet and the standard Cisco warranty are two completely different services. The warranty covers only the replacement of equipment from the distributor's warehouse, subject to availability. In other cases, warranty replacement is carried out under the order within a period of 45 days to several months, depending on the time of production and the need to obtain a special license for the import of products with cryptographic functionality.

The differences between Cisco SMARTnet Service and the standard Cisco warranty are illustrated in the table and graph below.

What is Cisco SMARTnet made of?

The Cisco SMARTnet Support Service Contract includes the following items:
24/7 access to Cisco TAC technical support specialists
Online access to Cisco.com's extensive knowledge base, communities, resources, and tools
Advance replacement of equipment, incl. within 4 hours for Kyiv, the next business day for other cities of Ukraine (several days are added for the delivery of goods to points remote from the warehouse). The Advance Exchange service when purchasing a new contract becomes available within 30 days after the SMARTnet start date - this time is necessary for the replacement equipment to be delivered to the service depot.

Regular updating of the IOS operating system, updates and software upgrades. Timely update of signatures for devices with IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) functionality. In addition, a Cisco SMARTnet Onsite service option is offered, which involves an engineer visiting the site to install replacement parts and providing greater network security (available in Kyiv).

Checking the availability of the On-site service by link

Sequence of actions in case of a technical problem

In case of any problems related to both the hardware and the software of your Cisco equipment, you can use the services of the Cisco TAC technical support center, which employs certified Cisco specialists.

Cisco TAC operates 24/7 around the world, with local language support available. Communication with Cisco TAC engineers is carried out in the most convenient way for you - by e-mail, by phone, via the Internet, as well as using the modern Cisco WebEx communication system.

The Cisco Technical Support Center, when opening cases, has a clear prioritization of requests (Severity), which is recommended to be followed in order to maximize and speed up the processing of your request:
Priority 1 (S1) – Network “outage” or problems that have a critical impact on the company's business. The person who opened the request must remain in touch around the clock.
Priority 2 (S2) - Significant degradation of network performance. The person who opened the request must remain in touch during business hours.
Priority 3 (S3) - Degradation of network performance while maintaining most of the business operations
Priority 4 (S4) – Need for information or assistance regarding the capabilities, installation, or configuration of Cisco products. Negative impact on business operations is negligible or non-existent.

The sequence of actions in the event of a technical problem can be seen in the graph below:

Each service request received by the technical support center will be assigned a number for the following calls. When opening a case by phone or in writing, the customer has the right to ask a Russian-speaking engineer to communicate to solve the problem, however, the first application will have to be made in English. If you experience difficulties with the translation, it is recommended that you contact the organization that sold the service contract for help. It is also worth noting that in order to involve a Russian-speaking engineer in resolving a request, you must call TAS during business hours Moscow time.

Cisco SMARTnet Service also includes a personalized software selection wizard available on the Cisco.com web portal. This advisor tells you what new software releases are available for your Cisco network devices. New versions can be downloaded from Cisco Connection Online (CCO) Software at .

Acquisition Methods and Terms of Use

The process of providing services is built on the coordinated work of three organizations at once: a partner, a distributor of MUK and Cisco. The first thing you should do as a customer who wants to buy SMARTnet is to choose a partner, providing him with the necessary data to place an order. The required information includes the address of the installation of the equipment, its serial number, the desired start date of the service, and contact details - e-mail and telephone number of persons providing support for the contract. After that, the partner informs the distributor of the information received and the process of placing an order takes place, as a result of which a letter with the contract number is sent to the customer's mail, which is a guarantee that support can be used.

The sequence of steps for a customer who wants to purchase a Cisco SMARTnet service:

What is the maximum benefit and, most importantly, how can the customer derive for himself?

Cisco SMARTnet Service Components will help customers to:

1. Service contract reduces total cost of ownership and accelerates return on investment. A problem or an IT call may cost more than the entire cost of the service contract

2. Fast advance replacement of equipment is provided thanks to the Cisco service warehouse, which is located in Gostomel near Kyiv, which significantly minimizes the risks of network downtime. Cisco is partnering with one of the world leaders in express delivery of goods, DHL, which promptly delivers goods throughout the country and picks up non-working devices.

3.Cisco software is part of the Cisco hardware. Technology evolves, and the functionality of Cisco software is modified every day, adding new features and functionality. Therefore, in order for the network to continue to achieve business goals, operating systems and software must not be allowed to become obsolete, and a service contract, through software updates, ensures that this goal is achieved and keeps the network competitive and secure at a constant level. Finally, if you need to upgrade applications in the future, without current software application coverage, the cost of acquiring these upgrades may be more than the cost of renewing the service contract as a whole.

Technorium is an authorized partner of Cisco Systems and provides maintenance services for communication systems and Cisco Systems equipment. Service support packages of various saturation allow you to choose the best option for each specific case.

Standard Package provides comprehensive technical and information support for communication systems and consultations of customer specialists:

• Consulting and information support
  Advice on the configuration of network equipment and related software, which is the subject of a service contract. Advice on performance, security and upgrading of network equipment.
• Diagnostics
  Diagnostics of equipment and identification of sources of problems arising during operation. Advisory support on how to eliminate them.
• Network equipment software update
  Providing updated versions of the software subject to license agreements. The service center provides the required software version via an HTTP server or FTP server. The customer can carry out the software update procedure both independently and by Technorium specialists using remote access tools.

All work is performed remotely during working hours, on working days - 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. For the duration of the service contract and for the equipment listed in the contract.

Extended Support Packages

Extended package 8x5xNBD(NBD - next business day, next business day) - service during business hours at the installation site. Includes all services provided under the Standard package, and additionally provides for the agreed time of arrival of a specialist and delivery of equipment (when ordering the equipment replacement option) on the next business day.

Extended package 8x5x4- service during working hours at the installation site of the equipment. Includes all services provided within the Standard package, and additionally provides for the agreed time of arrival of a specialist and delivery of equipment - no more than 4 hours on business days. If a troubleshooting request is received after 15:00, the time of arrival of a specialist and delivery of equipment may be postponed to the beginning of the next business day.

Extended package 24x7x4- service around the clock on site at the installation of equipment. Includes all services provided within the Standard package, and additionally provides for the agreed time of arrival of a specialist and delivery of equipment - 4 hours around the clock.

Emergency equipment replacement

It is proposed to ensure the uninterrupted operation of telecommunications systems critical for the customer's business. This service ensures the replacement of a failed module or the entire network device from the Technorium SPTA warehouse during the response time of the corresponding support package.

To ensure the quality of services, Technorium provides a guarantee of the level of services provided in the form of a special document - a Service Level Agreement (SLA). SLA regulates the interaction of Technorium specialists with the customer and determines the standards for the quality and time of providing services to the customer.

"Justo Group" offers its customers a complete package of network technical support Cisco. A unique set of complementary service components makes it possible to choose a set of services that will best meet the needs of the customer's business.

"Giusto Group" offers such services for technical support of networks Cisco, how:

• basic technical network support Cisco;
• proactive network support Cisco;
• network technical support outsourcing Cisco.

Basic network support Cisco contains a set of services aimed at minimizing network recovery time Cisco in the event of emergency situations. The service includes technical advice, redundancy and replacement of failed equipment, as well as the services of field engineers.

Basic Network Support Services Cisco guarantee a fixed response time to customer requests. The service is provided at the level of network devices and allows you to choose the optimal response time and level of technical support.

Proactive network support Cisco is a set of strategic measures aimed at preventing problems in the operation of the network infrastructure. The service includes monitoring of the customer's network infrastructure, proactive technical consultations and audits.

Based on the knowledge of the design and operation of the customer's network infrastructure, dedicated engineers ensure the minimum recovery time after failures. Constant monitoring and regular audits make it possible to identify potential threats to network performance and minimize the number of emergencies.

Network technical support outsourcing Cisco is a service that allows one organization to transfer part of the network infrastructure management functions to another. As part of outsourcing support, in addition to basic and proactive support, Giusto Group provides on-line monitoring and management functions for the customer's network infrastructure.

Monitoring can be carried out by Giusto Group employees both remotely and directly at the customer's premises. Management functions include setting up network equipment, managing network information security and access levels, updating software, monitoring and eliminating all abnormal situations, and a number of other tasks.

The peculiarities of our company's work are an individual approach to each customer and the high quality of the services provided. Going beyond the standard package of services, Giusto Group specialists are ready to develop individual programs Cisco network technical support to solve specific problems.

After you have purchased cisco equipment for your office or apartment, it becomes necessary to configure it. A simple connection of the included devices to the electrical network is not enough here - you will need the correct connection of a large number of various cables, power supplies, as well as making the necessary settings in accordance with the needs of your corporate network. In addition, you must install the appropriate software and synchronize the operation of all installed equipment.

Thus, configuring cisco is a complex process in itself, and its implementation should be entrusted to professionals who will do everything quickly and efficiently, after which they will explain to users how to properly and efficiently operate the installed equipment.

Video IT offers its services for the installation of cisco equipment: we are recognized experts in this matter and can quickly turn its individual elements into a reliable and efficient network.

Setting up CISCO equipment: how we do it

The most difficult to configure are such elements of CISCO equipment as routers, switches, for which this process has a common algorithm. We will show it on the example of setting up a cisco router, and it will look like this:

• cisco connects to power supply;
• network equipment is connected to it: computers and other devices intended for maintenance.
• the initial setup of the device.

The cisco switch is configured in the same way.

The most difficult thing in this algorithm is setting up the equipment, which requires special skills and sometimes knowledge of programming languages ​​and the ability to use them.

Video IT company: why you should use our services

Our company is far from a newcomer to the CISCO equipment installation and maintenance services market. Here are just the main advantages of cooperation with our company:

• check that all components are present. After the manufacturer's packaging is opened, the installer will check that all parts are present according to the available specification;
• physical setting. To this end, a study of the premises will be carried out and the most optimal option for arranging equipment will be proposed. This is especially important in cases where WI-FI is installed in the office, and it is necessary to achieve maximum coverage of the entire area. After the equipment installation option is selected and agreed with the customer, the equipment is fixed in the places allotted to it using special brackets;
• full serviceability of the delivered equipment, which is produced in the presence of the customer. To do this, devices are connected to the network and tested for the ability to perform their functions;
• software installation (IOS). In cases where it comes separately, it is installed using a special system integrator;
• after we install all the equipment to put it into operation, we issue a guarantee for a certain period, during which our specialists will provide support for the cisco equipment, performing all the necessary work for free.

Thus, Video IT is ready to mount your equipment on a turnkey basis and provide the necessary technical support to cisco during its operation, which includes:

• replacement of individual components in case of their failure;
• installing software updates;
• equipment upgrade.

You can conclude an agreement with Video IT for post-warranty maintenance of equipment, and then we will take care of maintaining the devices in working order and repairing cisco, if necessary.