It’s Time to Rethink the Value of “Support”

With the network serving as the foundation for digital business, maintaining the highest availability, performance, and security are the three end states that matter the most.

A new standard of service is required for today’s business critical networks, and Cisco Services is leading the way.

But don’t take our word for it.

We recently commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact (TEI) study to examine the value of Smart Net Total Care. The findings revealed that a global company with $2 Billion in annual revenue and 20,000 users on its network is able to maintain the continuity and integrity of their network with less effort, resulting in 120% ROI and reduced resource costs of 1,800 hours annually.

How? With automated capabilities that help you resolve problems faster, improve risk mitigation, and increase operational efficiency, Smart Net Total Care helps you proactively manage your infrastructure in three ways:

1. Technical Service and Incident Management

Smart capabilities provide an up-to-date view of the Cisco equipment installed in your network, giving Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) engineers more information so they can resolve problems faster—four times faster according to Forrester. The study also found that by combining timely TAC support with fast hardware replacement times, customers reduce unplanned downtime and can save $1.6 million over three years.

2. Security and Product Alerts

Smart Net Total Care provides product and security alert information, prompting network engineers to
install the latest software updates. This helps protect against the latest vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of unplanned downtime. Forrester concluded that these proactive measures can result in a 65% reduced risk of security breach and 75% decrease in outage length.

3. Service Coverage and Product Lifecycle Management

For most organizations the network is constantly changing with new equipment deployments, or added or deleted network segments. Through the Smart Net Total Care portal, you can easily identify service coverage or OS software to determine whether support levels meet your business needs and comply with corporate policies. Planning and budgeting are also more predictable. Forrester validated that the device lifecycle management capabilities can save customers two weeks of time each month. This can add up to a cost savings of $150,000 over three years.

Companies from across the spectrum trust us with their most vital assets, from 23 of the top 30 global businesses to organizations such as Pella Corporation, the Italian Navy, and Mutual de Seguros. If you’re adding new equipment or refreshing your network, the Forrester TEI study is a must read. Don’t underestimate the value your technical services vendor should deliver.