Almost every company produces large amounts of data. It is therefore very important to ensure secure, reliable and rapidly available data storage. NetApp products – especially the Netapp FAS storage system – are often used in this area. This ensures considerable storage capacity and a high level of data security. NetApp is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of storage systems. World-renowned companies such as Oracle, Texas Instruments, and SAP use this vendor’s technology. NetApp FAS is also a useful data storage solution for many small businesses. However, professional storage systems are not exactly cost-effective – both in terms of purchase and operation. Using Netapp as an example, we will show you how you can keep costs as low as possible, both during acquisition and operation.
Save money on the purchase of NetApp FAS
Very high costs are incurred in particular for the acquisition of the storage systems. It is extremely difficult to get a strong position for good prices in price negotiations. This is because NetApp sells its products through a partner system. When you make an inquiry, the reseller who first announces the inquiry to the manufacturer takes the appropriate order. If you want to request another partner so that you can get better prices through the competition, this is unfortunately hopeless. The manufacturer guarantees only the first inquiry the best conditions. Nevertheless, there are some possibilities which help you to reduce the costs for the acquisition of the storage systems despite this system.
Tip number 1
It always makes sense to ask the partner who has the highest status. For example, if a Silver and Gold Partner are available, we recommend that you contact the Gold Status merchant. Here you often get cheaper offers, because the discount limits are staggered by the partner status. The higher the status, the higher the discount the partner can claim.
Tip number 2
Obtaining multiple quotes is completely pointless with the distribution system NetApp uses. You won’t get any better offers this way. So you can save yourself this effort.
Tip number 3
However, in one case, it may be useful to make several requests. If your company is international, you can benefit from different price levels in different countries. For example, NetApp products are slightly cheaper in Germany than in Austria. In the Czech Republic, prices are even lower. If you purchase the devices abroad, this can often result in considerable price advantages.
Tip number 4
It doesn’t always have to be NetApp. Although the company is the market leader in this area, there are now many smaller companies that offer storage solutions with Software Defined Storage (SDS) in particular. These are also very reliable, but much less expensive. An example of a manufacturer that offers you interesting solutions in this area is PURE Storage. However, there are many other alternatives. Depending on the application, SDS may even be more suitable for your business than NetApp products.
Tip number 5
Always have the products offered with two service variants:
- with a simple warranty extension and
- with a full maintenance service (e.g. with 24/7 technicians on site).
You can define the maintenance period according to your wishes. Since the service life of the storage system will be at least 5 years, you should also provide for the maintenance contracts accordingly. You can then request a quote for hardware maintenance from an independent vendor, such as Hardwarewartung.com. Compare the cost of storage maintenance. These are often up to 50 percent lower with a manufacturer-independent service provider. You can select an SLA (Service Level Agreement) for the maintenance services that exactly meets your requirements. The higher the SLA for hardware maintenance, the greater the cost savings that a third-party provider usually achieves.
Save money on netapp operation
Even if you already have NetApp storage, you can reduce costs in many areas. Here are some helpful tips.
Tip number 6
Check your maintenance contracts. After the warranty expires, many users conclude a follow-up contract with the manufacturer. However, this can result in considerable costs. With a company that specializes in storage maintenance, such as Hardwarewartung.com, you often benefit from significantly more favorable conditions. The service is often even better. These service providers are fully specialized in the maintenance of your storage environment and have highly qualified technicians. They also have their own warehouse and logistics. This is very important for a fast repair. Support is available around the clock so that you can be helped quickly. You can also have your equipment serviced even after the end of its life, as the necessary spare parts will be available in stock for many years to come. The high level of specialisation also leads to a scaling effect, which in turn results in a considerable cost reduction. As a result, you as a customer benefit from cheaper offers.
Tip number 7
Conclusion: Even if manufacturers like Netapp make it very difficult for you to get a good starting position for fair negotiations, there are some ways to position yourself well. However, to do that you need to move away from the idea that your preferred manufacturer is the only one who can meet your requirements. It is also important to understand that specialized independent maintenance providers provide a service that is at least as good, if not better, than the manufacturer itself.
