Leave the OEM contract without a day uncovered.
Ninety days, eight steps, one letter. The price is the easy part. The mechanics are what keep the CIO from asking why the array was uncovered for a week.
The 90-day plan
Eight steps. None of them hard.
- 01
Day 0. Export the asset list
Brand, model, serial, site, contract end date. From your CMDB or the OEM support portal. An afternoon of work.
- 02
Day 1. Get the number
Send the list. A line-by-line quote against the OEM renewal comes back within one business hour. Put both on one sheet.
- 03
Day 3. Decide per platform
Keep the OEM on anything firmware-gated or under warranty. Move the rest. Most first-year switches look like this.
- 04
Day 5. Co-term
Every asset aligned to one renewal date. This is the biggest operational win in the whole process and it costs nothing.
- 05
Day 7. Give notice
OEM contracts need 30 to 90 days written notice to not renew. Send the letter below inside the window. Missing it costs a year.
- 06
Day 30. Spares confirmed
We confirm in writing which parts for your models sit in the stocking location that serves you. Before day one, not after the first ticket.
- 07
Day 60. Parallel coverage
Our contract starts 30 days before the OEM contract ends. One month of double coverage buys zero gap if anything slips.
- 08
Day 90. Steady state
OEM contract ends. Ours continues. Same hardware, L3+ engineer on the ticket, one invoice.
Notice windows
Where the money gets lost.
Miss the non-renewal window and the OEM bills another year. Put the date in your calendar the day the renewal quote arrives. These are typical terms. Your agreement governs.
- Dell
- ProSupport. Typically 30 days before the contract end date. Check the Dell services agreement for your term.
- HPE
- Pointnext Tech Care / Foundation Care. Typically 30 to 60 days. Auto-renewal terms vary by agreement. Check the HPE support terms on the quote.
- Cisco
- Smart Net Total Care. Contracts run to a fixed end date. Non-renewal is by not issuing a new PO. Confirm with your Cisco partner that no auto-renew clause exists.
- IBM
- Hardware Maintenance Services. IBM maintenance agreements often auto-renew. Written notice is typically required 30 to 90 days before the anniversary. Check your IBM Customer Agreement.
- NetApp
- SupportEdge. Contracts run to a fixed end date on the quote. Confirm with the reseller that no auto-renew clause was added.
The letter
Non-renewal notice, ready to send.
One page. Fill in five fields. Send it to the OEM account manager and the address on your agreement, and keep the delivery receipt.
Download the letter (PDF)Preview
[Date]
[OEM] Support Renewals
[Address on the agreement]
Re: Non-renewal of support agreement [contract or quote number], covering the assets listed in the attached schedule.
[Company] gives notice that it will not renew the above agreement at its current end date of [date]. This notice is given inside the period required by the agreement. Please confirm receipt in writing and confirm that no renewal invoice will be issued.
Support obligations under the current term remain in force until [date]. Please direct any questions to the undersigned.
[Name], [Title]
[Company]
[Email], [Phone]
Questions from your own team
What if the OEM offers a discount after we give notice?
Take it if it beats the sheet. Some buyers switch, some negotiate. The quote is free either way and we say so on it.
What about in-warranty gear?
Leave it on the OEM. We say the same on every quote. Move it at the next renewal.
What if something fails during the overlap month?
Both contracts are live. Call whichever you like. Most customers call us and keep the OEM as the backstop for that month.
Day 1 is one email away.
Send the asset list. The priced comparison comes back within one business hour. The other 89 days are on this page.