Re: [SAGE] to buy or not to buy service contracts

[Dark Tachyon <darktachyon@yahoo.com>]

Call Rick Kirmayer at Minicomputer Exchange (MCE). He
set up a nice deal for me at Lucasfilm. We decided on
MCE last year after reviewing SGI and 3rd party
support options for our handful of SGIs (3x Origin
2000, 1x Origin 200, and 3x O2). The shift to 3rd
party support came about because the cost of SGI
support was getting out of hand compared to our usage
of the SGIs (we're slowly phasing them out).

Our SGIs rarely have issues but when they do, it
usually means a failing hardware part rather than
configuration or software problems. MCE helps me
identify the failed part and then they a send a
replacement. They can also help with hardware config.
Their techs really know SGI and you can find them
posting on newsgroups about SGI/Irix. Sometime I miss
the onsite support for the more difficult to isolate
problems, but it was a reasonable compromise. The only
disadvantage is that MCE can't provide software
updates. I don't know how SGI charges for software
updates, but the security updates are free.

In general, however, whereever I work, I always
advocate service contracts for major hardware. Time
contraints and bureaucracy make Time and Materials
repairs very difficult when you have a system
down/degraded. Every company I've worked for has some
long drawn out process that usually ends up involving
the legal department to resolve liability concerns
related to T&M work. The apparent budget savings are
totally lost as soon as you make the first T&M call. 

Some vendors will even force you to pay support costs
back to the time the contract was not renewed (within
12 months). Legal? I dunno - all I know is that I have
to figure out how to make a system limp along until
the paperwork gets resolved and the vendor sends a
part or an engineer.

Cheers,
Katherine Sauceda
Unix Systems Adminsitrator
Lucasfilm, Ltd.



--- Jenn Sturm <jsturm@hamilton.edu> wrote:
> If I could get our sales guy (a reseller) to do
> anything other than 
> throw numbers around on the phone (i.e. send me an
> actual quote) I 
> might know more about these options! Thanks--I will
> look into various 
> ways to chip away at it. I think the maintenance is
> extra expensive 
> because it's a remarketed machine, but perhaps they
> can lower it 
> somewhat.
> 
> On Friday, January 10, 2003, at 11:27  AM, John
> Jasen wrote:
> 
> > On Fri, 10 Jan 2003, Jenn Sturm wrote:
> >
> >> I've always bought service contracts for
> expensive equipment, but 
> >> we're
> >> in a strange situation here where it's just not
> clear if that's the
> >> right path to take. We were offered a
> 32-processor SGI Origin 2000 for
> >> $100K, with a $50K service contract. The machine
> is remarketed, which
> >> I'm reluctant to go with, but it will perfectly
> fit a hole in our line
> >> up of machines and enable us increase our
> resources on the cheap (we
> >> already have a cluster--the Origin 2000 will
> serve a different need).
> >
> > SGI had several levels of hardware support, last I
> looked. You may be 
> > able
> > to shave quite a bit off that by choosing a lower
> grade of service.
> >
> > Or, if you already have a lot of SGI equipment
> under contract,
> > you may be able to chip away at it.
> >
> > And finally, as a third option, maybe an SGI
> reseller will be able to 
> > help
> > you? When I was looking, I was able to cut the
> hardware support costs 
> > by
> > ~20%.
> >
> > -- 
> > -- John E. Jasen (jjasen@realityfailure.org)
> > -- User Error #2361: Please insert coffee and try
> again.
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> ___________
> Jennifer Sturm
> System Administrator and Research Support Specialist
> Chemistry Department
> Hamilton College
> 198 College Hill Road
> Clinton, NY 13323
> 
> tel: 315-859-4745
> fax: 315-859-4744
> 
> jsturm@hamilton.edu
> 
> http://www.chem.hamilton.edu/
> http://mars.chem.hamilton.edu/
> 


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