IT Myths Debunked: “I Don’t Need Help Managing my OEMs”
After purchasing hardware or software, customers will undoubtedly need additional lifecycle support following installation. It makes sense then to deal directly with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) on any technical issues, right?
The reality is a bit more complicated than reaching out to Dell EMC or Cisco whenever a specific piece of hardware is approaching end of life or requires replacement. Organizations and agencies will quickly find that managing various OEM relationships for lifecycle support will not only be time consuming but also inefficient. Companies like Red River are the value-add partner for OEMs – meaning that OEMs often rely on partners River to handle the customer support services. The value of these partners can be seen in the close relationships with both OEMs and customers.
OEM Relationship
OEMs will partner with other organizations for value-add services where these partners are expected to manage the customer’s IT lifecycle. Red River has a vast OEM partner network where we strategize ways to improve the customer experience on managed services, consulting services and lifecycle support. OEMs can, and do, provide support services to customers but they will often direct customers back to these partners. Again, OEMs expect their partners to be the first point of contact for any lifecycle related questions.
This is a trusted partnership that allows OEMs like Cisco, HP, Dell EMC, etc. to scale their business and focus on manufacturing next-gen IT equipment. Having to deal with unending customer technical requests and lifecycle queries would dramatically limit their ability to focus on production. OEMs rely on companies like Red River to find ways to offer a better support services experience for their customers.
The goal of improving customer experiences leads us to develop tools, such as Red Connect, that specifically cater to customers and providing responsive lifecycle services. These tools are unique to partners and are constantly being developed, making partners like Red River the perfect broker for lifecycle support. This partnership has allowed Red River to continue to devote resources towards improving these services and tools.
Customer Relationship
Another important benefit to using partners versus OEMs is the close understanding of the customers goals and objectives. Not only that, but we have greater visibility into their IT environment and can proactively work with OEMs to address technical issues before they arise.
Using partners like Red River is also relevant to any Federal agency. OEMs don’t have access to the various government contract vehicles and rely on Red River for the procurement and management process. Our connection to these contract vehicles is essential to Federal customers so they can access the necessary lifecycle services.
Just as important as innovative tools, like Red connect, is our established best practices with providing quality lifecycle support. We have a proven process for managing these large OEMs and Customer Lifecycle networks to ensure the health and security of our customer’s IT infrastructure. We act as an advisor to our customers to ensure a rapid response to lifecycle service requests. We also make recommendations on how to improve the overall security and performance of their environment.
Managing OEM relationships on your own is possible but it’s clearly not optimal. OEMs specifically partner with Red River for the value-add that we provide which includes dedicated lifecycle services. We can take advantage of our close partnerships with the OEM and the customer to quickly address technical issues. Whether a commercial enterprise or federal agency, Red River has the OEM network and lifecycle support experience to get the most out of your support service contracts.
