80’s rap music, poodle skirts, and Atari are all eras that many wish had never ended. So when Cisco made the End of Life (EOL) announcement for the Catalyst 3750x, many IT departments found themselves disappointed.
Our team has been through many EOL announcement in our 23 years of reselling, and we have put together several quality recommendations how to properly prepare your team for the transition.
And no, it doesn’t require excessive stockpiling of the part.
Our team at Summit came together to discuss how we can best meet the needs of those who benefited from the 3750’s efficiency and power. These strategies can also be used in most other EOL scenarios.
1: PLAN CAREFULLY
Take moment to review your current network’s needs, and where the EOL product is utilized within your infrastructure. Is there a different part that can be stacked appropriately to achieve the same result?
2: PURCHASE A SPARE
Now’s the time. Consider investing in an extra part to avoid disruption in case something happens to your current part. This will minimize your downtime, and give you extra cushion for planning the next hardware purchases.
3: BUY REFURBISHED
While it may feel like the 3750x and other EOL products are going to disappear, it is the new products that are mainly affected. You will still be able to purchase refurbished versions of the product (unless the product becomes extremely rare) and can easily pick one up for a price point that isn’t terribly differing from the current pricing.
4: EMBRACE
In the above suggestion, we mentioned a product becoming difficult to find. When this happens (and it doesn’t often) the prices will be raised considerably. In the case of this happening, you can purchase the hardware at a market driven price. But there is a better option than paying such high premiums! Often manufacturers have a plan to create a “new and improved” version of the product. While it won’t be the same, the hope is that this new product will be more streamlined and efficient.
5: LOOK WHO’S BACK!
Someday soon you will find that the EOL part will make its way back into the system. As the product is replaced/upgraded by technology departments, you will find that resellers like Summit will refurbish it, and offer it for sale again.
With these 5 suggestions, you will no longer fear the EOL announcement from your chosen manufacturers. In fact, you will start to feel empowered, since the decision is all yours!
