If you’ve seen recent headlines, you know product shortages and longer-than-usual lead times are causing headaches across industries. That’s certainly the case in IT, where the lack of networking equipment is happening. At the same time, many companies need to expand their storage to keep pace with growth.

If you’re an IT leader frustrated by the lack of product and considering refurbished equipment for the first time, we understand. These delays are another headwind you don’t need, and waiting 6-12 months (or longer) isn’t an option. 

As 30-year veterans in the IT equipment space, here’s our guidance about where to find refurbished IT products and how to assess a potential partner. 

Buyer's Guide CTA

What are refurbished IT products?

First, let’s take a step back and define what refurbished means. Refurbished isn’t the same as used equipment, which is sold as-is – Instead, refurbished means the equipment was used in a network environment for a period. Then, it was restored to like-new condition and resold.

Although refurbished equipment isn’t brand new, it performs like it. If you urgently need to expand your storage, refurbished is a sound business decision given supply chain delays. And face it: most of what you need is workhorse equipment. You don’t need it to be the latest, greatest, and most expensive option to do its part in your environment.

Refurbished equipment allows you to maximize your budget and still have premium equipment backed by a trusted partner.

Where can I find refurbished IT products?

There are two primary ways to purchase refurbished network, server, and storage equipment:

  • Traditional resellers – this means the original equipment manufacturer refurbished or reconditioned the equipment. They offer only their product line and charge a premium for their equipment. You can learn more at each OEMs website, including their warranty specifics.
  • Independent resellers – this means a company like ours has in-house experts that refurbish networking IT equipment and then resell it with a warranty to businesses like yours. Summit 360 is brand agnostic and offers a wide range of refurbished networking, server, and storage equipment from brands like Cisco, Dell, and HPE.

What to look for in a third-party seller 

If you’re in the market for refurbished equipment, here are some ways to assess how qualified a third-party seller is to work with your brand: 

  • Experience – Have they been in business for at least ten years?
  • Sourcing partners – Do they have a network of trusted sourcing partners that allow them to source equipment quickly?
  • Process – Do they have a formalized refurbishing process? (It should include details about how they inspect, repair, test, update firmware and reset equipment to factory settings.)
  • Warranty – Do they offer a warranty that includes advance replacement?
  • Service – Are they available post-sale to answer your questions?
  • Support – Do they have optional add-ons like IT support? 

The current marketplace

We agree with experts predicting the supply chain will be rocky until 2024. Our customers plan further to ensure they have what they need and don’t fall behind on their roadmaps.  

While you prefer to buy new, waiting months for a product to become available isn’t always an option. Because refurbished IT equipment has already been on the market, there are units available. We typically source parts and products within one week and, if they’re in stock, have them delivered overnight.

Get refurbished IT products with Summit 360

With over 30 years of work building solid partnerships, Summit 360 can find the premium refurbished IT products you want and need. And we can back it up with a lifetime warranty.

We should talk if reliability, security, and cost matter to you.