In this article we understand all the options for getting technical support for a Russian company.
Technical support directly from vendors
Now access to the services of foreign vendors is closed for Russian legal entities. Access cannot be obtained with the help of a VPN. Even if an employee is abroad, a company registered in Russia is denied access. .
It makes no sense to address vendors directly. When addressing any problem, the vendor first of all asks for the serial number of the equipment and an upload with the configuration file, where the location of the system installation and the serial number of the equipment are specified – support will not be provided to the system with Russian roots.
Self-solving IT infrastructure problems
Solving problems on your own can be difficult – some situations can be solved by the company itself, but technically complex issues most likely cannot be fixed on your own. Most often companies need a supply of spare parts to replace failed elements of the system, or expertise on those issues, which the organization does not have.
If the company has experienced specialists with great expertise, they will be able to solve localized problems. A customer who has been using vendors’ equipment for many years and knows it better than a third-party company can solve emerging issues with high expertise if they have had time to build it up.
One of the options for self-service IT infrastructure is to find the ZIP, leave it in stock, and protect yourself from breakdowns. In case of equipment failure, it can be promptly replaced. The disadvantages of this approach are obvious: in order to have an option to replace any equipment, spare parts are needed in a large assortment, and proper operation is possible only if there is an extremely experienced engineer in the team. The option of buying equipment on the black market is the least reliable due to the lack of guarantees.
Some companies order equipment of vendors from China. The main disadvantages: almost complete lack of support from Chinese vendors and unreliability in terms of quality – the customer may receive used or non-working equipment. The main disadvantages are the following
Private initiatives
In 2022, small startups offering their services to replace the functions of vendors have started to emerge. These are private initiatives, such as the proposals on “Habra”: specialists who used to work for vendors are now offering consultations on a freelance basis, with their help it is possible to close a local problem. Also, right after the departure of vendors, small companies founded by engineers with experience in Cisco, Dell, and NetApp appeared. They provide freelance consulting.
Another possible option for solving problems that have arisen is word of mouth and networking in an established community, but it’s still difficult to get access to ZIP, especially for new hardware, through forums. A large long-standing community can help with consulting: exchange experience, share screenshots and even ready code.
Partner Professional Support
The most comprehensive offer is to get technical support through vendor partners. Companies that have direct access to official vendor portals have a clear advantage to successfully assist customers. Not only basic support is provided, but also help with complex and ambiguous cases.
If we talk about corporate support and quality assurance, it should be a company that has its own experience in operating vendors’ hardware and software. Expertise and previous experience can be used as a reference and proof of competence: the company providing technical support should have experienced engineers who can ensure the realization of the conditions specified in the SLA. The company providing technical support should have experienced engineers who can ensure the realization of the conditions specified in the SLA.
The provider ITGLOBAL.COM hasprofessional technical support service: formed ZIP, long-term expertise, receiving and processing requests according to ITIL – the world’s most widespread guide to IT service management. SLA is concluded with clients, in which time of response to incidents and all support conditions are prescribed..
When working with a provider, the customer receives technical advice, supported IT equipment is connected to monitoring systems, and engineers are proactive – monitoring the status of systems and providing predictive analysis of possible failures.
Benefits of partner technical support
In the framework of professional support ITGLOBAL.COM provides customers with SLA agreement on the level of warranty service and is ready to bear responsibility for this. The contract specifies and delimits the areas of responsibility of the supplier and the customer. All customers are provided with Russian-speaking support 24/7.
The company guarantees: in case of equipment failure emergency recovery works will be carried out. Also in the SLA is prescribed response time: depending on the priority of the incident that could potentially happen to the equipment at the software or hardware level, the service provider responds under the conditions prescribed in the contract. This includes the replacement of components. If a failure is detected, engineers provide advice and, with an active support contract, the failed component is replaced on the next working day.
Depending on your business needs, choose the most suitable cooperation option. In the service technical support ITGLOBAL.COM there are two levels:
- supply of spare parts and basic consulting;
- provision of spare parts and technical advice, connection to monitoring systems, proactive activities, when engineers monitor the state of the customer’s systems and give predictive analysis on what difficulties can be encountered and how to avoid them.
Conclusion
In 2023, companies from Russia do not have many options for technical support of equipment from foreign vendors. When choosing the optimal strategy, in addition to addressing current issues, it is worth paying attention to the path of IT infrastructure development. In some cases, it is reasonable to look at import substitution and plan a switch to other equipment.
Consider different options for infrastructure development. A hybrid option is possible – upgrade Cisco, NetApp and Dell equipment with the help of a provider and analyze the IT infrastructure for compatibility with other solutions. ITGLOBAL.COM portfolio includes solutions developed in Russia, which can be successfully integrated into the customer’s IT infrastructure.
Additional expertise of the provider will also help, for example, you can give part of the tasks in the cloud. At the first stages of cooperation, the provider ITGLOBAL.COM conducts an audit, and one of the possible options is to support the infrastructure at a different technology junction. Migrating to the cloud can quickly resolve hardware issues.
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