It’s safe to assume that most individual companies normally waste a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars outfitting servers with new SFP modules to help with the communication process. Most tend to call up a vendor, order the items and plug them into the servers to interface the motherboards to the communication channels. Rather than phoning a dealer or visiting a random reseller, you should review your purchasing process to see where you can save money on alternative devices other than the OEM or get used items to cut the costs.
Compatible Alternative
Most folks tend to view the OEM’s website for the SFP item they need, but why spend an extra 50-100 dollars when you can buy the exact same product at a reduced price from a compatible alternative. The alternative SFP transceivers help save a ton of money, and since they do everything the OEM can, why wouldn’t you want to purchase these items?
For a company looking to reduce its bottom line, why not think about these alternatives to help minimize the costs and go around dealing with the OEM for the product you need.
Buy Used
Some individuals cringe when they hear the product is “used” and think that an old module tends to not have as much value and life as a new module, but disregard this common myth. Say you wind up ordering a Cisco compatible GLC-T; that does not mean the item is inferior to a new module, especially since Cisco makes reliable transceivers that come with the satisfaction of a long shelf life. Sure, ordering a used item may seem like a large risk, but with most vendors offering customers a warranty and a discounted rate on these modules, it seems very hard to turn down a refurbished module.
Buy a Warranty
Okay, the subject of this article is to help owners save money with SFP modules, not spend more, but a warranty is an investment that will later down the road save you some cash. Say you wind up with the latest Cisco compatible SFP modules for your computer servers and most work fine, but one begins to malfunction a couple of years later because of a poor lens.
You’ve gone past your manufacturer warranty and now you have to spend an additional 300-500 dollars for a replacement. The additional warranty you would have spent on would have covered 3 or 4 years and saved you the headache of having to buy all new equipment. A warranty is simply insurance, but it’s always an additional incentive to help you save a lot of money down the line if the day comes that you need it.