Hardware Maintenance
Extend your infrastructure. On your terms.
When vendor support ends, your hardware doesn't suddenly stop being useful. We provide third-party extended support for servers, storage, networking, and power infrastructure — so you can keep critical systems running longer, reduce costs, and plan refreshes on your own timeline. Based in Melbourne, with support coverage Australia-wide.
The Problem
Why businesses are moving away from OEM-only support
Many organisations pay premium vendor support pricing simply because they believe there is no other option. OEM contracts are often rigid, expensive, and designed to push you toward replacement — not to keep your existing investment running.
Third-party hardware maintenance gives you a practical alternative: ongoing support for stable equipment, multi-vendor simplicity, and the flexibility to plan refreshes on a timeline that makes commercial sense.
- 01
Cost pressure
OEM renewal pricing often escalates year over year, especially for older equipment. Businesses end up paying premium rates simply because they believe there is no alternative.
- 02
Forced refresh cycles
Vendors set end-of-support dates to drive new hardware sales — not because the equipment has failed. This pushes businesses into capital expenditure they may not need.
- 03
Mixed-vendor complexity
Most environments run hardware from multiple vendors. Managing separate OEM contracts across networking, compute, storage, and power creates unnecessary overhead and cost.
Supported Platforms
Multi-vendor coverage across your environment
Through our hardware maintenance partner network, we support a wide range of enterprise hardware platforms — including systems already at or approaching end of service life.
Networking & Security
Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Arista, F5, Check Point and more.
Servers & Storage
HPE, Dell EMC, IBM, Lenovo, Oracle, NetApp, Hitachi, Supermicro, Quantum, Fujitsu, QNAP, Pure Storage and more.
Power & Infrastructure
APC, Eaton, Vertiv, Riello and related power infrastructure platforms.
Have older equipment or a platform not listed? Speak with us — many legacy systems may still be eligible for extended support.
End-of-Service-Life Support
Your hardware didn't stop working — the vendor stopped supporting it
One of the biggest reasons businesses engage third-party maintenance is to continue supporting equipment after the manufacturer has ended standard support. Rather than rushing into a replacement project, you can continue operating while moving forward on your own timeline.
When EOSL support makes sense
Hardware is still performing well
Stable equipment does not need to be replaced the moment a vendor changes its support status.
Not ready for a full upgrade
The business may have other priorities, or the right replacement solution is not yet available.
Application dependencies
Legacy applications may require specific hardware configurations that are difficult or costly to replicate on new platforms.
Budget needs to be staged
Capital expenditure can be spread across financial periods rather than forced into a single cycle.
Migration is planned but not yet ready
Third-party support bridges the gap while refresh or migration projects are scoped and executed properly.
Maintaining legacy infrastructure
As hardware estates become more complex, many organisations are rethinking the “replace everything” approach. Communicat has been actively involved in this conversation, including industry commentary featured by iTnews.
Watch: Maintaining Legacy Hardware on iTnewsWe don't just provide hardware support — we actively contribute to industry discussions around infrastructure lifecycle and legacy systems, ensuring our clients benefit from real-world expertise and current best practices.
Key takeaways
- Not all legacy hardware is a risk — poor planning is the real risk
- Businesses are often pushed into premature upgrades by vendor cycles
- The smarter approach is controlled lifecycle extension, not blind replacement
- Third-party support plays a key role in bridging the gap between legacy and modern infrastructure
Third-party vs OEM support
A practical comparison of what each model delivers.
Escalating renewal pricing, especially near EOSL
Typically 50–70% less than OEM renewals
One contract per vendor — you manage the rest
Multi-vendor support under a single engagement
Support ends — forced into replacement
Continued support for eligible equipment
Rigid terms, long commitments, bundled upsells
Flexible terms aligned to your refresh timeline
Vendor-controlled supply chain
Global parts sourcing with SLA-backed availability
How We Work
Not just a support provider — your IT partner
Communicat works directly with end-user businesses that want a trusted local IT partner to manage this process properly. You're not dealing with a hardware maintenance provider in isolation — you're working with a team that understands your broader infrastructure, security, continuity, and lifecycle planning.
Hardware support decisions should not happen in a vacuum. The right answer is usually a staged approach: maintain what is stable, replace what is high risk, and align refresh cycles with budget, security, and operational priorities.
- 01
Review your hardware estate
Understand what you have, where it sits, and its current support status.
- 02
Identify equipment approaching end of support
Flag hardware at or near EOSL that is still operationally sound.
- 03
Advise on suitability for third-party support
Not everything should be extended — we help you make the right call.
- 04
Coordinate support through our partner network
Secure coverage with SLA-backed response times and parts availability.
- 05
Align with your wider IT roadmap
Hardware support decisions are integrated into your overall infrastructure strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure if your hardware is still viable?
Many businesses replace infrastructure too early — or keep it too long without proper support. We can assess your environment and give you a clear answer: what should be kept, what should be supported under third-party maintenance, and what should be replaced.
No obligation · We'll review your environment