.
Q&A
Limited Lifetime Warranty Question and Answer
Q. What is changing?
A. Effective May 1, 2009, Cisco is offering a limited lifetime hardware warranty on the Cisco® Catalyst® 3560-E,
Catalyst 3750-E, Catalyst 4500, and Catalyst 4500-E Series Switches.
To accommodate recent customer purchases of these products, Cisco Catalyst 3560-E and Catalyst 3750-E
Series Switches purchased up to 30 days before May 1, 2009 will also be covered by a Cisco limited lifetime
hardware warranty (LLW). For more information, refer to
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/general/warranty/English/LH2DEN__.html.
Products purchased before these dates are covered by a Cisco 90-day limited hardware warranty. For more
information, refer to http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/general/warranty/English/901DEN__.html.
Note:
Cisco already offers the LLW on the Catalyst 2960, 2975, 3560, and 3750 Series Switches, and on the
Catalyst Express 500 and 520 Series Switches.
Q. Do May 1 and the 30-day grace period apply to the purchase date or the ship date?
A. The change and 30-day grace period are effective based on the customer purchase date.
Q. What has not changed?
A.
●
Warranty terms are identical to those for other switching products with the LLW (specific terms are given
below).
●
There is no change in the price of the switching platforms or their service.
●
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches will continue to ship with a 90-day warranty.
Q. How does this change affect the installed base?
A.
●
The changes are not retroactive, and customers’ hardware will continue to stand under the terms of warranty
under which they shipped, with the exception of those purchased within 30 days prior to the May 1, 2009
effective date.
●
Any Catalyst 3560-E, 3750-E, 4500, and 4500-E products currently in stock with distributors will be covered by
the change and will carry a limited lifetime warranty.
Q. How does this change affect new installations?
A. Beginning May 1, 2009, Catalyst 3750-E, 3560-E, 4500, and 4500-E switches will have a limited lifetime
hardware warranty.
Q. Why is Cisco making this change?
A. Cisco is making this change in response to positive customer feedback on LLW, and to provide consistency in
warranty across the Cisco Catalyst wiring closet switches.
© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Confidential.
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Q&A
Q. How do I position this change with my customer?
A.
●
Cisco is expanding the breadth of products offered with the LLW.
●
Cisco is committed to its customers and is responding to changing customer requirements.
Once they have had the discussion with customers about the LLW, partners have the opportunity to explain the
®
advantages of Cisco Services such as SMARTnet and Smart Foundation services for more comprehensive
network service coverage.
Q. How do the terms differ for Cisco’s LLW and standard 90-day warranty?
A. The warranty deliverables to the customer and partner for both the LLW and the standard 90-day warranty are
the same. The only difference is the time period.
Q. What is included with the LLW?
A. Advance replacement shipping within 10 business days from the return materials authorization (RMA) request
date during the supported life of the product, starting on the original ship date from Cisco or a Cisco reseller.
(The fan and power supply warranty is limited to 5 years from the ship date.) In the event that manufacture of the
product is discontinued, Cisco warranty support is limited to 5 years from the announcement of discontinuance.
A 90-day warranty that the software media is defect free and that the software substantially conforms to its
published specifications.
For a complete listing of feature sets included with the LLW, please visit:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/prod_warranties_listing.html - ~comparison
Q. Where can I get additional information on product warranties?
A. For product warranty terms and other information applicable to Cisco products, please visit:
http://www.cisco.com/go/warranty
Q. What are the terms and limitations of the LLW?
A. Cisco will warranty the Catalyst switch for as long as the original end user continues to own or use the product.
In the event that manufacture of the product is discontinued, Cisco warranty support is limited to five (5) years
from the announcement of discontinuance. Please note that the fan and power supply warranty is limited to five
(5) years from date of purchase.
Q. What Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) access does the LLW provide to customers?
A. Cisco TAC access is not included in the warranty terms. For more information, please see:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/prod_warranties_listing.html - ~comparison
Cisco’s customer service centers will assist customers with basic product installation issues.
Adding Cisco Technical Services to warranty coverage provides a variety of hardware replacement options to
meet critical business needs, as well as OS and application software updates, registered access to the extensive
Cisco.com knowledge base and support tools, and around-the-clock, global access to the Cisco TAC.
Q. I’m competing with HP ProCurve products. How does Cisco’s LLW compare to HP's warranty?
A. A comparison of the Cisco LLW policy to HP’s warranty can be found on the HP competitive portal:
http://www.cisco.com/web/partners/sell/competitive/switching.html
Q. What if a customer believes their product purchase falls within the 30-day window for extension of
the LLW? How can the customer check the warranty period of their hardware?
A. Products purchased on or after April 1 have a limited lifetime warranty. Proof of purchase will be required to
validate the warranty. All new warranties will be reflected in the Cisco Service Contract Center by June 15.
© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Confidential.
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Q&A
Q. A customer’s hardware has the 90-day warranty on the CD; how can they know for sure that they
have an LLW?
A. Products purchased on or after April 1 have a limited lifetime warranty. Proof of purchase will be required to
validate the warranty. All new warranties will be reflected in the Cisco Service Contract Center by June 15.
Q. If a customer returns equipment under an RMA after May 1, and the equipment was covered under
the 90-day warranty, what will be the warranty coverage of the replacement equipment?
A. The replacement equipment inherits the warranty of the returned product. If the returned product was under a 90day warranty, the replacement product will also carry a 90-day warranty.
Q. How do I position the value of a service contract if the product has an LLW?
A. A Cisco service contract provides additional assets not provided by the LLW, including:
●
Direct access to the Cisco TAC
●
Operating system updates
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Online privileges to access technical tools and resources
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Proactive diagnostics and alerts on select devices
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Hardware replacement in as little as two working hours, compared to as many as 10 business days with
standard warranty coverage
Cisco sets the gold standard for service and support, with numerous industry recognitions and awards for
excellence.
Q. How do I change an existing quote or order?
A. There is no need to change the quote or order. Once these items have shipped, they will have the new warranty.
Please position the value of a service contract as providing access to the Cisco TAC.
Q. Will this change affect attach rate and renewal metrics, or associated discounts/rebates for GSA
partners?
A. No. There will be no impact on partner metrics, including attach rate, discounts, and rebates. U.S. and Canada
Global Services Alliance partner metrics receive special treatment for all LLW products, and that special
treatment applies to these LLWs as well.
Q. Can customers still purchase Cisco’s extended service and support?
A. Yes. Cisco customers can still purchase extended services, including Cisco’s SMARTnet Service. Please contact
your authorized Cisco partner or Cisco sales and service representative for additional information.
Adding Cisco Technical Services to warranty coverage provides a variety of hardware replacement options to
meet critical business needs, as well as OS and application software updates, registered access to the extensive
Cisco.com knowledge base and support tools and around-the-clock, global access to the Cisco TAC.
Q. Does the LLW apply only to fully configured systems, or does it also apply to individual line
cards and supervisors purchased separately?
A. LLW policies apply to all components of the Cisco Catalyst 4500 product line, whether they were purchased as a
configured system or as individual components. The components covered are all Catalyst 4500 chassis,
supervisor engines, line cards, power supplies, fan trays, and memory.
Scenario 1: A customer purchased a new component (supervisor engine, line card, power supply, fan tray, or
memory) after the LLW effective date and inserted the component in a chassis purchased before the LLW
effective date. What are the warranties offered?
A. The LLW applies to the new component; the original 90-day warranty applies to the chassis.
© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Confidential.
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Q&A
Scenario 2: A customer purchased a new chassis after the LLW effective date and inserted an old component
(supervisor engine, line card, power supply, fan tray, or memory) in the chassis. What are the warranties
offered?
A. The LLW applies to the chassis only; the original 90-day warranty applies to the component.
Scenario 3: A customer purchased a fully configured Catalyst 4500-E system after the LLW effective date and
inserted some old components (supervisor engine, line card, power supply, fan tray, or memory) in the system.
What are the warranties offered?
A. The LLW applies to the chassis and components purchased as part of the configured system; the original 90day warranty applies to the components purchased before the LLW effective date.
Printed in USA
© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Confidential.
C67-534237-00
04/09
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