Why buy refurbished stock?

The Refurbished Option

Are you looking to save up to 70% off list in 2012 without compromising on quality?

It couldn't be simpler

• You do not have to buy second class equipment from tin-pot brokers
• You do not have to compromise on warranties
• You do not have to source maintenance from back street dealers as an alternative to premium support
• You do not have to constrain yourself to purchasing aging networking equipment - all of the latest Cisco hardware is available

In fact, there are so many advantages to buying refurbished networking equipment that it is no surprise we have sold over £5m worth of refurbished Cisco equipment to satisfied customers during the past year.

Why Refurbished?

Hardware.com has been trading refurbished Cisco equipment since 2001. Some of the most common reasons for choosing and using used Cisco network equipment, as specified by our customers, include:

• Optimising IT Investment/budgetary constraints - a better value alternative to new
• Maintenance spares/planning for disaster recovery - a cheaper alternative to 24/7 support contracts
• Testing environments, labs and configuring your network for next generation services
• Temporary fix solutions - expanding or maintaining your current network
• Lead times on new equipment are often too long
• Test/Demo equipment for exams and trying new technologies outside of a live environment
• Looking for equipment that is now end of life and therefore unavailable new

Understanding Refurbished Cisco Network Equipment from Hardware.com

There are two overriding factors that a customer seeks when they consider the refurbished option: Price and Quality.

Price:
New Cisco equipment may be in the region of 50% off list at best, but refurbished network equipment from Hardware.com can be up to 90% off list. Hardware.com is able to offer this incredible level of discount by the constant purchase of excess networking equipment both from our customers and within the official Cisco channel.

Quality:

Hardware.com prides itself on consistently supplying the highest quality refurbished Cisco equipment. A proportion of our refurbished stock is unused equipment and has been classed as refurbished because it has an open box.

There is a vast difference between the refurbished product we offer and used equipment from other resellers. Hardware.com has extensive control procedures in place to ensure consistency in product quality. We interpret the term 'refurbished' literally i.e. all products must conform to and pass our stringent Quality Assurance Check List.

Refurbished product from Hardware.com sets the International standard for quality. Advanced testing, genuine refurbishment, secure, clearly labelled packaging and an extended warranty are provided as standard. All of this, coupled with our ISO9001 and BS7799 quality control accreditations, will ensure you receive the most reliable and high quality equipment.

Refurbished is as Good as New

Obviously Price and Quality are not the only factors determining whether a customer may wish to purchase refurbished stock from Hardware.com. Some of the added benefits offered by Hardware.com are listed below.

Speed:

Hardware.com can often ship your pre-owned equipment SAME DAY from our £10 million inventory. Because we keep our own stock, we don't have to wait for merchandise to be shipped out from the manufacturer, which translates to quicker ship times and bigger savings for you.

Quality Account & Product Management:

All Hardware.com Account Managers are experienced networking technology professionals and have extensive knowledge of the refurbished Cisco market. Their job is to recommend solutions, solve problems and save you time and money by acting in your interests. Behind our Account Management team are a dozen qualified Product Managers, specialising in every feasible networking area - ensuring you always receive the best advice and the highest quality equipment available.

Warranty:

As a result of the stringent testing we perform on all our non-new equipment prior to it qualifying for sale as refurbished stock, we have the confidence to offer exactly the same one year standard, return-to-base warranty as our new equipment. This is the longest available standard warranty in the business and it is no coincidence that we have the confidence to offer it - we only sell the highest quality refurbished Cisco.

Support:

Hardware.com offer Cisco support options, branded as Smartpac Support, for all refurbished equipment in the same manner as new equipment. The cost for Smartpac support is exactly the same as it would be for the corresponding new item - you are not charged an extra premium for the fact that the equipment is refurbished.

Back Order:

Unlike Cisco's refurbished programme, you may place hard-to-find items on back order with Hardware.com. We will then put our purchasing teams to work to find the desired equipment, whatever and wherever it is.

Packaging:

All refurbished equipment sold by Hardware.com is carefully repackaged in the original undamaged Cisco box or, where this is not possible, a high quality plain box - always including the console cable and rack mount kit if they are not already included.

Delivery:

DHL Express is used for all non-heavyweight shipments worldwide. Same-day delivery is also an option for UK shipments at a prearranged cost. All refurbished equipment qualifies for the same overnight delivery charges as new equipment i.e. if you purchase online, delivery is free*.

Software:

You are required by Cisco to re-licence the software that may be included on refurbished equipment you purchase. Your Hardware.com Account Manager can guide you though any Cisco software issues you may have.

Conclusion

Refurbished is not just a cheap option for companies and individuals who cannot afford to purchase new equipment. Using Hardware.com, you are purchasing only premier quality equipment that has been refurbished and tested to the highest standard.

There is very little difference in the end product - new or refurbished. Cisco manufacturer some of the highest quality networking equipment available and coupled with our one year standard warranty across all refurbished equipment, you will have the peace of mind to deploy the item even in critical network situations.

Next Step

Hardware.com only sells a small proportion of its refurbished catalogue online so please call our team to discuss your requirements. We can give you an immediate answer to stock availability and concrete lead times for items not in stock.

Explore the refurbished option from Hardware.com by contacting us to check pricing and availability.

Cisco Software Transfer & License Overview

Effective August 7, 2004, New Serial Number Requirement for Software Relicensing:

All end customers who re-license software from Cisco for their used/grey market products will be required to register the serial numbers for those products online. Previously, end customers received an e-mail containing the Digital License Agreement (DLA) number immediately after their purchases were finalized. In the new process, customers will not receive DLA numbers from Cisco until they register their products online with a valid serial number. Cisco is taking an active role in curtailing the unauthorized use of grey market/used equipment without correct license agreements in place and rewarding customers for purchasing legitimate software licenses for their products.

Software Transfer and Licensing

Overview

Like many high-tech companies that produce software, Cisco adopts a policy of non-transferability of its software in order to protect its intellectual property rights. What this means in practice is that owners of Cisco products are only allowed to transfer, re-sell or re-lease used Cisco hardware and not the embedded software that runs on the hardware. This policy also applies to Cisco standalone software applications.

As the Cisco installed base of equipment has grown to such large numbers over the years, our customers have become more interested in selling and leasing used Cisco equipment on the secondary market. In order to provide our valued customers and partners with this capability, Cisco is now setting up a program where companies can do this and comply with the terms of the software license agreement that accompanies every purchase of a new Cisco product. Companies interested in transferring title and ownership of Cisco equipment that contains embedded software may now purchase a new software license to do so. Leasing companies that wish to re-lease a Cisco product with embedded software to another lessee must also purchase on behalf of the new lessee a software license each time before doing so, except where a lessee has defaulted and the new lease does not extend the term of the old one.

For standalone software applications, the license fee may vary from product to product, as specified in the Global Price List or the contract with the customer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I purchase a software license?
A. Your Hardware.com Account Manager can handle everything for you regarding software re-licensing.

Q. How do I know what software license part number to order for embedded software, and how much they cost?
A. The Software License Product Numbers lists all the software license part numbers available for sale, their product descriptions, and prices.

Q. How do I get a license for standalone software applications that are not embedded with the hardware?
A. The software license part numbers listed in the spreadsheet referenced above apply only to software that is embedded with the hardware. For a new license for standalone software, customers can simply order the software using its existing part number as indicated on the Global Price List. Otherwise, customers should contact their account manager.

Q. My company would like to re-sell or re-lease a used Cisco product that runs software that is no longer sold by Cisco. Can I purchase a license in this case?
A. Cisco will only sell licenses for current versions of software. This means that to use Cisco software in conjunction with the equipment to be transferred, a license for the current version must be purchased (customers will have to pay for the cost of the CD separately). Cisco will ship a CD containing the current version to the customer. Customers with Cisco support programs, such as SmartNet, that allow for software downloads can obtain the current version from Cisco Connection Online at www.cisco.com.

See the Ordering Example of what different customers running different versions of software should order when looking to buy a license for a 2600 router.

Visit here in order to determine which current software version is appropriate for your Cisco product.

Q. What is the actual product I'll receive when I purchase a software license?
A. When ordering a software license, a company email address will need to be submitted with the order. This should be an email address from the company that is going to be using the software, rather than the company re-selling or re-leasing the product. Once the order has been processed, an email will be sent to the given address which will contain instructions and important information for customers to register their products online. The digital license agreement (DLA) giving the recipient the rights to use Cisco's software will be sent to the given email address once the registration is complete.

Q. What if my company wants to obtain licenses for multiple Cisco products?
A. A software license has to be purchased for each copy of the software that is going to be re-sold or re-leased. For example, if a company wants to re-lease ten CISCO2501 routers, each running IP-only software, it needs to purchase ten software licenses for IP-only software on a 2501 router. Only one email will be sent for each email address supplied, but the DLA will be valid for the number of licenses purchased by the customer.

Q. Does the software license come with any protection or guarantees?
A. Yes. If during the 90 day period following the purchase of the software license the software fails to work as intended, customers are entitled to a credit for the full cost of the license. This guarantee only applies to problems with the software and not the hardware.

Upon receipt of the refund, the DLA is no longer valid, and the original transfer of the embedded software is therefore also no longer valid. Customers should contact the reseller of the used equipment for an appropriate replacement.

Q. Where can I go with questions on this program?
A. Please contact your Hardware.com Account Manager for any questions you may have.

Cisco Software Transfer and Re-licensing Policy

This overview sets forth Cisco's policy with respect to the transfer of any Cisco software ("Software"). This policy applies to all Software whether Standalone or Embedded. Standalone Software means Software which is not required to operate the hardware upon which it resides (e.g., application software such as call center, unified messaging, network management software). Embedded Software means Software which is incorporated into the hardware and is required for its operation (i.e., operating system software, certain features of IOS).

Policy:

Cisco's policy is that Software, whether Standalone or Embedded, is not transferable without Cisco's prior written consent and payment of a License Fee unless one of the listed exceptions below applies. Cisco may withhold its consent to any transfer not conforming to this policy

License Fee:

The License Fee is the same fee for a new license, unless otherwise noted on the Global Price List.

Exceptions:

Provided the conditions of transfer are met as set forth below, the follow exceptions apply to Cisco's policy prohibiting the transfer of Software. These exceptions may be overridden by certain Cisco license agreements containing express terms governing the transferability of such Software (e.g. Voice Technology Products such as Call Manager and ICM).

1. Existing Contract Exception: An entity may transfer the right to use Software if Cisco has a valid existing contract with the original licensee of the Software that expressly permits such transfer of Software.
2. Affiliate: An entity may transfer its entire right to use a certain piece of Software to its Affiliate. An Affiliate means another entity where at least 50.1% of its voting power is owned or controlled by the transferring entity or where at least 50.1% of the transferring entity's vting power is owned or controlled by the transferee.
3. Merger or Acquisition: An entity may transfer its entire right to use a certain piece of Software to the purchaser of all or substantially all of the capital stock of the transferor or all or substantially all of the assets of that portion of the transferor's business to which those licenses pertain.
4. Lease: In a leasing (or rental) situation where the original lessee would like to buy out the equipment from the leasing company during or at the end of the lease term, the leasing company may transfer the license to the original lessee, provided that the leasing company gives Cisco prior written notice. Also, if the original lessee defaults under the lease and the leasing company takes the Cisco product back before the end of the lease term, the leasing company may transfer the license to the another lessee for the remainder of the original lease term upon 30 days' prior written notice to Cisco, or as soon as practicable if the product is re-leased before the end of such 30-day period. If the new lease term is in excess of the original lease term, the leasing company shall pay the License Fee on or before the expiration date of the original lease term. [NOTE: In the situation where a leasing company leases a Cisco product to Customer "A" for a specified term and at the end of the lease term, the leasing company desires to lease or sell the same product to Customer "B", then the leasing company may not transfer the license without obtaining Cisco's prior written consent and paying the License Fee.)].
5. Managed CPE Services or Managed/Provisioned Network Services ("MNS"): For purpose of this exception, MNS is defined as: (a) a voice or data network service provided by an entity ("Managed Service Provider" or "MSP") to an end user, that (b) includes use of a Cisco product located on the end user's premises ("CPE"), and (c) whereby both title to the hardware portion of the CPE and the license to use the Software provided on the CPE is held by the MSP. If the same end user that first obtained the CPE as part of MNS ("Original End User") subsequently acquires title to the hardware portion of the CPE from the MSP, then Cisco will issue a new software license to the Original End User granting the right to use, without payment of the License Fee, the Software provided on such CPE subject to the following two conditions in addition to the conditions listed below at "Conditions of Transfer".
6. 1. The CPE must have been used by the Original End User for a minimum of 12 months prior to title transfer; and
7. 2. Following title transfer from the MSP to the Original End User, the CPE must continue to be used in the same fashion as originally deployed by the MSP.
8. If the MSP sells or otherwise transfers title to the hardware portion of the CPE to any entity other than the Original End User, then a new License Fee is due from such entity.
9. Outsource: If the original licensee desires to outsource the operation, support and maintenance of its network to a third party (e.g. EDS) ("Third-Party Provider") for the benefit of that licensee, and as part of the outsourcing the original licensee transfers all of its rights, title and interest to the network assets, including its Cisco products and software licenses, to the Third-Party Provider, then the original licensee may transfer the Software licenses to the Third-Party Provider, without payment of the License Fee, solely for the purposes of providing services to such original licensee.