Cisco UCS Third Party Maintenance
An independent alternative to Cisco SmartNet, quoted per contract. Full coverage for Cisco UCS B-Series blades and C-Series rack servers.
Cisco UCS occupies a unique position in the data center — tightly integrated with Cisco networking and unified fabric. ICD engineers understand UCS Manager, CIMC, and the relationship between compute, fabric interconnects, and I/O modules. We do not just swap parts — we understand the platform.
Service tiers
Silver — ICD Parts+
- Response: Standard level, set per contract
- Coverage: Business hours
- Parts: Lead time confirmed on each case
- Remote Diagnostics: Phone & email
- Best For: Non-critical UCS deployments, lab environments, disaster recovery sites
Gold — ICD Care+
- Response: Priority on-site level, set per contract
- Coverage: Extended hours, set per contract
- Parts: Advance replacement pre-positioned
- On-Site Engineer: ICD engineer
- Monitoring: Proactive alerting via Cisco CIMC/UCS Manager integration
- Best For: Production UCS deployments, virtualization clusters, database infrastructure
Platinum — ICD Care+ Premium
- Response: Highest on-site level, set per contract
- Coverage: Hours set per contract
- Parts: On-site depot, zero-wait
- On-Site Engineer: Priority dispatch + escalation
- Monitoring: Predictive failure alerts
- Account Manager: Dedicated single point of contact
- Best For: Mission-critical UCS infrastructure, financial services, service providers
Supported Cisco models
ICD supports every Cisco UCS generation from the M3 series through the latest M7.
M3 Series All EOSL
M4 Series EOSL — February 2024
M5 Series End of Sale — support ends Oct 2028
M6 Series End of Sale
M7 Series Current
Cisco UCS Infrastructure
What’s included
ICD vs Cisco SmartNet
| Cisco SmartNet | ICD Third Party Maintenance | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $$$$ | Quoted per contract |
| EOSL Coverage | M3/M4 dropped, M5 support ends Oct 2028 | All generations covered |
| Software Entitlement | Bundled (often unused) | Hardware-only pricing — no paying for unused software |
| Multi-Vendor | Cisco only | Cisco + Dell + HPE + Lenovo + IBM + NetApp |
| Response Time | 4-hour (SNTC 24x7x4) | Set per contract |
| Contract Lock-In | Tied to Cisco licensing ecosystem | Independent, flexible terms |
Cisco SmartNet bundles software entitlements, TAC access, and hardware maintenance into a single contract. If you only need hardware maintenance, you are paying for services you do not use. ICD provides pure hardware maintenance at a price that reflects the actual service delivered.
End-of-life & end-of-service-life coverage
Cisco publishes detailed End-of-Life bulletins for every UCS product with specific dates. When those dates pass, SmartNet is no longer available. ICD continues.
Cisco M5 servers represent one of the largest installed bases in the UCS portfolio. Cisco stops M5 software maintenance releases on 29 October 2026 and ends hardware support on 31 October 2028, so organizations need a maintenance plan now. ICD is ready.
Frequently asked questions
Does switching to ICD affect my Cisco software licenses?
Can ICD support my Fabric Interconnects, not just the servers?
Cisco ends M5 software releases in October 2026 and hardware support in October 2028. When should I switch to ICD?
Does ICD support Cisco HyperFlex (HCI) systems?
Can ICD provide Cisco TAC-equivalent support?
Get a Cisco UCS TPM Quote
Tell us what Cisco UCS servers, blades, and fabric interconnects you need covered. We will deliver a custom quote within 24 hours — with a side-by-side comparison against your current Cisco SmartNet renewal.