Enterprise software support was originally designed to ensure stability and access to expertise for mission-critical systems. And for years, organizations accepted vendor support as a necessary cost — even when the experience was less than optimal. But the traditional support model has shown that it is not capable of keeping up with modern business needs and often falls short in value. Today’s enterprises face: • Rising support costs • Slow resolution times • Limited access to experienced engineers • Pressure to upgrade or migrate without clear business value
Read on to see how thousands of organizations are leveraging third-party support to deliver significant wins for the business, including savings of up to 90% on total support fees and above-average performance 83% of the time, compared to just 27% for traditional approaches. At the same time, IT leaders are being asked to fund AI, analytics and innovation initiatives while managing increasingly complex, hybrid environments — all with limited budget and skilled resources. Created specifically for IT and business leaders, this guide provides an in-depth exploration of third-party support and services as a proven alternative. Readers will gain a practical understanding of how the model works, what factors are driving adoption, how service delivery differs from traditional vendor support and what capabilities distinguish between providers in the market. It also outlines key evaluation criteria to help organizations assess it, manage risk and select a provider aligned with their business and technology objectives. Further, the guide examines how organizations are increasingly evaluating third-party support not only as a cost-management move but also as a strategic operating model decision that can influence flexibility, innovation and long-term technology planning.
