Alucid

Third-Party Maintenance doesn't have to begin and end with a support ticket.

Even with a clear roadmap, most banks are using a “sidecar” strategy – running legacy and modern systems side by side for months or years before a full transition is complete.

In today's retail environment, especially in the luxury space, technology is becoming part of the brand experience.

When organizations first explore Third-Party Maintenance (TPM), one of the biggest questions they ask is: "Should we move all of our IT equipment to TPM?"

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding Third-Party Maintenance (TPM) is the belief that switching away from an OEM immediately voids all warranties, contracts and future support.

Losing OEM support for your IT hardware can put a burden on your team. If you have chosen to extend the life of your equipment and delay a refresh, follow this check list to make the transition as smooth as possible. 1.) Work with the OEM to resolve any outstanding hardware failures Now is the time to address any of the minor issues you may have put on the backburner. Even if there are no evident failures, buttoning everything up and making sure things are running smoothly

That doesn't necessarily mean OEM support is the wrong choice—but it does mean it's worth asking a few important questions before signing your next renewal.

Most organizations don't run an airline, but the underlying math is the same: the cost of downtime isn't measured in minutes of outage.

It's one of the few IT strategies where financial performance and sustainability goals naturally align.

In most industries, a slow support response is an inconvenience. In banking, it's a compliance and customer-trust issue.

Replacing Your Infrastructure May Cost More Than You Think

A significant wave of Dell EMC enterprise storage systems are rapidly approaching End of Service Life.

On July 21, 2026, several popular Cisco Meraki wireless access points will reach their End of Support (EOSL) date.

The challenge is that infrastructure failures don't wait for supply chains to catch up.

And in this environment, one thing is clear: Retailers that don’t control costs won’t survive.

If you ask most IT leaders whether third-party maintenance (TPM) can support mission-critical systems, you’ll usually get the same hesitant response: “It sounds great for cost savings… but is it too risky?”

A significant wave of Dell EMC enterprise storage systems is approaching End of Service Life in 2026.

One of the biggest advantages of switching to third-party maintenance is the immediate cost savings — savings that can be reinvested directly into your IT strategy instead of disappearing into inflated OEM renewals.

As companies plan their 2026 budgets, one line item consistently stands out as a major cost driver: IT maintenance.

In a market where agility and trust matter most, TPM gives community banks the tools to compete—and win.