A new report published by Gartner Research says third-party hardware maintenance providers are coming into their own as large companies are moving away from OEMs for all their service needs and implementing hybrid maintenance solutions for their businesses. That's great news for companies like Reliant Technology], who have built a trusted reputation for guiding its clients to solutions that save money, are better customized, and more reactive to mission-critical situations.

Host Shelby Skrhak discusses the Gartner report with Reliant's Thomas Hodgson, senior account executive, on this episode of the MarketScale Software & Technology Podcast.

"People come to Reliant because they're getting pigeonholed by the manufacturer, thinking that forklifting their current solution is the route they have to go," Hodgson said.

Implementing a brand new system is a big hurdle -- both in terms of cost and knowledge-base -- for small and mid-size companies who use older, sometimes proprietary network systems. So when an OEM stops supporting older versions, companies feel they have no choice but to upgrade. But buying up to the "Cadillac of systems" isn't always the best solution, Hodgson said.

"In reality, companies can get the same level of service at a fraction of the cost by keeping their legacy hardware," he said.