29 May New Report By IDC: Maximizing IT Efficiency: The Strategic Shift to Third-Party Maintenance in 2025

Third-party maintainers offer organizations the ability to decouple support from the OEM, reduce ewaste, and stretch the return on investment of existing hardware.

The IDC Analyst Brief was authored by Rob Brothers, Vice President of IDC with questions provided by Smart 3rd Party. It’s entitled “Maximizing IT Efficiency: The Strategic Shift to Third-Party Maintenance in 2025.”

Q. What is a third-party maintainer, and why is its role more critical in 2025?

A. A third-party maintainer (TPM) is a specialized provider of IT hardware support and maintenance services for infrastructure like mainframes, x86 servers, storage arrays, and networking gear — independent of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). In 2025, TPMs are playing more of a role: 60% of customers use TPMs more now than in the past, according to IDC’s May 2024 Enterprise Support Services — Customer Satisfaction and Value Survey. This shift is occurring as enterprises look to extend asset life cycles, cut costs, and navigate the increasingly hybrid nature of IT environments. With refresh cycles slowing and sustainability gaining board-level attention, TPMs offer organizations the ability to decouple support from the OEM, reduce ewaste, and stretch the return on investment of existing hardware.

Q. What are the key business benefits of shifting to a TPM model today?

A. Beyond cost savings, TPMs offer a greater ease of doing business, according to IDC’s May 2024 Enterprise Support Services — Customer Satisfaction and Value Survey. In an era of economic uncertainty and cloud migration, flexibility is paramount. TPMs allow IT leaders to:
• Extend the usable life of hardware while maintaining the appropriate service-level agreements (SLAs)
• Consolidate multiple OEM contracts into a single service layer
• Access tailored SLAs that reflect actual needs
• Reduce unplanned downtime through proactive and experienced field engineers
• Free up internal teams to focus on strategic initiatives like automation or AI integration
Many TPMs offer hybrid support models with remote monitoring and predictive maintenance powered by AI and analytics.

Q. What questions should CIOs and IT leaders ask when evaluating a TPM?

A. Given the strategic nature of IT infrastructure, a TPM evaluation should go beyond logistics and SLAs. Key questions to ask include:
• How does the TPM support hybrid and edge environments?
• Does it provide ESG-aligned services like life-cycle extension and IT asset disposition (ITAD)?
• What is TPM’s investment in AI-driven diagnostics or predictive maintenance?
• Can it integrate with the organization’s ITSM/ticketing platform for seamless workflows?
• What is the TPM’s record on security compliance and incident response?
• Can it provide cost-benefit analyses versus OEM renewal proposals?
• How is support for end-of-life and end-of-service-life equipment addressed?
• What about references from similar industries or scale?

Q. What does IDC data show about TPM adoption trends?

A. According to IDC’s May 2024 Enterprise Support Services — Customer Satisfaction and Value Survey, 56.6% of respondents believe TPMs provide better support and 42.1% report they provide services at a better cost. IDC sees TPMs increasingly woven into broader IT strategies for cost containment, flexibility, and sustainability. In 2025, enterprises will look to “rightsize” their datacenters and the support needed to maintain them. TPMs can assist in these transformations, particularly in datacenter modernization, where a TPM can maintain existing infrastructure while IT staff can learn new technologies such as generative AI (GenAI).

Q. Why should enterprises consider TPM now?

A. Whether managing aging infrastructure, planning a cloud migration, or trying to align IT operations with sustainability goals, TPMs can offer a lever to assist. They’re not just about fixing hardware and cost savings anymore. Today, they can be considered a part of the broader strategic conversation around cost optimization, digital transformation, and environmental impact.

About the Analyst
Rob Brothers is a program vice president for IDC’s Datacenter and Support Services program, as well as a regular contributor to the Infrastructure Services and Financial Strategies programs. He focuses on worldwide support and deployment services for hardware and software and provides expert insight and intelligence on how enterprises should be addressing key areas for datacenter transformation and edge deployment and management strategies.

Links/Resources:
www.Smart3rdParty.com
https://www.idc.com/