It won't affect your warranty - that's the law!
Keeping your technology current is vital to maintaining the health of your business, especially if you provide a service or product in the fast-paced world of computing systems and components. Just as your new server is installed, the incredible pace of advancement requires that it be upgraded to meet new and elevated demands.

Many businesses find that they need to upgrade their computing systems long before the warranty has expired - often times, less than a full year since the system was purchased. The myriad of warranties covering everything from software to servers to upgrade components can quickly make you feel like you are suffering from vertigo. This situation usually leaves many companies worried about the possible affects on the warranty of their expensive new systems.

Processing memory is usually the system component that will see the most facelifts due to increased workloads. The recurring upgrading of memory is generally costly, especially if replenishing the memory slots of an entire POS fleet from the system manufacturer. There are, however, many businesses that have realized the cost benefits of third-party memory upgrades. In fact, third-party memory upgrades have been proven to perform just as well as name brand components, but come at a lesser expense.

Magnuson-Moss: Warranty's warranty
The standards of warranties are codified in the Magnuson-Moss Act passed by the US Congress in 1975. The four primary goals of Magnuson-Moss were to a) help inform the consumer about a product's warranty; b) give consumers the opportunity to compare warranty coverage among products before purchasing; c) encourage warranty coverage as a basis of competition between suppliers; and d) discourage suppliers from shirking their warranty obligations. Warranties are essentially a promise of service to repair, replace or refund by the supplier .  

One recent controversial tie-in tactic employed by unscrupulous salespeople traps consumers into paying higher fees for upgrades. They tell their prospects that if the customer upgraded their system with components from other manufacturers, it would nullify the system's warranty. Invariably, the manufacture-brand upgrade components are priced at a premium.

From my conversations with technology buyers, this, unfortunately, is not uncommon from company to company. Whether as a technology buyer, retailer or reseller, many have confided that they were intimidated to upgrade with components from the original manufacturer or another "approved" components reseller. No one is willing to go on record and describe their experiences in fear of jeopardizing their relationships with the manufacturers. One technology manager I spoke with, who asked to remain anonymous, admitted: "Of course we're being strong-armed by vendors. Just ask my salesman.   Both of us know this. But I can't say it publicly."

Manufacturers cannot require consumers to purchase items or services in order to keep their warranty valid. These are spelled out in the finer lines of Magnuson-Moss, with which consumers - as well as suppliers - should acquaint themselves. Known as Tie-In Sales provisions, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act strictly prohibits warrantors from making their customers buy additional products or services from any company in order to keep the warranty valid on something that has already been bought. As an analogy, the warranty on your car is not void should you choose to replace your oil filter with a comparable one not manufactured by the car maker.

Likewise, Magnuson-Moss states that the warranty on your server cannot be voided by upgrading components, like memory, with parts made by a different manufacturer. More reputable computer manufacturers have openly rejected tie-in sales provisions and stood by their customers and their customers' needs in these instances.

Magnuson-Moss does not require that a supplier offer a written warranty to the consumer, but that if a written warranty is provided, the supplier is law-bound to honor it. Magnuson-Moss urges suppliers to comply by making it easier for consumers to take an unresolved warranty problem to court.   The Act allows consumers to sue for warranty breach by making it a violation of federal law, and empowers consumers to recover court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees from the violating supplier.

Warranty as part of the Product
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is designed to prevent unscrupulous manufacturers from drafting grossly unfair consumer warranties and to make it economically viable for consumers to bring warranty suits. What started originally as a concern for warranties and practices for lemon automobiles has struck a chord with consumers, and raised product and service quality to a new and higher standard.

A warranty is very important for a business' investments. However, a warranty cannot prevent a business from improving the performance of their systems with third-party upgrades. Warranties have become part of the total product that is purchased. And it is also part and parcel of the total price that is paid to own the product. Magnuson-Moss protects businesses from having to upgrade from any particular supplier, allowing the business to pursue cost savings through other suppliers of their own choosing.

Many companies have already realized that the cut in price does not mean that quality, performance or their warranty will suffer. Feel free to choose upgrade components for your servers and POS fleet from the provider that you feel has your business' best interest in mind. You may see that all you did was decrease your expenditures for the same degree of boost to your systems' performance.