Third-party maintenance · Market overview

Third-party maintenance providers in Germany: overview and selection

Short answer

Third-party maintenance (TPM) for data center servers, storage and network in Germany is offered by four types of providers: TPM specialists based in the DACH region, internationally operating TPM groups, IT service providers with their own maintenance offering, and the manufacturers themselves with OEM support. TechCare Solutions is a vendor-independent TPM specialist headquartered in Hahnstätten, Germany: 28 manufacturers in one contract, SLAs up to 24×7×4 and typically 30–70 % below OEM maintenance, including after end of service life (EOSL).

Updated: 21 October 2026 · TechCare Solutions GmbH

The four types of providers

TPM specialists based in the DACH region: hardware maintenance is their core business, with headquarters, support and contract in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. Check vendor coverage and the spare-parts depot.
Internationally operating TPM groups: broad coverage across many countries, useful for data centers worldwide. Check where support and spare parts for Germany are located and which law applies.
IT service providers with a maintenance offering: maintenance as part of a larger IT portfolio, often alongside hardware sales. Check whether they deliver the maintenance themselves or subcontract it.
OEM maintenance: useful for new hardware under warranty or tied software features. After warranty and end of service life usually much more expensive or no longer available.

What is third-party maintenance?

With third-party maintenance, a service provider independent of the manufacturer maintains data center hardware: fault diagnosis, spare parts and on-site engineers under an agreed SLA. Typical triggers are the end of the manufacturer warranty, the end of manufacturer support (end of service life, EOSL) and mixed multi-vendor estates that should run under one contract.

Compared with OEM maintenance (for example HPE Foundation Care, Cisco SMARTnet or Dell ProSupport), costs are typically 30–70 % lower, and maintenance continues past the EOSL date.

How to choose a provider

Vendor coverage: does the provider cover every manufacturer in your estate under one contract?
SLA and parts: is 24×7×4 available with a spare-parts depot in your region, and which parts are used?
EOSL: for how long and for which models does maintenance continue after the OEM end of support?
Compliance: is evidence for NIS2, DORA, BAIT/MaRisk, ISO 27001 or TISAX covered in the contract?
Contract and language: jurisdiction, data protection (GDPR) and support language.
Quote: fixed price per system and a transparent comparison with the OEM quote.

Where TechCare Solutions fits

TechCare Solutions is a vendor-independent third-party maintenance provider headquartered in Hahnstätten, Germany, focused on Germany, Austria and Switzerland. TechCare is neither an OEM partner nor a hardware reseller, so there is no incentive to push a hardware refresh.

28 manufacturers in one contract (including HPE, Dell EMC, Cisco, NetApp, IBM, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Juniper, Huawei, Hitachi, Pure Storage)
SLA tiers up to 24×7×4: engineer and original spare part on site within 4 hours
30–70 % below the OEM maintenance list price, including after end of service life (EOSL)
Original spare parts from our own DACH depot, chain of custody on request
Headquartered in Hahnstätten, Germany, German- and English-speaking support, contract under German law
Fixed-price quote within 48 hours after the install-base review

Frequently asked questions

Which third-party maintenance providers operate in Germany?

Four types: TPM specialists based in the DACH region such as TechCare Solutions, internationally operating TPM groups, IT service providers with a maintenance offering, and the manufacturers themselves. For estates in Germany, vendor coverage, SLA, a local spare-parts depot and a contract under German law matter most.

How much does third-party maintenance cost compared with OEM support?

Typically 30–70 % less than the OEM maintenance list price. The gap is largest for hardware past end of service life, where manufacturers only offer expensive custom contracts or no maintenance at all.

Is third-party maintenance suitable for critical systems?

Yes, if the contract covers the requirements: a defined SLA up to 24×7×4, original spare parts, documented processes and audit evidence. TechCare Solutions covers these requirements, including NIS2 and DORA documentation, in its standard contract.

Can one provider maintain several manufacturers under one contract?

Yes. TechCare Solutions covers 28 manufacturers under one contract, for example Cisco, Dell, HPE and NetApp in a mixed data center.

How do I compare quotes from different providers?

Use the same install-base list and the same SLA per system. Price, response time, spare-parts origin and term then become directly comparable. TechCare Solutions delivers a fixed price per system within 48 hours, also as a counter-offer to an existing quote.