Eaton unveils new warranty and support services

Power management product maker promises turnover boost opportunity

UPS vendor Eaton has taken the wraps off a new suite of warranty and support services that it believes can help boost channel partner turnover by 25 per cent.

David Oddie, IT channel manager at Eaton, noted that additional services are likely to further boost user appeal.

"Even with the best products, problems can occur," Oddie said. "Now our channel partners have the opportunity to provide further peace of mind that will help to ensure these problems are addressed quickly and effectively."

Oddie said resellers should aim to sell these services bundled in with every power management product sold. The vendor has calculated that the inclusion of these warranty and support services can add 25 per cent to total power-management revenues.

"Selling the services is potentially a very significant source of extra income for our partners," he said.

The services work with small plug-and-play UPS units as well as large three-phase installations. Eaton is offering four warranty options in addition to the standard warranty.

Warranty+ adds a year to the standard 12 or 24-month UPS warranty; Warranty 5 extends standard warranties to five years; and Warranty Advance gives coverage for three years and one site visit in the first two years, plus a routine maintenance visit in the third year.

All must be bought and registered within 30 days of product purchase, but the fourth option, Warranty Extend, can provide an additional year of coverage after expiration.

Eaton is also offering two more new services. Battery Plus is a replacement service for expired or damaged batteries, while Intervention is an on-site support service (excluding breakdown cover, which is part of the warranty structure).