Hardware Prices Are Climbing in the New Year
As we move into the new year, organizations are already seeing signs of another sharp increase in hardware costs—particularly across memory, processors, and storage components. Prices that climbed 30–50% over the past year are expected to rise even further in early 2026, driven largely by the continued expansion of AI infrastructure. With demand outpacing supply, availability across the broader market continues to tighten, making upcoming refresh cycles more expensive and more difficult to execute.
Component Shortages Are Slowing Down the Supply Chain
Semiconductor production challenges are adding even more pressure. CPUs, controllers, and I/O modules are experiencing extended manufacturing delays, and OEMs have already signaled meaningful price increases in their January 2026 updates. Many once-standard configurations now come with shifting or undefined lead times, making it difficult to plan upgrades or replacements with confidence.
Why Organizations Are Turning to Third Party Maintenance
With new hardware becoming more expensive and less predictable, Third Party Maintenance (TPM) has emerged as a stable, cost-effective alternative for supporting existing infrastructure. TPM provides a reliable way to extend the life of current systems without compromising operational integrity. Instead of refreshing equipment simply because OEM support is ending, TPM allows hardware to remain in production as long as it continues to perform well.
Solution: Tri-Net: Trifecta’s Third Party Maintenance Program
Trifecta’s Tri-Net program offers a flexible, cost-efficient support model designed to keep mission-critical environments operational regardless of OEM lifecycle dates or supply chain challenges. Unlike traditional OEM contracts, Tri-Net provides customizable SLAs, global service capabilities, and a proactive support structure built to extend the useful life of your existing hardware.
Tri-Net is powered by a dedicated team of certified technical experts and backed by Trifecta’s extensive parts inventory, allowing organizations to support current, EOL, and EOSL hardware without being forced into premature refresh cycles. With secure ticketing, clear escalation paths, and reliable resolution times, Tri-Net ensures consistent support across all hardware.
TPM Helps Control Costs in an Unpredictable Market
One of the most immediate benefits of TPM is cost stability. OEM support renewals often rise sharply as hardware reaches mid-life or end-of-support milestones. Tri-Net provides a more predictable and significantly lower maintenance cost, helping organizations preserve budget for critical initiatives rather than spending on refreshes driven solely by warranty expiration.
Stocked Spares Reduce Dependence on OEM Lead Times
Another advantage of shifting maintenance to Tri-Net is the ability to bypass ongoing supply chain delays. Trifecta maintains a large on-hand inventory of certified, ready-to-ship replacement parts, including drives, memory modules, controllers, power supplies, fans, and other high-failure components. This ensures fast response times and reduces the risk of extended downtime, even as global component shortages persist.
Support for Multi-Vendor and Multi-Generation Environments
Most organizations operate mixed environments that include Dell, HPE, Cisco, NetApp, IBM/Lenovo, and systems across multiple hardware generations. Tri-Net consolidates this into a unified maintenance structure with one contract, one SLA, and one point of contact. This simplifies lifecycle management and removes the burden of juggling multiple OEM renewals and support portals.
TPM Helps Prevent Forced Refresh Cycles
OEM support timelines often push organizations toward refreshes at times when it is financially or operationally inconvenient. Tri-Net helps organizations avoid these unnecessary refresh cycles by decoupling support needs from OEM-imposed deadlines. Instead, upgrades and replacements can be aligned to actual performance requirements, capacity goals, and long-term infrastructure strategy.
A More Predictable and Flexible Path Through 2026
With pricing fluctuations and supply chain uncertainty expected well into 2026, Tri-Net offers a practical way to maintain system reliability, preserve budgets, and defer major capital purchases until the market stabilizes. By extending the life of functional equipment, reducing support costs, and providing faster access to critical parts, Tri-Net gives organizations the flexibility needed to operate confidently through a turbulent hardware cycle.
To learn more about how Tri-Net can support your environment, visit our Third Party Maintenance Page and reach out to your Trifecta representative for a customized quote tailored to your hardware, service levels, and operational priorities.