Here is a good blog on whether or not you should renew your warranties on firewalls, servers, routers, software, etc. It is written by a friend of mine, Ken Zimmerman, at Trivalent Group out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He provides some points you should ponder that are well thought out.

Here are a couple of his paragraphs that really got my attention:

Truth be told, in IT, nearly everything you purchase has some sort of maintenance agreement that goes along with it, from your antivirus to your backup hardware/software to your firewalls, routers, switches, etc. In some instances, looking out for the best interests of our clients means giving the best information possible and having them let you know what risk they are willing to take. I hate to say it, but some maintenance renewals are a lot like insurance. It all comes down to the risk versus cost multiplied by probability.

My honest opinion is that, first and foremost, you need to make sure that you are covered regarding things that protect you on the security side of things. A firewall ultimately is the lock on your door. If you don’t keep the lock on your door updated, how useful is it? This goes for antivirus and malware products as well. They are only as good as their last update, and you want to make sure you are able to get the newest updates and releases. With viruses and ransomware flying around on a daily basis with so many different variations, I look at it as a very short-sighted thought not to renew this type of maintenance renewal.

 

Here is a direct link to his column, What is the Value of Maintenance Agreements?