Third-Party Maintenance (TPM)

Third-Party Maintenance, or TPM, refers to the maintenance and technical support of IT hardware by an independent service provider rather than the original equipment manufacturer. The model is commonly used for servers, storage systems and network hardware and can provide an alternative to OEM maintenance contracts. Typical services include technical support, fault diagnosis, repairs, spare parts provision and replacement of defective hardware. TPM can be particularly relevant for older equipment or systems that are no longer supported by the manufacturer, for example after reaching End-of-Service or End-of-Life. This allows organisations to continue operating existing IT infrastructures according to their technical and economic requirements. Service scope, response times, spare parts availability and service levels are generally defined contractually and should be considered when selecting a TPM provider.