cisco switches

Counterfeit Cisco | Lower Prices on Thermometers and Masks

Happy Tuesday!

I hope the first day of your week went well. It was my first day back at work in a little over a week of course, and while I thought it was going to be hard to get into the swing of things it all started flowing pretty well right away. I have some really great leaders and I love meeting with them weekly to hear what’s going on and to give feedback and guidance. Some things we do saps our energy and some things give us energy. Meeting with leaders and hearing how they are moving things forward is certainly one of the things that GIVES me energy! The coffee didn’t hurt.  

Counterfeit Cisco switches
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2020/07/15/counterfeit-cisco-switches/

Someone sent this article to me and I thought it was worth sharing with commentary. First of all, you all know that CablesAndKits sells pre-owned Cisco. What you may not know is that the entire pre-owned industry is vulnerable to counterfeit product. Why would I say that?! Because it is true, and you need to know – and you need to know what to do about it. Being as I am your trusty networking products CEO I am going to tell you!

First of all, let me paint a picture for you. Let’s say that you want to buy a nice pre-owned car. Do you go to Carmax, your local brand name auto dealer, or do you buy one sight unseen from some guy you met in a waffle house at 2am? The shady guy in the waffle house may have a “great deal” for you, but aren’t you a bit concerned with where he got this car, if he actually owns it, if it runs right, etc? Perhaps instead you go to the local Chevrolet dealer because surely they have your best interest in mind – but they buy many of their used cars from auto auctions and they don’t ALWAYS get the best ones. Or, maybe you’ll consider Carmax. Not only can you find a good deal on a good ride, you can trust that they have gone through the car with a fine-tooth comb to ensure it hasn’t been wrecked and repaired to the point YOU cannot tell. That is one of their brand promises – a GOOD deal (not always a great one), on a GOOD car. (I own no stock in Carmax, and have never bought a car there – but I am very well aware of their brand position)

The pre-owned Cisco industry (or any pre-owned industry) is the same – in addition to the “traditional” ways of buying, there are people that make it their business to be someone you can trust, and that is how they build a reputation and a long-term business – providing you value and minimizing or eliminating the risk. This is what CablesAndKits exists to do – to “add value to your IT infrastructure”…. to help you save money on your IT spend while reducing or eliminating your risk – and we’ve been doing just that for almost 19 years. (Gosh I am getting old)