Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) has extended the terms of its warranty support for networking customers to 24/7 coverage for three years, an upgrade it is offering at no additional cost, according to the vendor.

The new HP Lifetime Warranty 2.0 adds 24/7 phone support for HP’s FlexCampus, FlexBranch and small-business products for up to three years, included in the purchase price of the covered products. The warranty extension is in addition to HP’s existing next-day hardware replacement provision for products such as fans and power supplies.

The move is seen as helping customers contain warranty costs and diminish network downtime. And, the elevated networking warranty support will enable channel partners to sell more products and services and boosts the value proposition resellers bring to the table, HP said.

“Organizations are spending millions on support to keep their network operating,” said Bethany Mayer, HP Networking senior vice president and general manager. “Our Lifetime Warranty 2.0 is part of our strategy to improve the economics for customers—offering them peace of mind with 24/7 support, while lowering operational costs.”

The Lifetime Warranty 2.0 package also includes technical support and free software upgrades for the life of the product, along with services such as HP Proactive Care to prevent downtime and address problems before they arise, and design, validation and deployment services that grant customers access to networking experts to help them to define the right solution.

There’s a trove of documentation and real-world examples showing comprehensive product warranties augment value and drive sales, and John Barker, Versatile Communications president, is in that camp.

“The enhancements to HP Lifetime Warranty 2.0 provide us another opportunity to deliver better value to our customers,” he said. “Our customers are always striving to find new and cost-effective ways to better support their infrastructure and Lifetime Warranty 2.0 provides that avenue."