Fortinet FortiSwitch 1024E Secure RMA, 1-Year (FC-10-S1E24-301-02-12)

Regulated environments often can’t ship a defective switch back to the vendor without creating a compliance problem. The FortiSwitch-1024E Secure RMA 1-Year (FC-10-S1E24-301-02-12) removes that friction: when you file an exchange, Fortinet ships a replacement and you retain the failed unit on-site. Configuration data, VLAN maps, ACLs, and any other material stored on the device never leave your physical control. The 1-year term is a practical entry point for teams evaluating whether Secure RMA belongs in their standard procurement template.

What Secure RMA Covers

Secure RMA is an add-on to an active FortiCare Premium or Elite base contract on the same FortiSwitch-1024E serial number. It does not change how technical support cases are handled — response times and escalation paths remain as defined by your base FortiCare level. What it changes is the hardware exchange step: instead of returning the failed unit to Fortinet, you keep it. This prevents any possibility of residual data leaving your custody during an RMA event and satisfies data-residency and media-control requirements that standard RMA processes do not address.

Who Needs It

Secure RMA is most relevant for organizations operating under compliance frameworks that extend to physical hardware — PCI-DSS, HIPAA, FedRAMP, or ITAR environments where media control and chain-of-custody documentation apply to network devices. The FortiSwitch-1024E, with 24 SFP+ ports and 100G uplinks, is commonly deployed in data center aggregation and top-of-rack positions where it sees full production traffic and stores sensitive switch configuration. Finance and healthcare networks, government data centers, and any site with an internal policy requiring on-site destruction of retired media are natural candidates for this service.

Activation and Delivery

This is a subscription license delivered electronically. After purchase, DataCenter360.ca sends the registration key, typically within one business day. Register it against the FortiSwitch-1024E serial number in the Fortinet Support portal and the service activates immediately. No hardware ships at activation. The license is available worldwide with no geographic restrictions.

FortiCare Support Levels at a Glance

Secure RMA requires an active FortiCare Premium or Elite contract on the same device. FortiCare Essential does not qualify. The table below shows the base support tier comparison before adding Secure RMA:

One Service vs. a Broader Package

Secure RMA addresses hardware disposition only — it does not accelerate delivery speed. If your site also needs a replacement unit faster than the standard advanced-replacement window, Next Calendar Day Priority RMA (FC-10-S1E24-210-02-12) and 4-Hour options are available for the FortiSwitch-1024E and can be stacked with Secure RMA for a complete hardware coverage picture. The full range of FortiSwitch-1024E licensing options is available at DataCenter360.ca.

Buying from DataCenter360.ca

DataCenter360.ca is an authorized Fortinet Select Partner that registers Fortinet support contracts directly. For organizations purchasing the 1-year term to match an annual budget cycle or to confirm Secure RMA fits procurement standards before committing to longer terms, this is a straightforward order. Three-year and 5-year Secure RMA options for the FortiSwitch-1024E are also in stock at DataCenter360.ca and typically provide a better per-year cost for sites with stable infrastructure plans.