Fortinet FortiSwitch 448E Secure RMA Service, 1-Year (FC-10-S448N-301-02-12)

Fortinet’s standard RMA process requires sending the defective device back to close out a hardware claim. For organizations under data-protection obligations — classified networks, healthcare infrastructure, defence contractors, and government facilities — shipping a switch that stores network configuration off-site may not be permissible. FC-10-S448N-301-02-12 is the 1-Year Secure RMA contract for the FortiSwitch-448E: Fortinet delivers the replacement unit and the defective switch stays at your site permanently.

What Secure RMA Covers

The FortiSwitch-448E is a 48-port GE Secure Campus access switch with four 10GE SFP+ uplinks, 176 Gbps switching capacity, and 1U rack-mount form factor. FC-10-S448N-301-02-12 adds one year of Secure RMA coverage. When a hardware failure is confirmed, Fortinet ships a replacement unit. The defective FortiSwitch-448E is not returned — Fortinet waives the return requirement, acknowledging the data-protection intent. The 1-year term is a straightforward entry point for organizations evaluating whether Secure RMA fits their compliance posture, or for short deployment cycles.

Who Needs Secure RMA

Network hardware stores configuration data that can be sensitive: VLAN assignments, ACL rules, management credentials, and topology information. In regulated environments, the chain-of-custody for that data must remain traceable. Secure RMA is most commonly purchased by government agencies and public-sector IT teams, financial institutions with data-handling obligations, healthcare organizations under privacy frameworks, and commercial facilities with physical-security requirements that prohibit off-site hardware transfer. It is also used by organizations that self-certify data destruction and need the physical device to do so on-site.

Activation and Delivery

FC-10-S448N-301-02-12 is a software entitlement delivered electronically. No hardware ships at purchase time. DataCenter360.ca sends the license entitlement to your registered email within 0–1 business days of order. You activate the contract in Fortinet’s support portal, linking it to your FortiSwitch-448E serial number. When you invoke the Secure RMA benefit, Fortinet ships the replacement and processes the claim without requiring return of the defective unit. Country-level Secure RMA availability is listed on Fortinet’s service availability page.

FortiCare RMA Levels at a Glance

Secure RMA is separate from Priority RMA add-ons and does not require FortiCare Premium or Elite. For reference, here is how the three FortiCare per-device support tiers compare on RMA and support scope:

Buying from DataCenter360.ca

DataCenter360.ca is a Fortinet Select Partner and MSSP with experience serving regulated-sector customers in Canada and internationally. Licensing is fulfilled electronically through the official partner channel, and entitlements arrive within 0–1 business days. If a pilot year confirms that Secure RMA is the right fit, 3-year and 5-year terms for the FortiSwitch-448E are also available from DataCenter360.ca at a lower per-year cost.