Welcome to the First Issue of In the Loop | Maximising Value, Minimising Waste

Welcome to the very first issue of In The Loop | Maximising Value, Minimising Waste! ?

This monthly newsletter has been created to do just that – help your business recover as much value as possible from your redundant IT hardware, whilst also reducing e-waste.?

I am Josh Matthews and I’ve been at Techbuyer, a Harrogate based supplier of sustainable IT solutions for over 7 years.?

I’ve worked in multiple positions across the business, learning a lot and helping organisations around the world maximise the value of their redundant IT hardware, whilst minimising e-waste.??

Through this newsletter, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on industry news, legislative changes, developing ideas and topical articles.??

At Techbuyer, we both specialise in the refurbishment and resale of datacentre equipment and provide high level on-site services for secure removal of data centre assets.??

For our first issue of In The Loop, I was interviewed by another member of our team on what data centres should be looking for when removing redundant equipment.??

What Should you Consider if Decommissioning Equipment in a Datacentre?

? Data Centres, generally speaking, need to understand what they need in terms of:?

• The volume of kit to be removed?

• The volume of kit to be removed that is data bearing??

• Security of business information and reporting?

• Ethical and environmental reporting requirements?

• Budget constraints??

• The value of kit?

• Timeframes for completion?

However, each organisation is different, and they may have unique considerations to address.?

These concerns and priorities can be matched and met by working with a reputable ITAD supplier capable of handling large scale projects at a high standard.?

We recently had a project to decommission a data centre whose priorities and concerns matched those above, however they also needed this project to be completed within a tight deadline.??

This involved powering down equipment that had been operating for 20 years and removing 70 racks of kit, equating to 4k-5k individual assets (including cabling), within 3 days.??

The data centre in question needed all their equipment removed, including data bearing components, quickly, effectively and securely, whilst ensuring that none of their hardware ended up in landfill.? No value was expected back on the equipment – and initially physical shred was requested – however, we worked with our client to understand what their obligations were and were able to securely erase all data bearing equipment AND offer significant value back on the equipment.???

What Risks do Data Centres Face When Removing Redundant Equipment??

There’s a few risks when disposing of redundant hardware that organisations need to be aware of:??

• GDPR legislation and data breaches??

• Environmental legislation??

• Transportation of goods??

In the case of our recent project, we mitigated these risks by providing secure, GPS tracked transportation, a full asset register of all equipment, including data bearing devices, and working with other departments at Techbuyer, such as Resource Recovery, to ensure that no hardware ended up in landfill.??

We took everything data bearing to help protect any sensitive information by removing and asset tagging this equipment as soon as possible; we went back a few days later to get the rest of the equipment.??

We supplied the client with a full asset register of their technology, as well as full reports on data sanitisation of equipment. This information can be incredibly useful for businesses in their reporting, as well as to prove compliance with GDPR standards.?

What Should Data Centres Look for From Their ITAD Supplier When Removing IT Hardware??

• Relevant accreditations??

• Customer testimonials?

• Flexibility in service??

• Experience?

Looking at the accreditations, certifications and standards that an ITAD supplier holds is a good indication on the level of service you’ll receive.??

Holding accreditations and standards focussed on environmental protection and data security, such as R2v3 and ISO27001, means that an ITAD supplier must uphold strict procedures and standards in their work.??

They should also be a trusted, well-established provider who is tried and tested in the industry, having serviced some big clients.?

This means that looking out for testimonials from past companies, positive reviews and evidence of extensive experience can help you make an informed choice.??

I also believe that a good ITAD provider should be flexible with the client, working with you to create a contract and a solution that meets your needs.??

?What Did this Project Demonstrate to You and to Your Clients??

It was a good learning curve and showed our capabilities, putting us in good stead to do this for more data centres in the future. Working with such a large organisation and stretching our capabilities shows that we’re able to perform and meet the security, operational and environmental needs of large corporations.??

We are well equipped with an experienced team and a good partner network, allowing us to get things done on short notice, as well as to a high standard. We don’t overpromise and always deliver on agreed SLAs, even with other big jobs on at the same time.?

Techbuyer’s Buyback and Data Centre Services?

If you’re looking to remove, sell or decommission your redundant IT hardware, Techbuyer offers a range of services designed to meet all your needs. From secure data erasure and on-site decommissioning to e-waste recovery and buyback, we can offer bespoke solutions to ensure that your priorities are met. Find out more about our full range of Buyback services or get in touch with our team for more information here.??

Looking For More Info on a Particular Topic???

Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see in the next issue of In the Loop!?

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