Data Centers and IT Asset Disposition

A Data Center’s Turnover Challenge

Data centers tend to have a shorter IT asset lifecycle due to the sheer volume of equipment in operation. A single data center could have hundreds of racks of hardware in constant need of monitoring and maintenance. Because of this, IT asset disposition (ITAD) is a continual challenge that must be addressed.

Due to the demanding environment, data center companies need the most current and robust hardware available for their IT infrastructure. This leads to a typical lifecycle for data center hardware falling between just two to three years. With the constant rotation of servers, network switches and storage arrays, the task of IT asset disposition can become a headache very quickly. If ITAD is avoided too long and hardware is moved into storage, out of sight and out of mind, it can easily become a giant problem taking up space, putting companies at higher risk, and losing dollars as resale value quickly depreciates.

The Need for Proper ITAD 

End of use data center equipment should be handled properly, as soon as possible.

Often times disposing of devices is put off due to uncertainty of how to get the most value back from high end equipment. Hardware may be cherry picked and harvested to resell, but if not done properly this leads to data security concerns for items that are resold, as well as environmental regulatory concerns for anything not able to be resold that may get ‘dumped’.

Due to heavily regulated industries like financial institutions and healthcare companies, sensitive data like social security numbers and patient records are commonly held in data centers. These regulated companies rely on data centers to keep them in compliance with how they manage their data, even when the hardware containing that data is ready for disposal. Data security at all stages is critical for data centers and their customers.

Finding a Solution

Certification is key when looking for an ITAD provider to maintain compliance throughout the entire lifecycle.

When partnering with an ITAD company, it’s important to ensure they know what they are doing to get the highest resale value back for the data center’s valuable equipment, but it’s equally important to make sure they follow high data security and processing standards. Industry certifications like R2  and e-stewards require ITAD providers to be audited on a regular basis by unbiased third parties to ensure data is properly destroyed and verified with certificates of destruction. Certified companies must also conform to recycling standards to ensure any equipment that does not hold value is properly recycled with complete chain of custody for environmental compliance.

If your data center is located in the South Dakota, Iowa or Nebraska region, SEAM can pick up your equipment, destroy your data, and resell your hardware with a local, white glove service. Contact us today to get a quote for securely and efficiently decommissioning your data center devices.