Storing Old Computers is a Bad Idea

More data was created in the last two years than the previous 5,000 years of humanity. Computers, laptops, hard drives, data tapes, USB drives, CDs, phones, tablets and printers are being filled to the brim with data every day. When these devices become obsolete they are often moved to a drawer, locked in a back room, set under a desk, or shoved in a closet — out of sight out of mind until someone decides it’s time to clean house. So, what’s the problem?

You Lose Money. Unused equipment may be able to be resold on the secondary market, but with constantly changing technology the resale value can quickly depreciate. The sooner you resell your equipment the better chance you have of getting a higher value back. Most electronics can lose anywhere from 30% to 70% (or even greater) of their value in less than a year and that only gets worse the longer you let them sit. Industry studies have found that on average, the resale price of used IT equipment depreciates at 3.5% per month. If you’re hoping to recover any of your initial costs, avoid stockpiling your devices.

You Risk a Data Breach. Many companies spend millions to protect their data from hackers, but forget about the old computer in their building carrying a huge liability risk. Used computers in storage are easily lost or stolen. When it comes to obsolete IT equipment, employee theft is one of the most common reasons for data breaches. Often times employees think the company is done with the machine and won’t notice or mind if a device goes missing. What they don’t think about is the data that may be contained on that device. Last year, a health insurer lost six hard drives holding private information on 1 million customers. In 2011, a provider of managed health care services compromised 1.9 million customers when nine server drives containing personal and health data were misplaced at an IBM data center. You can reduce the risk of data loss and the cost of responding to a breach by disposing of these assets right away. The longer these devices are stored, the longer you leave yourself open to risk.

You Waste Space and Time. By storing old IT assets, you are taking up up storage space that could be used for more productive uses. Your team is likely spending time out of their day tracking and managing these unused devices. This time would be much better spent focusing on issues and tasks that will benefit the company.

What does your company do with obsolete computer devices? Any way you look at it, disposing of your IT assets sooner than later benefits you and your company. Contact SEAM in Sioux Falls for a free quote to pickup, recycle or resell your obsolete IT equipment safely and securely today.