With technology advancing every day, businesses must act quickly for any chance of a return on investment for their outdated IT equipment. When computers becomes obsolete, they lose value as fast as any other technology on the market. If out-of-date electronic equipment is allowed to take up space and collect dust, depreciation creeps in and drains any potential of getting money back.

Unfortunately, many businesses do not have the time to inventory their old devices, research fair market value, and sell equipment on second-hand markets by themselves. That’s where third party IT resellers come in.

IT resellers and electronics recyclers can arrive at an office building, load all equipment, destroy hard drives, then haul everything away for resale or proper recycling. It’s important to find a company with a solid reputation in selling IT equipment to ensure the highest value is returned. Their recycling program is also important to ensure anything that cannot be resold is securely, legally and safely disposed of. If old IT devices are dumped in the landfill or shipped overseas, the original generator is left on the hook for not doing proper due diligence in finding a responsible disposition solution. Choosing the vendor with the highest buyback bid without data security or recycling certifications can cost thousands if not millions more if data is leaked or ewaste is dumped.

Look for a provider who can provide:

Professional IT Resale Services: Resale experts will audit old IT equipment to determine its value based on current market conditions. If able to be resold, the systems will be completely wiped of all data. Current hard drive and solid state drive destruction standards follow NIST SP 800-88r1 standards, so ask the vendor about their data destruction procedures to make sure they are in compliance. After data has been properly erased, equipment can be put on the second hand market either through online resale channels or through bulk buyers. Check out the vendors ratings on their retail channel as this will give you a good idea how long they have been in business and if they are a reputable seller. Once the equipment is deemed valuable, vendors will either pay upfront and take the chance the devices will sell, or they will share the actual return after the items have sold. By using an R2 and e-Stewards certified vendor, companies can ensure the provider has gone through proper channels for secure wiping and resale procedures to protect any private data. 

Proper IT Recycling Services: If equipment cannot be resold, a certified electronics recycler will dismantle and recycle it for reuse. Legislation bans electronics from the landfill which makes it illegal for anyone or any business to throw them away. If disposed of improperly, harmful materials such as lead, cadmium, chromium, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can contaminate soil and water. It’s also illegal to ship e-waste to underdeveloped countries, where men and women are forced to mine the materials in horrible, life-threatening conditions. Make sure the vendor is certified to R2 or e-Stewards standards to guarantee they follow proper recycling procedures for data security, environmental management systems, and quality processes. They should also have strict no-overseas and no-landfill policies with documented chain of custody records for complete, safe and secure processing.

Businesses with outdated IT equipment in Sioux Falls, South Dakota or surrounding areas such as North Dakota, Nebraska or Iowa, should contact SEAM, the only R2 and e-Stewards certified IT reseller in the region.  SEAM provides on-site hard drive destruction services in SD, ND, NE and IA. Specializing in the remarketing, resale and environmentally safe disposition of excess and off-network IT equipment, they prevent unnecessary risks of financial, legal, environmental and data-related security issues with secure hardware disposition and data destruction. Contact SEAM based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota for a quote on your old equipment.