The IT landscape is in constant flux and staying on top of regulations is paramount for businesses in avoiding risk exposure and financial damage. Obsolete technology poses multiple risks – for data protection, you need to be sure that any residual data is securely wiped, and for the environment, discarded technology in landfill leaks harmful toxins. Securing an efficient, compliant IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) partner will reduce these risks whilst also recovering value from the technology.
Adhering to data security regulations
It is important that any data is securely removed and destroyed from your obsolete devices to comply with data protection regulations. Keeping data secure is not only applicable while it is in use within your company, but also after the device it is stored on reaches the end of its useful life. An ITAD partner mitigates your risk and provides liability coverage protecting against the financial impact of potential asset loss or data breach.
Reducing corporate carbon footprint and damage to our planet
The pressure is on enterprises to become accountable for the CO2 emissions and e-waste that their operational footprint produces. As with data protection, environment protection is also regulated with financial implications for non-compliance. Depending on the size of greenhouse gas (GHG) and landfill contributions, the reputation of your company can be affected by the negative environmental contribution. Mobile network provider Giffgaff reports that opting to use a refurbished smartphone over a new one saves 50kg of carbon.
Recovering value from the IT estate
There is potential to recover value from redundant devices that would otherwise end up in landfill or sit collecting dust in an office cupboard. There are options to enable the recovery of some of this value which could in turn be invested back into asset management and security of the ongoing equipment. Use of related lifecycle services available can also free up time and resources within the business for managing both in-life and end-of-life devices.
Sustaining effective infrastructure across on-site and remote
Historically, most organizations were not equipped to manage remote work on a large scale, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed the approach to work. Many organizations have adapted to maximize efficiencies of their workforce and promote sustained productivity, regardless of where they work from. In response to this shift, ITAD partners have evolved, broadening their offer to include storage, custom pre-configuration, individual device deployment, and bulk device distribution to enable IT departments to efficiently support all work environments.
Your ITAD partner
An established ITAD provider will have a range of service options available so you may customize your programme based on the data and security scenarios specific to your business. Choosing an ITAD partner with relevant certifications, such as e-Stewards, ensures your end-of-service assets will be recycled in a responsible and compliant manner. Your ITAD partner will supply a serialized Certificate of Data Erasure & Destruction for each asset they process.
By actively partnering with a major provider, and by implementing data security measures as foundational elements of your ITAD program, you will achieve a security solution tailored to your specific requirements that will proactively remove risk and protect your business.
A well-managed ITAD provider will minimize risk by putting in place a set of high-tech and robust process controls. They will fully train and proactively manage employees who work with client assets, they’ll use industry and process-specific management systems, and they’ll maintain all relevant certifications.
In looking to offset inherent risk, companies sometimes lose sight of the fact that high-limit liability coverage – and even robust insurance to back up liability commitments – does nothing to reduce actual risk of asset and data losses and the business damage that would follow a loss. An experienced ITAD provider is not only acutely aware of the risk factors around asset end-of-service, but they also have a strong incentive to minimize that risk.