Leverage ITAD to Securely Sunset Outdated IT Equipment and Contain Costs

When it comes to key decisions about IT lifecycle management, organizations should not neglect the final step of that process: IT asset disposition (ITAD). While it may seem like disposing of outdated IT equipment is as simple as sending it off to Goodwill or dropping it in the nearest recycling bin, ITAD is critical for ensuring you protect your company’s information. By taking a proactive approach to ITAD, your organization can save money by efficiently disposing of equipment and ensuring that sensitive information does not leak outside the company. CDW ITAD expert Kate Moore shared her advice on the best approach to a proactive ITAD strategy to protect businesses’ data and contain costs. 

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, organizations’ IT needs are constantly changing. Implementing a proactive ITAD strategy ensures your organization can stay on top of those changes and enable employees to remain productive under changing circumstances. By working with a trusted ITAD partner like CDW, organizations can receive continuous feedback about how they’re using IT equipment and ensure that they properly dispose of devices that are no longer used.

For example, CDW recently partnered with a leading e-commerce company that wanted to move from a physical office to enabling a fully remote workforce. Moore shared that this customer approached CDW because they were unsure how to begin the ITAD process. The customer wanted to make sure they retired the hardware on-site at their physical central office but also make sure that other endpoint devices, such as laptops and tablets, were ready for employees to use at home.

CDW set up a program for the customer in which employees could send in assets that were end-of-life or in need of repair. CDW then evaluated the hardware and determined if it was feasible to repair and redeploy or if certain assets needed to be sunset altogether.

When devices were able to be repurposed, CDW then redeployed that equipment to the e-commerce company’s employees so it could be reused in the new remote environment. And while not all ITAD partners offer the ability to repair Apple devices, CDW worked with the customer to find a collaborator that could meet those needs. As a result, the customer was able to contain costs and repurpose as much existing hardware as possible.

In fact, the customer was so satisfied with the result that they are now working with CDW to complete the ITAD process at the business’s international locations as well. 

When it’s time to retire outdated IT equipment, the most secure and cost-effective solution is not simply tossing it in the nearest bin or donating it without any forethought. By not properly wiping devices or breaking down large pieces of technology equipment so they cannot be put back together, you run the risk of leaving sensitive company data in the wrong hands. And while it is a great practice to donate your unused IT devices to schools or other institutions in need, you want to ensure that the devices cannot be traced back to your business before donating.

If you do not properly dispose of equipment using ITAD, you run the risk of having your data leaked, shared, or stolen. Moreover, even if you do manually wipe devices before donating or recycling them, the asset tag on that equipment may still connect it back to your business.

By leveraging a proactive ITAD strategy and working with a trusted ITAD services partner like CDW, you can ensure your data won’t end up somewhere it doesn’t belong. CDW works with partners that use Department of Defense-level data destruction to ensure that equipment is thoroughly wiped and broken down before disposal. This keeps office environments safe and declutters spaces by properly removing outdated hardware. 

When it comes to disposing of old IT equipment, Moore shared that many businesses will just decide to retire equipment of their own accord. In order to ensure that that equipment is properly recycled or repurposed, however, organizations should look to a trusted IT partner to collaborate on a more proactive ITAD solution.

By outsourcing ITAD, companies can save time that might otherwise be spent manually decommissioning devices and contain costs by ensuring that they are making the best use of their hardware. ITAD partners like CDW can take the stress out of ITAD, because it can make it as easy as shipping off old devices to the partner and feeling confident that they will be properly wiped and broken down. The ITAD partner can then issue certifications of destruction so you rest easy knowing that your equipment has been effectively decommissioned.

CDW can also handle any volume of equipment that you are ready to sunset. If it is only a few devices, consider a box solution where you pack up the equipment and ship it to an ITAD partner. For larger pieces of equipment or a high quantity of items, CDW can also arrange a truck pick-up to collect all devices ready to be wiped.

Outsourcing ITAD also allows organizations to have a say in where their retired equipment goes next. Without an official ITAD strategy in place, old equipment can easily end up in landfills or other unwanted destinations. An ITAD partner like CDW ensures that your equipment is either properly recycled or effectively wiped of all data and asset tags so it can be donated to another organization in need, such as a school. By working with an ITAD partner,  your company can save the hassle of going through the process on your own.