IT asset disposal is an increasingly complicated, yet incredibly important process. While the number one incentive for organizations to properly dispose of old IT equipment is still related to security, most companies recognize that the environmental component (for regulatory and moral reasons) cannot be overlooked. Below are some tips from IDC analyst David Daoud and NextPhase director of IT asset management solutions Chris Adam, for IT managers to consider before, during and after they get rid of their assets.

Asses the Situation
Know what is in your environment, both from a technology and age perspective, says Chris Adam. You should be aware of the type of equipment you have as well as how efficiently it works. This will, in part, determine what happens to the assets you no longer want. (The options are to resell, donate, take apart and resell individual parts or recycle them). For more on this read, What to Do When It’s Time to Get Rid of Old Hardware.  Your organization’s tolerance for risk will also help you decide how to dispose of equipment. Adam says that shredding hard drives, which involves putting them through a disinigrator where they are broken down into fine granules and melted down to harvest some of the metals, is the best option for some of NextPhase’s customers.
Other IT asset management vendors include: Intechra, Redemtech and Techturn.

Make Sure Data is Secure
David Daoud says security is the number one priority when disposing of IT equipment. The data in PCs, laptops, servers and workstations; it all has to be secured and handled properly, regardless of whether on not the asset is going to be resold or chopped up into bits and pieces in order to be recycled.
Daoud says that 70 to 75 percent of companies use their internal IT staffs to wipe disks. But IT asset management and disposal vendors like the ones listed above will usually provide the entire service for you. For example, NextPhase will come to your company and sanitize the asset (erase data) on-site. They then certify it has been cleaned and provide the necessary documentation (asset disposal records and proof of compliance with security and environmental regulations, for example) and take it away, either to be recycled, donated or resold.

Comply with Environmental Regulations                                            The environmental regulations associated with

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