Today’s digital customer is driving organizations to find data center and interconnection solutions that are more secure, high-performing, and cost-effective. As a result, many businesses and enterprises are choosing to make the switch to the cloud. This strategy can unlock new potential for companies as they start leveraging newfound scale, elasticity, and critical redundancy to better serve their customers. But, moving data, applications, and other business elements from an on-site data center into the cloud is no easy task. Before a business enterprise can make the transition to the cloud, a comprehensive cloud migration process must be considered. This transition process is essential to safeguarding against risk and recouping the highest value from assets during the migration. [Planning is the essential ingredient for a business’ success.
Taking Stock
An enterprise can generate disposable IT asset inventories in a number of ways, with cloud migration constituting one of the biggest reasons that assets are rendered unusable or unnecessary. The starting point of a successful IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) plan is to create an inventory of assets and hardware. Knowing exactly what equipment must be disposed of (and how much there is of it) will start a business off on the right foot. Once that is clear, the business can begin to form a solid plan for their cloud migration. Liquid Technology now offers a new suite of services called CloudLast TM, which includes an on-site survey. This enterprise solution is designed to minimize disruption by streamlining the process. During the site survey, Liquid Technology technicians visit enterprise locations, review equipment and create a working asset inventory to lay a strong foundation for any resulting ITAD steps.
Creating a Game Plan for Assets
The best way to dispose of IT assets is through the help of a trusted professional partner. Equipment liquidation is no simple task, especially as regulations regarding data safety and disposal methods are constantly changing. A partner like Liquid Technology has the expertise needed to help a business safely dispose of assets, handle e-waste and recoup maximum value from unneeded equipment. Getting assistance from the experts may save you from unsafe data disposal fines or from missed profit opportunities during the asset resale phase.
Handling Sensitive Data
Often times, organizations tend to overlook data as a critical and strategic asset. As companies begin to recognize data as a value separate from the technological equipment it flows through, it becomes clear that data warrants its own careful consideration and strategy in regards to asset disposition. In fact, one of the most crucial parts of making the switch to the cloud is the safe destruction of old data. As more and more personal information is being entrusted to businesses across the world, ensuring valuable and sensitive data is safe has become increasingly complex and altogether necessary. Organizations must meet the standards of data erasure as identified within articles the Department of Defense DOD 5220.22-M and National Institute of Standards and Time NIST 800-88 in order to ensure compliance. That’s why the guidance of knowledgeable professionals is necessary. An ITAD professional understands the requirements for rendering old hard drives unreadable or destroying other recorded information. Liquid Technology’s suite of services includes auditable and fully secure data destruction methodologies to ensure all data is safely destroyed.
Staying Responsible and Ethical
E-waste often contains dangerous metals and toxic chemicals. If disposed of improperly in landfills or unlawfully recycled overseas, it can pose serious health risks for local ecosystems and individuals through groundwater or air absorption. Huge strides have been made in the fight against unethical IT asset disposition, but ensuring compliance remains paramount as ITAD becomes an adopted industry practice. By leveraging a trusted ITAD partner who has proper certifications and is up-to-date on how current assets must be disposed of, businesses can avert environmental or fiscal harm. If overlooked, this step can cost enterprises hefty non-compliance penalties from the state, local, federal and even regulators outside national jurisdictions.
Maximizing Return on Investment
Each of the above steps can help an enterprise regain as much asset value as possible while minimizing business disruption. Working with an ITAD partner, who knows the ins and outs of the asset retirement business, will ensure that a company recoups the greatest value for its efforts. Knowledge is power and experience can make the process simpler. Seasoned experts, like Liquid Technology, are here to ensure that your move to the cloud maximizes the return of value on assets with the least amount of stress.
