Liquidating IT Assets
– Jeff Searcy, President, LIQUIS says:
Your network equipment has reached its end-of-life (EOL). Your company is decommissioning, consolidating or relocating its company-owned or rented facility. There are many reasons that companies are liquidating their assets.
For many, the task can be daunting; and if not done properly and in a timely manner, can cost more than initially anticipated. So, before you rush to disband your assets – PCs, laptops, monitors, network and test equipment, UPS, POS and telephone systems, printers and/or servers – take a moment to contemplate these key considerations:
1. Simply hitting ‘delete’ is not enough: There are only two ways of properly deleting information from a hard drive – and hitting the delete button is not one of them. Hard drives must either be wiped before being re-used, or the device must be destroyed completely.
2. Sort, test and disassemble: Remember, you want to get the most for your e-waste. Many items can be re-used and recycled; others can also be sold for parts or yield valuable components, scrap commodities, metals and plastics. However, be aware that disconnection, rigging and removal of used electronics requires careful management. Improper handling could not only impact recovery value, but also pose a significant risk to workers as many electronics contain toxic chemicals and hazardous contaminants.
3. Pay attention to regulatory compliance: It’s important to operate within the laws and regulations surrounding e-waste disposal. You cannot, for instance, throw your old laptops in the dumpster behind the office. Doing so could violate Federal laws including the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (in regards to personal health information), or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (in regards to financial information). Also, make sure to abide by your state’s environmental laws in regards to data and e-waste destruction. There are currently 25 states with electronics recycling program laws.
4. Track your assets: It is critical to properly track and monitor assets when they are picked up or dropped off for disposal. This prevents rogue employees from stealing private information or unauthorized individuals from selling equipment that contains sensitive data.
5. Record for auditing purposes: Make sure you know where your equipment has gone after it leaves your office so that in the event of an audit, you are not scrambling at the last minute to find this information – or are unable to find the data at all.
LIQUIS, a leading provider of complete infrastructure asset liquidation and turnkey facility shutdown services, has been helping companies across the nation properly dispose of their e-waste for the past decade. By providing exceptionally detailed and thorough asset recovery, electronics recycling, and disposal services, the professionals at LIQUIS offer customers looking to liquidate not only substantial time and cost savings, but also the peace of mind that comes with knowing their assets are in experienced and capable hands.
For more information on how LIQUIS can streamline and optimize your company’s technical asset disposal, please click here.
