Business Challenge

When faced with the disposal of redundant IT equipment from a data centre in France, the client required an IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) partner. Due to the sensitivity of the data on the end-of-life servers, internal cyber security protocols required that the internal hard drives be physically destroyed before the servers left their premises.

The Solution

The client’s partner of choice for lifecycle services globally is Ingram Micro Lifecycle. We were chosen due to our compatibility with the client’s policies and local legislation (such as the WEEE Directive and GDPR), and the breadth of services offered which have a track record of being delivered efficiently and cost-effectively.

A team of our experienced technicians was dispatched to the client’s location to:

• Audit devices against an inventory of serial numbers so all the correct assets were signed off before leaving the site, allowing any anomalies to be investigated
• Provide security to permit only authorised personnel and registered vehicles on-site for the project
• Reduce hard drives to less than 20mm particle size before disposing of in line with WEEE regulations and the level of sensitivity of the data involved
• Provide photographic evidence of security seals on vehicles and point-to-point secure GPS-tracked logistics for peace-of mind assurance that collected assets were transported directly to the local Ingram Micro Lifecycle ITAD processing facility
• De-manufacture servers in compliance with e-Stewards standards split the resulting waste streams for more efficient waste handling then reclaim precious materials and recycle other materials to reduce e-waste
• Issue final detailed audit report of project completion and a certificate confirming the destruction of all data and compliant disposal of all materials

Why the Client Chose the Ingram Micro Lifecycle Solution

The ITAD service would meet all requirements before quickly mobilising a team to destroy hard drives onsite within the required period so project completion and invoicing occurred within the specified budget timeframe. There is great remarketing opportunities for data centre equipment and the client valued the program management, tracking, and reporting capabilities for full project visibility.

Key Solution Benefits

• Efficient disposal of all equipment and shredding of hard drives
• Compliant destruction of 1,200 hard drives over two days on-site combined with removal of hardware for one complete solution provided by one partner
• Partner’s bespoke asset management software, Blue IQ, gave the client anywhere, anytime access to a customer portal with asset visibility, reporting, and data destruction certification, to assist with auditing
• Secure transport of all equipment directly to the ITAD processing facility with device tracking against serial numbers
• Opportunities for refurbishment and remarketing of reusable IT assets for value recovery
• Scaling up possibilities to other sites owned by the client, supported by the global footprint of the solutions partner
• Assurance via detailed comprehensive reporting and compliance certification for waste and data disposal
• Environmental reports issued to highlight sustainability metrics such as CO₂ reductions and avoidance, plus materials reclamation and recycling