Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/359333
26 | THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL www.datacenterjournal.com A well-defined ITAD program may be time-consuming and costly, but it is also critical to a data center's operational success. Depending on the level of service required, operators are strongly encour- aged to implement a systematic process for tracking and disposing of obsolete equipment in any data center transfor- mation and as a part of the IT budget. A strong ITAD system can benefit data centers and enterprises in a variety of ways, outlined below. SAVE ENERGY e data center industry as a whole has received much grief about the underutilization of servers, with typical utilizations running from 7–12 percent,1 but much more emphasis is on the energy use, as servers aren't the only compo- nents that consume energy. According to the New York Times, a single data center can consume more power than a medium-size town,1 and 90 percent or more of that electricity pulled off the grid is wasted. Although there are many strategies to decrease the energy use in these facili- ties, one that is seldom considered is the energy savings achieved when an elec- tronic device is reused and/or recycled. It is common for a company to replace older items not because of their ineffec- tiveness, but because of their energy use and the perks of working with upgraded technology. While the energy savings of newer devices should absolutely be con- sidered, the responsible disposal of the old should be just as important. Materials recovery not only affects the availability of these valuable commodities, but it also saves energy by eliminating the need to mine for new materials. AVOID COMPLIANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Auditing how equipment is pro- cessed once it is removed from the data center is an important step in a complete ITAD program to ensure it is aligned with corporate compliance and risk-manage- ment mandates. If disposing of IT assets is done incorrectly, your company can risk violating state and federal environ- mental regulations, which is why most IT managers choose to hire a vendor to manage this process. When choosing a vendor, most IT managers will search for the low-cost provider in an effort to ex- pand their IT budgets in other areas, but this approach may do more harm than good. Simply turning over your equip- ment to a vendor does not always indem- nify your company. If these items end up being improperly disposed of and can be traced back to your company, you are li- able, which could ultimately cause severe damage to your business as a whole. With that being said, some IT recy- clers such as Sims Recycling Solutions are not only capable of responsible disposal but can also maximize your return on investment for equipment that is still in working condition or that can be sold for parts. Some standards to look for in a recycler include industry certifications such as e-Stewards, Responsible Recy- cling (R2), Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA), ISO 9001 and 14001, and OHSAS 18001. In addition, you should ensure you will receive the docu- mentation necessary to maintain records of responsible disposal. ese documents can include certificates of recycling and destruction. ENSURE DATA SECURITY Although reusing and recycling electronic hardware is encouraged, all data residing on retired equipment must be destroyed. In 2013, 93 percent of large organizations experienced a data breach,2 and IT News Online reported that 88 percent of unsecured data is shared elec- tronically.3 Data-breach incidents can not only hurt a company's image but can also be financially devastating; one estimate placed the average cost at $201 per lost record and the annual cost at $25.8 billion for those affected. Some ITAD vendors are capable of taking their security services to the next level with bulk hard-drive-shredding services that can be performed on site at your data center or office. Not only does this service guarantee the destruction of data-storage equipment, but it can also be a great way to conveniently witness the destruction first hand. If the on-site hard-drive-shredding service is not being provided by an IT-recycling company— such as a document-shredding company that is repurposing its shredders—IT managers should consider switching to one or further investigating the compa- ny's credentials to ensure its diligence for data security and downstream vendors. ese extra efforts may be recognized when measuring a data center's efficiency, as security considerations for the disposal of obsolete electronics are assumed as a part of the industry-known electronics- disposal-efficiency (EDE) metric created by e Green Grid. ITAD VENDOR CONSIDERATIONS Because cloud storage continues to grow and more data is stored remotely, the security of these storage devices, whether working or not, is crucial to any business. One way to eliminate diligent research of more than one vendor is to find a company that not only special- izes in the secure disposal of one type of electronic device, but can also accept and responsibly handle various, if not all, types of equipment. is approach provides the convenience of managing only one vendor as well as shipping and tracking your devices on the same system. Custom online portals are becom- ing more popular as a way to view serial numbers and tracking details for your assets in live form. If the chosen vendor offers this service, it's a great way to track, at any time, where each device is throughout its disposition cycle. Overall, data center IT equipment must be handled with the highest level of security in mind, and this can be done in