Thursday, September 20, 2012

IT Hardware Recycling Remains an Orphaned Function in Most Enterprises


A great number of U.S. businesses continue to struggle with implementing best practices in the recycling of their IT hardware and electronics equipment. The IT hardware disposition function remains undefined among many organizations, an "orphaned" function that is neither the full responsibility of IT departments nor procurement or other related functions.

A new multi-client study from International Data Corporation (IDC), ITAsset Disposal and Recycling: United States Enterprise Practices and Outlook2012-2013, finds that more than one third of the companies recently surveyed do not use proper disposition methods, often adding unjustified cost and complexity to their hardware recycling practices. The use of irrational disposition processes remains high. For instance, the use of company staff to manage donation to charity, adding to cost, risks, and loss of resale opportunity, is practiced by more than 40% of the organizations surveyed. Likewise, the practice of storing assets is alarmingly high as is the use of municipal waste services, which leave companies at legal risk of violating U.S. environmental regulations and preventing them from finding cost containment opportunities through resale and other solutions.

In terms of outlook, IDC sees a number of trends that are likely to influence IT hardware disposition practices over the next few years, further impacting the industry itself. Among the trends to watch are the movement toward cloud computing that could lead to lower procurement of classic assets, as well as the emergence of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), which will create a whole new set of challenges on the data security and compliance front.

More information on on IT can be found at www.SupportIndustry.com

1 comment:

Unknown said...

That is interesting, I think that recycle it hardware would be a good thing. I mean once you replace it, what are you going to do with the old stuff? have it gather dust in a corner, or just throw it away? It could really help someone out.