Are you worried about donating your devices safely? We share tips on safely donating your old laptop, smartphone, or other devices without compromising data.
How to Safely Donate Your Old Laptop, Smartphone or Other Devices
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Survey: Which U.S. Cities Have the Worst Tap Water, According to Travelers?
We recently conducted a survey of 3,000 travelers to determine if they felt safe drinking the tap water in specific cities across the U.S. The results are illustrated below. Key Insights from the Survey: Distinct Taste Influencing Perception: Cities like New Orleans...
A Business Guide: How to Prepare Computers for Recycling
Back up data, wipe hard drives securely, remove sensitive components, sort materials, and choose a certified recycling partner to ensure legal compliance and data security. Key Takeaways: Recycling computers helps businesses reduce their environmental impact, conserve...
IT Asset Disposal Requirements Businesses Should Be Aware of
Safeguard data and the environment with smart IT asset disposal practices for businesses.
Data Center Decommissioning: A Security Checklist
Create a decommissioning team, define objectives, audit assets, backup and sanitize data, ensure regulatory compliance, dismantle facilities, select ITAD vendors, and conduct a final audit. Key Takeaways: Data center decommissioning involves dismantling the facility...
Facts About E-waste You Should Know
E-waste contains harmful materials like lead and mercury, contributing to pollution and climate change. Global recycling rates are low, and proper disposal is crucial for environmental health. Key Takeaways: E-waste encompasses discarded electronic devices containing...
Maximizing Asset Recovery Value in Data Center Decommissioning
To maximize asset recovery value in data center decommissioning, strategically plan ITAD with market analysis, ensure data security, and leverage resale and recycling. Key Takeaways: Understanding the secondary market value of IT assets is crucial for maximizing...
Who is Responsible for the Disposal of Old IT Equipment?
The disposal of old IT equipment in a business is a collective responsibility involving the IT department, legal team, compliance officers, external vendors, and employees. However, it is important that the ultimate responsibility is assigned to a specific party and...
Tailoring MSAs to ITAD Needs: Customization for Comprehensive Coverage
Master Service Agreements (MSAs) are not just contractual formalities; they are strategic tools tailored to meet the specific needs of clients. While standard components of an IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) MSA typically encompass asset pick-up, data destruction,...
What is Computer Liquidation? A Complete Guide
Computer liquidation is the process of selling off surplus or outdated IT assets for cash, focusing on financial return and environmental responsibility. Key Takeaways: Computer liquidation is a strategic process for businesses to convert surplus or outdated IT assets...
Ensuring Data Integrity & Access During Data Center Decommissioning
To ensure data integrity and access during data center decommissioning, implement meticulous planning, secure data backups, and adhere to strict data destruction protocols. Key Takeaways: Data center decommissioning requires meticulous planning to ensure data...
What Happens to Shredded Hard Drives?
Shredded hard drives are reduced to tiny fragments, making data recovery an unreasonable endeavor. The waste remains are then recycled for precious metals and commodity recovery. Key Takeaways: Shredded hard drives are reduced to tiny particles, making data recovery...
Post-Migration Optimization: Maximizing Performance and Savings
Post-migration optimization in the cloud involves monitoring KPIs, fine-tuning performance, leveraging cloud-native tools, and balancing resources for cost-effective, efficient operations. Key Takeaways: Post-migration cloud optimization involves continuous monitoring...
Lessons Learned from Data Center Decommissioning Projects
Data center decommissioning case studies reveal that meticulous planning, compliance with data security laws, and project coordination are key to successful, secure, and eco-friendly project execution. Key Takeaways: Conducting a thorough site survey and comprehensive...
Overcoming Tech Debt: Strategies for Legacy Application Modernization
To overcome technical debt during cloud migration, assess and prioritize debt, adopt incremental modernization strategies, and leverage automation, re-platforming, and IT asset disposal. Key Takeaways: Assess and prioritize technical debt before cloud migration to...
On-Prem to Cloud Migration: Governance, Risk, and Compliance
Migrating to the cloud requires adapting Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) strategies to address new risks, ensure compliance, and manage governance in a dynamic environment. Key Takeaways: Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) must be integrated into the cloud...
IT Spring Cleaning: 5 Steps to Creating an Effective ITAD Plan
As businesses look towards spring, the concept of cleaning out and refreshing becomes not just a personal endeavor but a critical business operation—especially when it comes to Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD). Regular IT asset refreshes and disposals...
How to Record Disposal of IT Assets
To record IT asset disposal, identify assets, choose disposal timing, document transactions, and adjust accounting records, ensuring legal compliance and data destruction. Key Takeaways: Properly identifying and timing the disposal of IT assets is crucial for...
Common Business Devices That Become E-waste
Common business devices that become e-waste include printers, copiers, desktops, laptops, servers, smartphones, tablets, routers, switches, modems, and external hard drives. Key Takeaways: Office electronics such as printers, copiers, and fax machines often become...
What is the IT Asset Decommissioning Process?
The IT asset decommissioning process involves securely retiring IT equipment, ensuring data security, regulatory compliance, cost savings, and environmental responsibility. Key Takeaways: IT asset decommissioning is a critical phase in the lifecycle management of...
A Guide for Businesses on Recycling Computers
Businesses should responsibly recycle computers to conserve resources, reduce emissions, and manage hazardous waste, enhancing brand image and meeting CSR goals. Key Takeaways: Recycling computers helps businesses conserve resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions,...
Examples of E-Waste: A Business Perspective
Businesses generate e-waste, such as outdated computers, mobile devices, printers, and servers, which pose environmental, data security, and legal challenges. Effective e-waste management can offer economic benefits and enhance brand reputation. Key Takeaways:...
E-Waste Solutions for a Global Problem
E-waste solutions include designing sustainable products, implementing take-back programs, choosing certified recyclers, and fostering a circular economy to minimize waste. Key Takeaways: E-waste, comprising discarded electronics with batteries or plugs, poses...
How Can E-Waste Lead to Health and Safety Issues?
E-waste contains toxic chemicals and heavy metals that can cause organ damage, cancer, and immediate injuries like cuts and respiratory issues. Key Takeaways: E-waste contains harmful substances like lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can cause serious health issues...
A Guide to E-waste and the Environmental Impact
E-waste poses serious environmental risks, releasing toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases, contaminating soil and water, and impacting human health and ecosystems. Key Takeaways: E-waste, consisting of discarded electronics like computers and smartphones, releases...
What is E-Waste Recycling: A Guide For Businesses
Quick Answer: E-waste recycling involves collecting, sorting, and processing discarded electronics to recover commodities and safely dispose of hazardous substances, essential for sustainable business operations. Key Takeaways: E-waste recycling is essential for...
Future-Proofing ITAD: MSA’s, Long-Term Relationships and Reliability
The stability and security offered by long-term vendor relationships cannot be overstated. Master Service Agreements (MSAs) serve as key instruments in not just forging, but also future proofing these partnerships. MSAs go beyond mere contractual obligations, they are...
MSAs and Risk Management: A Shield in ITAD Operations
Master Service Agreements (MSAs) play a pivotal role in mitigating risks and ensuring compliance, acting as robust shields that protect customers and their ITAD providers. These agreements are meticulously designed to encompass a wide range of legal, operational, and...
MSA’s 101: Your First Step in ITAD Excellence
Introduction to Master Service Agreements in ITAD In the realm of IT Asset Disposition (ITAD), the establishment of a clear and structured relationship between service providers and their clients is paramount. This is where Master Service Agreements (MSAs) come into...
Secure Media Destruction and Fostering the Circular Economy
Striking a balance between secure media destruction and promoting the circular economy is crucial. Achieving this equilibrium is not only about protecting sensitive data but also about contributing responsibly to environmental sustainability. How can organizations...
The Circular Economy: The Power of Reuse in E-Waste Management
In an era where sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity, the way we view and manage electronic waste (e-waste) is undergoing a fundamental shift. The rapid growth of e-waste calls for innovative approaches to e-waste management, steering us towards a more...
The Impact of E-Waste: Why Decycle Matters
The digital revolution, while driving global progress, has inadvertently given rise to a burgeoning environmental challenge: electronic waste (e-waste). The rapid turnover of electronic devices, driven by constant technological advancements and consumer demand for the...
The Power of Giving Back: Supporting Students in Need
Talking about giving often sounds cliché or disingenuous. We've all heard about the importance of giving back countless times. However, the reason this message persists is rooted in the profound impact that giving can have on the lives of those in need. The good...
The Effect of Tech-Giving: How Donating Laptops Promotes ESG Goals
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals are fundamental to shaping a sustainable and equitable future. The path to achieving these goals is multifaceted and requires innovative approaches. One of the most impactful steps a company can take is through the...
Bridging the Digital Divide Through ITAMG Cares
Access to technology is not just about staying connected; it's a lifeline to education, economic opportunities, and a brighter future. Yet, for many low-income families, this lifeline remains out of reach. The digital divide is a chasm that separates those with access...
The Line of Trust in ITAD
When it comes to IT asset disposition (ITAD), trust is paramount. But where do you draw the line? There are two pivotal questions to ponder: Where is your line of demarcation? What influences the placement of that line? For many, this line is driven by either...
A Big Lesson From a $60M Fine for Poorly Performed Data Disposition
Last week the Department of the Treasury OCC levied a $60 million dollar fine to Morgan Stanley for data breaches that occurred from poorly managed IT asset disposition projects associated to data center decommissioning activities in 2016 and additional disposal...
Lowering the Carbon Footprint of IT Asset Disposition
We here at IT Asset Management Group (ITAMG) regularly come across regional organizations such as universities, hospitals, media companies and local banks that are engaged with disposal providers that ship their retired IT equipment several hundred or even a thousand...
Evaluating Data Destruction and Data Protection Compliance
As a NAID Certified Secure Destruction Specialist my goal is to offer information security and compliance professionals objective advice backed by experience, industry best practices and a keen knowledge of the applicable regulatory requirements. When working with...
Lessons from Arrow’s Closure of IT Asset Disposition Business
Last week Arrow Electronics Inc. announced that it would be shutting the doors on its IT asset disposition service business leaving the industry dumbfounded and thousands of customers concerned with how to proceed with their day to day disposal requirements. Although...
Maintaining Rational Policies in the Face of Failure
When we fail in life, especially at our security, we tend to overreact and make quick and sweeping changes. If you leave your door open and your home is burglarized, moving out of your neighborhood or installing a state of the art security system may be an irrational...
Add NIST 800-88 to Your DoD Data Destruction Playbook
It’s time your IT asset disposal program manager ditches a murky understanding of DoD data destruction(Department of Defense 5220.22-M) by adding a clearer understanding of the NIST 800-88 (National Institute of Standards and Technology 800-88 Guidelines for Media...
Bidding a Project to Computer Liquidators
If your IT department generates valuable surplus computer equipment whether through a regular refresh project, office relocation, staff reduction or merger it will be helpful to understand how to bid out an IT asset disposal project to computer liquidators.We suggest...
Three Quick IT Liquidation Tips
Evaluating an IT liquidation provider to purchase your corporate IT equipment can be a difficult task to accomplish. There are a good deal of variables that can lead an IT manager down a path where he or she will be unable to accurately evaluate competitive...
Hard Drive Disposal Options
Proper handling of end of life computer equipment and electronic media is critical to avoiding costly data breaches and debilitating exposures to your business and client data. Your options for hard drive disposal should not be limited by archaic security...
3 Myths About IT Asset Disposal and Electronics Recycling
Many companies in the electronics recycling and IT asset disposal industry utilize scare tactics and try to focus a buyer’s attention on false narratives to win new clients and increase profitability of contracts. We believe in transparency and educating our clients....
5 Tips for Computer Disposal and Data Destruction
At ITAMG we have been advising our clients on the big picture best practices for IT asset management, computer recycling, and secure data erasure. The following are five specific tips to help you make the most of your IT asset disposal program. 1) Communicate...
Performing IT Asset Disposal Vendor Due Diligence (Part 2)
Part 2: Documenting a Site Visit to an IT Asset Disposal Service Provider In this second installment of best practices for vetting a disposal vendor and documenting a process for electronic waste disposition IT Asset Management Group (ITAMG) is advising organizations...
Performing IT Asset Disposal Vendor Due Diligence
Part 1: Instituting a Master Service Agreement IT Asset Management Group (ITAMG) will be publishing multiple blog posts to prepare organizations for audits around computer equipment disposal, environmental compliance, and data security for end of life media and...
The End of Windows XP Support: Refresh and Computer Disposal Planning
If your company’s end users rely on Windows XP you are probably aware that on April 8th, 2014 Microsoft support for XP will end. The reason for this decision is discussed in this post by Elephant Outlook “Microsoft to Windows XP User – Your Operating System is a Major...
Calculate the Value of Used Computer Equipment
Perhaps the most common question people ask IT Asset Management Group is how do we figure out what surplus IT equipment is worth? In order for ITAMG to provide our clients with bids, proposals, and projections for surplus and end of life computer equipment, we...
5 Attributes of a Successful IT Asset Disposition Program
Government agencies, corporations, and various institutions are taking measures to improve IT asset management and disposition practices in order to mitigate risk of a data breach, achieve environmental initiatives, and ensure optimal financial performance. The...
The 4 Knows of IT Asset Disposition
The best place to start is the beginning of course, regardless if this is your first IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) project or your hundredth. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest and knowing the “Four Knows” can help return that interest for your surplus IT...
IT Asset Management Group Becomes EPEAT Champion
IT Asset Management Group (ITAMG), a leading provider of IT asset disposal, data destruction and electronics recycling services, has joined the EPEAT Champion program. EPEAT is the definitive global rating system for greener electronics. Becoming an EPEAT...
Electronic Waste Problem to Increase a Dramatic 1/3 by 2017
E-waste is on the rise and the impending result will impact us all. According to a USA Today article referencing a UN Study, “The mountain of refrigerators, cellphones, TV sets and other electrical waste disposed of annually worldwide is forecast to grow by a third by...
Project Management is Key to Safe IT Asset Disposition
Project management is a critical component in any IT project yet end of life disposal process is often lacking the proper amount of attention. Proper IT disposal planning will minimize data security risks and cleanly close out the life cycle of computer equipment with...
One CIO’s Trash, Is The Same CIO’s Liability
What happens when end use computing, mobile devices and data center infrastructure reach the end of its useful life in the enterprise environment? It turns into a major business liability. Each week, vast amounts of hardware is discarded by corporations large and...
It’s Smart to Watch Your Electronic Waste Habits
Growing up watching someone talk into their watch always looked pretty cool. Now with the Samsung Galaxy Gear that high-tech, talk into your watch age is here. Samsung has been winning praise for their ads which speak to that TV viewing audience. An article on...
The Frightening Impact of Theft, Loss, and Data Breaches
“Don’t panic, it’s only a data breach.” Are those words that you would ever hear? Certainly not, because when there is a data breach, while panic may not be the optimal reaction, it is more often than not the reaction. A data breach can cause shock waves through a...
5 Ways an IT Pro Can Succeed as a Manager
An IT Manager takes on a diverse role that encompasses technical challenges, analyzing information, staffing, conflict resolution, strategic planning, developing budgets, and even data center management. Both the technical and management components require your...
World’s Biggest Physical Data Breaches: Visualized
Ever hear of this thing called “big data”? It is hard to visualize reams of information and how to make them useful, especially when it comes to understanding all the different kinds of data breaches and industries most effected. Creative engineers and information...
ITAM: The most boring thing….
ITAM stands for IT Asset Management, but there is often a lot of confusion when talking to vendors that name solutions after industry terms, let alone a a certain company that just so happens to be named IT Asset Management Group. All too often acronyms confuse...
The Repercussions of the Poor Electronic Recycling Decisions of our Past
The government, corporations, and citizens in the United States have a higher awareness than ever before for the necessity to properly recycle electronic waste. Although there have been positive results from educating and regulating the electronic waste producers,...
Top 10 Virtualization Project Killers
Would you believe that a large number of desktop virtualization projects get to roughly about 30% completion and then never reach production? An even greater number fall apart prior to even reaching a small scale pilot stage. What makes ITAMG an expert to even share a...
Winding Down and Virtualization Study
Written By Peter Fleming of Soundview IT Solutions In the middle of 2011 a Connecticut based hedge fund announced their founder was retiring and the fund would subsequently be closing its doors. Among the myriad of issues the hedge fund faced, one was definitively...
Data Privacy Safeguards and Process Evaluation
For many businesses, information and hardware asset security has become a daily concern. IT Asset Management Group would like to highlight a chart from PricewaterhouseCoopers 15th annual Global State of Information Security® Survey that illustrates the statistical...
Recent Posts
Used IT Equipment Appraisal: Fair Market Value Guide
Hard Drive Destruction Methods + NIST 800-88 Compliance
DOD 5220.22-m Vs. NIST 800-88: Which Standard is Better?
Table Of Contents What is the DoD 5220.22-M standard? What is the NIST 800-88 standard? Government & industry adoption of the NIST 800-88 standard DoD vs. NIST: Which data erasure standard is better? Conclusion Organizations were once worried about whether data would...
HIPAA Law for Disposal of Health Information and Hard Drives
Table Of Contents HIPAA’s Stance on data protection and disposal methods HIPAA: Compliance versus Security Legal consequences of mishandling health information Final Thoughts on HIPAA Compliance HIPAA law sets clear expectations for how health information must be...
What Does R2v3 Mean?
Table Of Contents What Does R2v3 Mean for IT Asset Disposition? The Core Requirements of R2v3 Certification How R2v3 Certification Affects Your Business Implementing R2v3 Standards in IT Asset Disposal Selecting an R2v3 Certified ITAD Partner Frequently Asked...
The Importance of IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Sustainability
Table Of Contents Defining ITAD Sustainability Why sustainable ITAD practices are so important Benefits of sustainable ITAD Ready for a sustainable ITAD plan? Businesses that manage large volumes of retired IT equipment face more than just logistical challenges. Poor...