Data Center FAQs

How do I compare different decommissioning vendors?

Too often, data centers depend on a vendor providing other services on-site to also provide the decommissioning and final disposition of retired assets.  An existing vendor will have the advantage of being familiar with the data center environment and the people on-site. The disadvantage may be that the decommissioning and disposition services may be outside their area of expertise. You want to make sure your selected vendor is fully competent in the following areas:

Pre-Planning

• Site visit to map out work to be done
• Project plan before work starts to ensure work is performed systematically, on schedule and in coordination with other data center activities

At Data Center

• Derack, decommission and disassemble equipment
• Remove cabinets and racks as needed
• Tag decommissioning work as needed
• Electric and network cable removal
• Inventory count
• Inventory reconciliation against a master list
• On-site audit – make, model, serial number, asset tag
• On-site destruction of storage media
• Coordinate lease returns as needed
• Packing of assets and transport to a processing facility

At Reuse and Recycling Processing Center

• Testing, grading, repair and refurbishment of data center equipment
• Resell/remarket used equipment with resale value
• Redeploy equipment to another client facility
• Parts recovery for spare parts
• Environmentally compliant recycling of obsolete and broken equipment

Project Completion/Reports

• Inventory reporting and certificates of data destruction
• Financial settlements of equipment sold on behalf of client
• Certificates of data destruction