It Asset Disposition (Itad)

The 5 Myths of Donating IT Equipment

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Donating IT equipment is a bad idea. It is always better to have a professional IT asset disposition company process the materials and send you a check, which in turn you can keep or donate. Here are the top five myths related to donating retired IT assets.

MYTH #1 – You are “helping the organization”
Actually receiving IT equipment via donation may cause other issues, such as equipment storage issues, getting the wrong equipment for the job, and a potentially a true knowledge gap of what to do with the hardware.

MYTH #2 – You are getting the most for your donation
If your retired IT equipment has value, it is better to have a professional ITAD company like CCNY Tech process the material and give you funds that you can donate to your charity of choice.

MYTH #3 You are getting the most PR by donating used hardware
It’s always more “Press Worthy” to make a cash donation to a cause rather than a lot of used equipment. The usefulness of the funds to the charity is usually much more preferred and respected. B esides, wouldn’t a picture of you handing a charity a check look better than your donation of Used IT equipment?

MYTH #4 You are maximizing your tax benefit
Many organizations don’t realize that the equipment that they are sitting on has value beyond what they anticipate. Infact, it is much more easy to justify a receipt for a cash donation rather than donations of goods in an Audit.

MYTH #5 – My assets will be handled responsibly
Research has found that donated hardware often falls into the wrong hands or into the waste stream, causing unwanted environmental hazards and potential fines for the organization.

About CCNY Tech
CCNY Tech is a systems integrator, reseller and certified electronics waste recycler of IT networking & security hardware. CCNY Tech has the knowledge and product base to increase the security posture and enhance the efficiency of your network. They have been able to design, configure and implement custom solutions to fit our customer’s network architecture using the latest hardware based technologies. If you have any questions, give our team a call at 315-724-2209, or visit our website at ccnytech.com.

The Best Ways to Get Rid of Unwanted Data

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The data that you store is likely very important. It can contain sensitive company and customer information, as well as information with profitable potential. Businesses in particular are constantly store and saving mission critical files, databases, and documents. The problem is, a lot of the data we store can quickly become obsolete or redundant. And all of this data takes up a ton of space and can even bog down your systems. You may go through and regularly delete old or confidential files, as you should, but is it ever truly deleted? 

This article will serve as a guide to help you truly destroy unwanted data, rather than just hiding it and leaving it vulnerable.

One solution, depending on the sensitivity of the information, is to destroy the hardware on which it is stored. When data is absolutely confidential, it may be best to store it on a hard drive that can then be physically destroyed when the information is no longer needed. Here is a link to a number of effective ways to destroy hard drives:

 

Another solution, if you’re not crazy about the idea of destroying hardware, is to save the information you would like to keep in a separate location, and then simply wipe the drive of everything else. There are different methods of wiping drives depending on the operating system, but they are all fairly straight forward. Doing this will return your drive to its original settings and remove all traces of data that were once there. You can then re-download the data you wish to keep.

Our recommended solution would be to use a professional IT services company for Data Destruction. This is usually a sub-service of IT Asset Disposition (ITAD). ITAD is the removal and disposal of all old, unwanted, or obsolete hardware and data.

While there are many important aspects of IT Asset Disposition, arguably the most important is the protection of sensitive data. Proprietary information, personal customer data, and other forms of data that need to remain confidential are under constant threat from cyber criminals. Time after time, there is yet another company making headlines for a breach in their network resulting in critical data being compromised and ending up in the wrong hands. The stories of sophisticated, coordinated attacks are all too familiar for any systems administrator, but there is a much simpler way for breaches to occur that may be overlooked; a hard drive containing this sensitive material is physically stolen.

Our on-site data destruction ensures that company and customer data will never leave your facility. Any privacy and security concerns can be addressed with proper data destruction of your hardware and software. Our team is sure to erase and destroy retired data to prevent security leaks and to free up your resources.

Check out this video about ITAD!

Or call us at (315) 724-2209 and ask to speak to our ITAD expert!

4 Myths About Buying Refurbished IT

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While buying refurbished IT can mean amazing savings, it tends to carry a negative connotation. It’s as if “refurbished” somehow equals inferior or outdated. However, this article will reveal 4 myths about refurbished IT and may help change the idea that it is “worse than” buying new. The good news is, finding a cost-effective solution doesn’t have to mean getting burned by a faulty item.

Myth #1: Refurbished hardware is or was defective

A common myth is that all refurbished hardware was once defective. However, anyone who has ever worked in retail, or even returned something to a store, knows that is not the case. Many retailers offer a grace period for returns. Electronics in particular are often allowed a 30 day return policy. The reason for most returns is not related to a defect, but to buyer’s remorse, finding a better price, or disinterest in the product.

Products may also be labeled as refurbished for being overstocked when the next generation is released, or being a demo unit in a storeroom or tradeshow. Occasionally a product may become refurbished due to minor exterior damage from shipping. While this can be a deterrent to some, it’s actually a great way to save money on a fully functioning machine.

This is not to say that products are never returned because of defects, or even that all refurbished products are worth buying. However, when you buy from a trusted company, refurbished is a great way to find new and like-new items at much lower costs. After all, IT equipment may be marked “refurbished” simply for being opened, though generally the phrase new in box is often used.

Even when a product has a defect, it is not resold that way by a reputable company. A true refurbishing company will have engineers to diagnose, rebuild, and replace parts before putting them back on the market. They are thoroughly tested and verified and will be just like new. Finding a reputable and authorized dealer means quality assurance and restoration, as well as receiving products and parts direct from the manufacturer.

Myth #2: Refurbished equipment has no guarantee

Manufacturers and authorized dealers will most often guarantee their refurbished products. A warrantee can vary but a 90 day warranty is fairly standard with the purchase of a refurbished product. Most companies will also offer further protection with extended warranties. If your refurbished product were to fail, you are guaranteed either replacement, repair, or your money back. This will generally cover all shipping fees and part replacements, as well as labor for any repairs. An extended warranty is a great way to go when buying refurbished. It protects you from possible problems and is more often still less expensive than buying non-refurbished.

Myth #3: Refurbished PCs do not come with a Windows license

A refurbished PC may meet with Microsoft Windows licensing requirements, depending on whom you purchase from. If you purchase a refurbished PC from a third party, it may already have programs or operating systems installed – with this, you must also be careful to avoid a software piracy situation. It is much safer to purchase from a reputable and authorized company.

A new Windows license is not required for a refurbished PC when it has the original recovery media or disk based recovery image associated with that PC. If it has the original Certificate of Authenticity for a Windows operating system, you don’t need to purchase one. A Windows license must be purchased if it does not match the other situations and you must be sure the company provides a microsoft refurb license.

Myth #4: Refurbished computers are only for public use places

While it is true that some schools and libraries lean toward refurbished, they are not exclusively for public use places. Refurbished computers are a great option for any enterprise or individual. You can find the same machines to fit your performance and storage needs and can even request custom configurations from true refurbishing companies.

CCNY Tech is an IT sales and services company. For over 25 years, CCNY Tech has been supplying IT equipment as well as providing maintenance and IT recycling services. Partnering with some of the top brands in the industry, they are experts in equipment and custom configurations. CCNY Tech IT professionals provides custom solutions to businesses of all sizes. Learn more at ccnytech.com.

About ITAD Services

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CCNY Tech provides a wide range of ITAD services. We serve customers in a variety of ways, throughout the lifecycle of their equipment. For some companies, we perform “cradle to grave” type services. We begin with the delivery and installation of IT equipment, we maintain it throughout its use, and we decommission and remove it at the end. The process ends in remarketing or recycling retired assets, and once again supplying new equipment or upgrades.

The 6 Step Process of ITAD Services at CCNY Tech


Receive, Tag, and Inventory Devices

Receiving – CCNY Tech will receive and record invoice information, model, configuration, MAC address (wired and Wi-Fi), and serial number into inventory spreadsheets.

 

Asset Tagging – CCNY Tech will remove each asset from its packaging and place an asset tag physically on the device. CCNY will also record asset numbers on the outside of device packaging.

 

Repack and Storage – CCNY Tech will re-pack and place device into inventory as “Ready for Deployment” and will store the asset in a designated client inventory locked cage on-site.

 

Transport – CCNY Tech will deliver the “Ready for Deployment” asset per the client’s request during the hours of 9AM to 5PM, Monday through Friday. Minimum of 10 devices per delivery.

 

Processing of Retired Assets
Refurbished Asset – CCNY will pick up retired assets per client request and fully refurbish for resale or process as E-waste if there is no resale value. All client information will be removed from each device and a DOD wipe of any hard drives will be performed.

Remarket Retired Asset – CCNY Tech will remarket assets to our customer user base to maximize returns. Each device will be processed for reuse or recycling, and all profits split with the client. As each asset is sold it will be added to a Purchase Order Report. Monies due to the client will be paid on a monthly basis with all accounts being settled up by the end of each calendar year.

If your company or organization are looking to upgrade or decommission servers, storage or networking equipment, CCNY Tech has the best solution to keep your data secure, help the environment, and perhaps make you some cash for your “no longer needed” IT gear. Give us a call at 1-800-566-4786 and speak to an IT specialist about IT Asset Disposition Services from CCNY Tech.

By Ron Pasquarelli

CCNY Tech has a variety of products from some of the top names in the industry! We supply servers, networking, and storage equipment, along with custom configurations. Check out our site or call our team to learn more about our products and services! Visit Website