Becoming Efficient with IT Asset Management

IT administration is becoming increasingly more relevant to companies of all industries. Properly evaluating and managing systems can help you to stay efficient and avoid unnecessary asset purchases. Small to medium-sized businesses, in particular, struggle with IT asset management. Limited budgets and staff make it difficult to identify what is redundant and what is lacking.

Understanding the IT asset lifecycle can be key to keeping an effective IT infrastructure. It is important to understand how all of your equipment works together, works for your company, and where it is in its working life. Using software to track data and keep records of both the maintenance data and financial data is crucial.

Implementing a centralized system of organized records can help you to make strategic decisions about your IT and help you to avoid needless maintenance expenses. IT asset management has numerous benefits and has a direct impact on lowering hardware and software spending. Having better control over the IT asset lifecycle also helps businesses improve efficiency and reliability.

Well-executed IT asset management is a worthwhile business initiative. It is not only a way to track machines and software, but it also helps you to create a long-term plan and gain a better understanding of your infrastructure and inventory. It allows you to make more informed decisions and design better processes. You can create a strategy that works for your business.

Essentially, IT asset management works together to help you calculate risk. Age of assets, leasing periods, warranty expirations, software licenses – all of this information should be collected and tracked throughout an asset’s life to keep your company in sync with your valuable IT assets.

When you create a centralized and sharable system, you can keep your whole team on the same page. This can be done through an electronic inventory management system. By recording information such as contracts, locations, costs, and disposal, you are taking the guess work out of your IT.

Furthermore, old and outdated software and equipment is probably costing you more than you know. Having a centralized system can keep you aware of necessary maintenance, updates, and upgrades. A clear view of all of your hardware and software assets can result in greater productivity and reduced repair costs.

Managing and protecting your investments is not a simple task but is certainly worth the time. You must identify and evaluate your assets regularly and put the time into proper maintenance. Setting up the right policies and procedures may seem overwhelming, but in an IT world, it can keep you competitive.

IT forecasts and budgets are essential to any company. Businesses of all sizes are constantly trying to cut costs and improve efficiency. Having a clear understanding of where your IT infrastructure is and where it will need to be plays an enormous role in the success of your business. IT asset management is a key to evaluating and improving your overall IT investment.

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.

Protecting Your Sensitive Data With ITAD (IT Asset Disposition)

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.

When a device has outlived its usefulness, the next step is to send it off for recycling. But, what if this device still contains sensitive data? How do you assure that wherever this drive ends up, your data will not be going with it?

With this in mind, CCNY Tech is proud to unveil our new drive erasure program. Utilizing Extreme Protocol Solutions, flagship Enterprise Data Erasure Software (XErase) CCNY Tech provides high bandwidth, multi-protocol data sanitization compliant with over a dozen globally recognized erasure standards. A few of the key features of our new program include:

Tamper Proof Reporting (PDF, DATABASE)
Versatile Reporting Options (PDF, XML, CSV, TXT, DATABASE)
Over 35 Erasure and Validation Options
On the fly erasure method creation
Erase to any requirement
NIST Verification Support
SSD Erasure Support
Pre and Post Device Health Screening

XErase provided CCNY Tech the flexibility to meet the requirements of clients in a wide array of industries.  To learn more about ITAD and Removal of Sensitive Data, call us today at 1-800-566-4786 to speak with one of our reps to come up with a plan to protect your data!

Written By:  Mike Buffa, CCNY Tech


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

E-Waste: How You Should Dispose of Old IT Equipment

E-waste, or electronic waste, can be defined as obsolete, unrepairable, or even unwanted electronic devices or equipment. According to the EPA, it is the fastest growing municipal waste stream in America. E-waste can include desktops/laptops, servers, switches, routers, and most other common networking gear used for businesses. These kinds of equipment can be difficult to remove at the end of their working lives, or at the time of an upgrade. Refurbishing/recycling companies have processes designed specifically to help businesses like yours.

A process known as IT Asset Disposition (ITAD), provides the full spectrum of end-of-life options for IT equipment. When old or unwanted equipment is discarded, an ITAD company will decide if it is still useable for resale or refurbishment. If not, it will be broken down for functioning parts, and the rest will be recycled. ITAD is a great option for businesses for a number of reasons:

1. It saves time. De-installation and removal of networking gear can be a difficult and time-consuming process for businesses. Most ITAD companies can decommission, de-install, remove sensitive data, and ensure that product is used to its fullest or is properly recycled.

2. It saves money. What is often overlooked is the cost of old IT equipment. Storage and maintenance of old hardware is an expense for any business. Furthermore, as IT gear ages, it becomes less efficient in its performance which can lead to very expensive downtime. ITAD is an effective way to replace old equipment with upgrades before it become too costly with upkeep.

3. It is great for the environment. Extending the life of a product or recycling parts helps to keep E-waste out of landfills. E-waste represents 2% of America’s trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste. Electronics contain harmful contaminants such as, lead, mercury, cadmium, manganese, arsenic, beryllium, barium, chromium, and other toxic chemicals and compounds. Exposure to these metals can cause damage to the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous and excretory systems. Properly disposing e-waste keeps these toxins out of groundwater and is critical for the health and safety of citizens and wildlife.

A large percentage of what is labeled as “e-waste” is actually not waste at all. Often times, it is whole electronic equipment or parts that are readily marketable for reuse or can be recycled for materials recovery. ITAD companies are one of the most effective ways to ensure that you are properly disposing of your old gear. They will strive to resell as much equipment as possible and recycle what is unusable.

Not only does IT Asset Disposition save time and money, it can also be profitable. Most ITAD companies will audit your equipment and give you a credit for its estimated value. This is a great way to cut the cost of upgrades or even just add benefit to your decision of proper disposal.

If you have old or unwanted IT equipment, contact your local electronic-waste recycler. For more information, check out our ITAD Service page.

Reference:
11 facts About E-Waste. (n.d.). Retrieved January, 2017, from https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-e-waste

CCNY Tech is a leader in IT Asset Disposition & E-Waste Disposal and offers a huge inventory of new, used and refurbished IT equipment.

CCNY Tech has been in business since 1988 and has built many long term relationships with companies, universities and other organizations by providing great value and outstanding customer service. Call CCNY Tech at 1-800-566-4786 or fill out the Contact Us form to learn how we can improve your IT requirements.