Moving to the Cloud? 3 Things Server Movers Can Do with Your Old Equipment

by Stephanie Faris on Monday, September 15 6:00

Today's businesses are becoming increasingly cloud-based, with internet-based applications and services making it easy for professionals to work at a fraction of the price. In many cases, organizations choose to migrate to the cloud as servers reach their end of life, choosing to contract with a monthly cloud service for file and software storage rather than buy costly equipment.

But each server replacement leaves businesses with a dilemma. The old equipment must be safely removed to free up office space for more important uses. But recycling old equipment without risking a data breach can be tricky. Here are three things server movers can do with your old equipment once you're ready to send it off of your property.

Donate to a Nonprofit

Organizations in your own community may be in need of server equipment, which can sometimes be repurposed as desktop PCs, as well. Check with churches, shelters, and schools to find out if there's a demand for equipment like yours. Your Chamber of Commerce may be able to recommend a local organization that can benefit from your donation.

Prior to donating your server, you should first determine if they want the hard drive intact or not. If you are required to remove the hard drive due to your own regulations, let the nonprofit know the server equipment won't have hard drives installed. If you let the hard drive go offsite, a server mover will use a process called degaussing to thoroughly wipe the drive, providing a hard drive erasure certificate for your records.

Sell It

What better way to get rid of old equipment than to add a little extra cash to your business account? You can list it on sites like Craigslist or eBay and either ship it or have the purchaser pick it up. As with donating, if your regulations prohibit you from sending the hard drive offsite, you'll have to remove it and have it destroyed by a professional service. Because of this, you will find that your server equipment doesn't sell as well as it would with a hard drive included. However, if you can include your hard drive as part of the package, a professional server moving service can erase it thoroughly before you hand it off to the buyer. Staples has a recycling program that allows you to bring in old equipment for store credit.

Send to a Recycle Center

Computer equipment contains dangerous levels of chemicals like mercury and cadmium, which can affect wildlife and harm the environment. It's important that you responsibly dispose of old equipment at a certified recycling center. If you need help locating one near you, this site can help. This will benefit the environment both by keeping this equipment out of landfills and reducing the need to manufacture new parts.

When it's time to make the move to the cloud, disposing of your old server equipment is easy. A company that specializes in hard drive destruction is the best one to handle offloading your old equipment. You'll have the comfort of knowing your data is safe while also helping the environment.