Are You Properly Disposing of Your Business's Old Technology?

The rapid development of technology means the road to obsolescence is shorter than ever. While many businesses wait for computers to break down before replacing them, that’s not always the most efficient policy. Once computers start to slow down, productivity and employee morale begin to suffer.

That’s why it’s a good idea to institute a replacement date for all company technology. A 36-month timeline is a good starting point because it allows companies to amortize purchase and maintenance costs without sacrificing performance.

Once you’ve decided to replace old technology, you’re faced with the question of what to do with the old hardware. It’s tempting to keep it sitting around in case someone needs a replacement on short notice or a new employee needs a new computer, but if you take that approach you could easily end up with a closet full of obsolete technology before long.

Instead, it's essential for businesses to securely dispose of any unwanted hardware. No, that doesn’t mean taking a hammer to hard drives and monitors and tossing them in the alley dumpster. That strategy is ineffective for several reasons:

• It leaves your data vulnerable to thieves who can still access files from damaged hard drives
• It can put your business at risk for non-compliance with destruction regulations.
• In many states have instituted recycling laws that prohibit disposing of computers in the trash.

Partnering with a certified data destruction service to destroy your unwanted computers and hard drives is the only way to truly ensure the safety of your company’s critical information.

Make compliance a priority

In order to maintain compliance, you must retain certain files for a specific period of time. Destroying computers or hard drives too soon could put your business at risk of fines.

Working with a professional data destruction company can ensure proper compliance and destruction scheduling. Make sure any potential partner is certified through the National Association of Information Destruction (NAID) and follows compliance guidelines for federal legislation like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability and Sarbanes-Oxley Acts.

Let the professionals handle it

There’s nothing wrong with keeping certain business processes in house, but sometimes it just pays to put your trust in professionals. Letting your IT department dispose of hard drives, data and other technology internally puts undue stress and responsibility on your team. It takes time to learn how to properly destroy electronic media, and relying on non-professionals increases the likelihood of something going wrong. What’s more, it take away from time your team should be dedicating to their core job responsibilities.

Hiring a professional to destroy computers and hard drives ensures the job is done right and the hardware is recycled properly. A professional service should be staffed by trained and screened professionals, provide thorough documentation and a certificate of destruction.

At Gilmore Services, our team understands the importance of protecting your business through complete, secure hardware destruction. Our hard drive shredding services are AAA certified by the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), which keeps us compliant with data protection laws such as FACTA, HIPAA, and Sarbanes-Oxley. And, our equipment meets all regulatory standards for Department of Defense. Each of these certifications and our ongoing experience is in place to help businesses like yours remain compliant and efficient.

Learn more about which data destruction services are right for your business.