Data Center Decommissioning
Reimagining Data Center Asset Lifecycle Management
Leverage OEM-grade engineering, asset lifecycle management, and secure decommissioning to maximize financial returns and sustainability outcomes.
Our integrated approach combines advanced analytics with sophisticated remanufacturing to ensure uncompromising data security while unlocking hidden value across your technology ecosystem.
Innovation for the Future
Ongoing investment in R&D, adapting to evolving hardware and standards.
Integration of advanced technologies such as LLM and ML for proactive asset lifecycle optimization.
Commitment to continuous improvement, keeping our partners ahead of industry trends and hardware evolution.
Case Studies
Secure Decommissioning at Scale: IT Assets Repurposed for Carbon Savings
сase Study 1
From Decommissioned to Reimagined: $75M+ in Value from Data Center Drives
Our solution
By utilizing our proprietary, certified data sanitization and testing technology, coupled with our specialized software and conversion processes, we successfully created a highly sought-after white-label product for the marketplace, while also minimizing electronic waste and promoting a circular economy.
- Developed a box-in-box solution to manage the return flow with the clients’ facilities
- Developed process to ensure all drives were sanitized and qualified for white label conversion.
- Managed the process end to end, with no direct costs to the client
Our client
A leading OEM of storage devices turned to Reconext to maximize the value of returned storage devices while safeguarding sensitive data and proprietary technology.
The outcomes
- Remarketed drives generating over $75 in revenue
- Processed hundreds of thousands of drives that were repurposed for reuse
- White label process protects the brand integrity of client’s original devices.
- Extraction of rare earth metals were reused in the production process of new drives driving further circular economy benefits
Client’s challenge
Reconext’s expertise in data sanitization and white-label conversion transformed returned drives into marketable assets, effectively erasing all traces of prior usage and OEM ownership.
- Secure and complete data sanitization of all returned drives
- Conversion of the drives to white-label products through firmware and serial number modifications
- Sustainable disposal of non-recoverable drives through the extraction of rare earth magnets.
Client’s challenge
- Data bearing drives needed to be securely wiped or destroyed
- Servers and components have high value and needed to be recovered
- Assets of value would be remarketed within 60 days
Our client
The outcomes
- Servers, components and drives have been securely decommissioned and tested for reuse
- Remarketed servers and drives resulted in significant Sope 3 Carbon savings aligning with clients ESG initiatives
- High volume secure processing meets clients growing needs to support data center accelerated refresh cycles driven by AI.
сase Study 2
Secure Decommissioning at Scale: IT Assets Repurposed for Carbon Savings
Our solution
We leveraged our proprietary, certified data sanitization and testing technology and advanced engineering expertise to create a scalable solution that meets the client’s decommissioning timeline.
- Quadrupled hard drive / SSD sanitization process within 30 days
- Doubled server testing capacity within 60 days
- Delivered highest value returns within client’s partner network
- Managed all logistics and chain of custody requirements
Maximizing The Lifecycle & Value of your Assets with Secure, Transparent Processing
Customer Site Reconext’s on-site team will use their expertise and our proprietary tools to:
Support customer on inventory and asset review
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Perform first level estimated market value (EMV) analysis of assets
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Perform first level physical sortation, if needed
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Perform diagnostics on network equipment and servers
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Redeployment
Devices are wiped, restored, enhanced (if needed), and made ready for redeployment within the customer environment.
Remarketing
Recycling
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Detailed, Real-time Operational Reporting and Transparency
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Environmental Impact Reporting
Maximizing Yield and Re-use Opportunities
Comprehensive Testing, Repair, and Reconfiguration:
Leverage Reconext IP, tools, and processes for in-depth hardware testing, repair, and reconfiguration to maximize reuse potential and extend equipment lifecycles.
- Optiline for objective grading
- Automated Testing of servers, peripherals and components
Decommissioning Process Optimization:
- Full System Reuse Prioritization
- Component-Level Value Extraction
- Destruction Avoidance Strategy
Certified Data Security and Sanitization:
We Bring Our Factory to You!
Extend Hardware Lifecycles for Sustainable Value:
- 97%+of repaired HDD and SSD achieved successful yield after testing and analysis (out of >1.4M tested).
- >100Kservers, memory and CPUs tested, refurbished or decommissioned.
Automated Testing and Predictive Analytics:
- Using proprietary diagnostic tools combined with billions of data points enables us to help you optimize decisions for your assets
Enhanced Chain of Custody Tracking:
- End to end visibility through serialized tracking, digitized test results, certificates of data destruction, recycle/reuse documentation, and environmental impact reporting.
Asset Recovery:
- Several billion dollars generated through our worldwide resale and recommerce platform.
Analytics / Visibility / Real-Time Data Conveyance Increasing Reuse and Network Circularity through Systems that Enable End-to-End Visibility
Optimizing Re-use (Internal/External) through Enhanced Testing and Analytics 01/
- Automated Server & Inventory Management
- Drive Erasure
- Drive White Labelling (re-serialization, etc.)
- Memory & NAND Testing
- CPU/GPU Testing
Historical data derived from these processes informs reuse decisions while the processes concurrently generate new data for future utilization.
Maximizing Yield and Re-use Opportunities (System and Commodity) 02/
- Automated Optical Cosmetic Assessment
- Automated Testing
- Repair & Refurbishment
- (Re)Configuration
Reporting: Value Created for the Customer
Lifecycle Extension 03/
- Global B2B Monetization
- Internal Redeployment
- ESG Tracking & Accounting
Remarketing Systems/ Units Tracking
Every unused server or drive is lost revenue — and an ESG miss.
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Data security & compliance risks
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Untapped asset value
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Rising data center refresh cycles
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ESG & carbon-reduction mandates
Optimizing Re-use through Enhanced Testing & Analytics
Our integrated platform delivers exceptional value for data center decommissioning for customers like Dell EMC, IBM, Google, Apple, AWS, Salesforce and GoDaddy driving cost savings and sustainability.
Engineering & Insights Layer
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Digitized Chain of Custody
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Real Time Tracking
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Environmental Impact Reporting
Lifecycle Visibility Hub
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Engineering Support
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Analytics
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Smart Disposition
Hardware Test Layer
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RACK WIPE
Rack Test and Wipe -
PROTEUS
HDD & SSD Test & Wipe
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PHOENIX
Memory Tester -
MAYA
NAND Tester -
PSUT
Power Supply Unit Tester
FEEDBACK LOOP
CLARITY – Where Data Becomes Insight
Real-Time Visibility
- Clarity enables organizations to track overall program efficiency in real time through comprehensive throughput and yield analysis.
- Provides detailed insights into the average time taken for each process step, helping identify bottlenecks and recurring errors that may hinder workflow.
- Highlights the most time-consuming steps, allowing businesses to pinpoint areas for optimization and drive operational improvements.
Inventory Management
- Robust inventory management capabilities, offering daily usage tracking to monitor units consumed and forecast future inventory needs accurately.
- Real-time visibility into the value of stored inventory, businesses can better manage their resources and control costs.
- Identifies commonly used products, enabling proactive replenishment planning to prevent stockouts and ensure seamless operations.
Data-Driven Insights
- Empowers businesses with data-driven insights that enhance decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and reduce errors.
- Enables the early detection of issues & supports proactive problem-solving to prevent costly delays or errors.
- Designed with scalability in mind, Clarity seamlessly adapts to growing data demands, making it an ideal solution for businesses as they expand.
AI-Enabled Interactions
- Leverages AI to transform how businesses interact with their data by enabling intuitive, question-based insights.
- Users can ask natural language questions about their data and receive instant, actionable answers, making complex analytics accessible to everyone.
- AI also identifies and highlights the most critical KPIs, surfacing them at a glance, to ensure users can quickly focus on what matters most.
We Monetize Products Globally
Remarket as Service
We can manage the entire remarketing process for you (“Remarket as a Service”), or you can sell equipment to us directly (“Leverage Global Remarketing Expertise”).
Maximize Hardware Value Through Strategic Monetization
Hardware not redeployed internally is strategically monetized through global business-to-business (B2B) channels to recover maximum value.
Complete Visibility and Transparency
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Data Center Decommissioning?
How Do You Ensure Data Security?
What Happens to the Decommissioned Equipment?
Why is Data Center Decommissioning Important?
How Long Does the Data Center Decommissioning Process Take?
What Types of Data Center Equipment Do You Handle?
Our Data Center Decommissioning Process
Initial Assessment & Planning
01
We begin with a comprehensive assessment of your data center environment. It is crucial to identify and preserve critical data during this initial phase to ensure its safe preservation and potential restoration. Our team of experts conducts a detailed evaluation to understand your specific requirements, including the types of data center equipment, the volume of assets, and any regulatory compliance needs. Based on this assessment, we develop a customized decommissioning plan tailored to your specific needs. This plan is designed to ensure minimal disruption to your operations while maximizing efficiency and security.
Secure Decommissioning of Data Center Equipment
02
Our secure decommissioning process involves the careful removal of data center equipment, including servers, networking devices, storage systems, and power units. A crucial part of this process is the safe and secure execution of data erasure, ensuring that all sensitive information is completely removed. Our experienced technicians follow stringent protocols to safely decommission each component. Secure transportation of all assets to our facilities is ensured through the use of GPS tracking and tamper-evident seals, providing full visibility and control throughout the entire process.
Data Center Asset Inventory and Tracking
We maintain a detailed inventory of all decommissioned assets using our secure portal. This allows clients to track the status of their equipment in real-time, ensuring full transparency and accountability. Each asset is tagged and logged into our system, providing a comprehensive record that can be accessed at any time.
Data Sanitization & Destruction
03
Data security is a top priority in our decommissioning process. Secure IT asset disposition is crucial, involving tracking assets and complying with industry regulations to ensure responsible disposal and recycling. All data-bearing devices are processed using our proprietary tools, such as Proteus, which offer industry-leading capabilities for data wiping and destruction. Proteus performs certified data sanitization that meets the highest industry standards, including DoD 5220.22-M, HIPAA, GLBA, PCI DSS, and NIST SP 800-88. We provide certificates of destruction for each device, ensuring full compliance and auditable records. This process guarantees that all sensitive data is irreversibly erased, protecting your organization from data breaches and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Certified Data Destruction Methods for Data Center Equipment
Our certified data destruction methods include:
- Data Wiping: Securely erasing data from hard drives and SSDs using advanced software tools.
- Degaussing: Disrupting the magnetic fields of data storage devices, rendering data unreadable.
- Physical Destruction: Shredding or crushing hard drives and other data-bearing devices to ensure data cannot be recovered.
Value Recovery and Recycling
04
Reconext maximizes the value recovery of your decommissioned assets through a combination of refurbishment and resale. Our extensive global remarketing channels enable us to achieve the highest possible resale value for reusable equipment. Non-viable equipment is responsibly recycled in compliance with stringent environmental regulations. Our goal is to minimize e-waste and support the circular economy by reintroducing refurbished assets back into the market.
Refurbishment and Remarketing
Our refurbishment process involves:
- Thorough Testing: Assessing the functionality and condition of each asset to determine its viability for resale.
- Repairs and Upgrades: Performing necessary repairs and upgrades to enhance the value and extend the lifespan of the equipment.
- Quality Assurance: Ensuring that all refurbished assets meet industry standards and are ready for remarketing.
Sustainable Recycling Practices
For assets that cannot be refurbished, we employ sustainable recycling practices, including:
- Material Recovery: Extracting valuable materials such as metals and plastics for reuse in manufacturing.
- Environmental Compliance: Adhering to local and international environmental regulations to ensure responsible disposal.
- E-Waste Management: Partnering with certified recycling facilities to process electronic waste in an environmentally friendly manner.
Comprehensive Reporting
Throughout the decommissioning process, we provide comprehensive reporting to keep you informed at every stage. Detailed asset information is crucial for financial and legal recordkeeping purposes, ensuring accurate and comprehensive records of IT assets and data center equipment. Our reports include detailed records of asset tracking, data destruction certificates, and value recovery outcomes. This transparency ensures that you have complete visibility into the decommissioning process and can confidently demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements.
By choosing Reconext for your data center decommissioning needs, you benefit from our extensive experience, advanced technology, and commitment to sustainability. Our end-to-end solutions ensure that your data center equipment is decommissioned securely, efficiently, and in an environmentally responsible manner. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your data center decommissioning project.
Data Center Decommissioning Resources
The end-of-life blind spot that slows down data centers
Data centers stay current by staying in motion. Hardware moves through a steady rhythm of deployment, refresh, and retirement. The process is familiar. The assumptions inside it are older than the infrastructure they manage. That is where the gap lives. Most operators...
Data Destruction What It Really Means for Your Business
Data sticks around. On drives you’ve pulled from racks, on devices you’ve boxed up, on storage you swore was “retired.” If it isn’t destroyed the right way, it’s still a liability waiting to leak. The question isn’t whether to destroy data. It’s how. Smash the...
How to Measure Success in Data Center IT Asset Recycling
Not every asset recycling program delivers the same results. Organizations that already recycle their data center equipment know this. Without quality metrics to measure the recycling process, you’re working blindly towards money-saving, data protection, and...
Data Center Recycling: DIY vs Professional Partner
On paper, recycling a data center sounds simple. You shut down the racks, pack up the gear, and send it off for responsible disposal. Easy, right? Then the reality hits. Every cable, drive, and rack in that room carries a different kind of risk – data that can’t leak,...
Data Center Equipment Recycling: A Reuse-First Program
Shredders are loud. Certificates are quiet. But when you’re retiring a data center, it’s the quiet proof that matters most. Recycling isn’t a dramatic finale of sparks and steel; it’s the deliberate work of separating what can be reused, what must be erased, and what...
Why Reconext
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OEM-backed engineering expertise
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Modular, tailored solutions (on-site or facility processing)
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CLARITY platform with real-time tracking & ESG reporting
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Global resale & remarketing network
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Certified data sanitization (NIST, DOD, IEEE standards)
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AI-driven asset valuation & lifecycle optimization
