Intelligent Data Centres Issue 09 | Page 22

INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE POWERED BY THE DCA The Data Centre Alliance is strongly in favour of supporting all initiatives that encourage and ensure a more sustainable future. gained from their centres, as well as different levels of such initiatives dependent on requirement, facility, budget and appetite. There truly is something for everyone. Trade-back and buy-back programmes – cutting back on waste When the usable life of data centre equipment comes to an end, businesses are often faced with the conundrum of having to raise finances quickly to replace what is being disposed of – should this be new, new-to-the-business or like-for-like replacements. Utilising a logistics framework that allows businesses to buy, sell or trade assets can free up finances, buy in extra stock and source additional equipment as required. This optimises the on-site data centre stock to the best of its ability to ensure a streamlined business-as-usual service continues seamlessly without any excesses or waste. Procurri does this by adopting a vendor- agnostic approach, with a single touchpoint for sourcing equipment stocking the best-of-breed from 13 OEMs across three warehouses of extensive stock in various regions. Mat Jordan, Head of EMEA at Procurri 22 Issue 09 Comprehensive independent maintenance servicing – extending product lifecycles Businesses who find themselves with an IT issue can all too often swiftly decide to dispose of and replace hardware in order to fix the problem. Whilst this may rectify any issues quickly, this approach can be wasteful and unnecessary. Proper maintenance support can optimise and extend the lifecycle of equipment to do away with the need to procure more, maximising the value from it. A thorough and expert servicing contract should therefore be sought for those looking to improve their eco-friendly credentials. Procurri’s approach to maintenance support covers not just new hardware, but also out-of-warranty and end-of-lifecycle products, delivering support services across 90 countries with a single point of contact to give an ‘always on’ 24×7 service. Procurri offer a full end-to-end service for data centres with a priority on refurbishment and reconfiguration where it can be undertaken, all underpinned with ISO accreditation to ensure full adherence to local legislation and best practice guidelines. One thing’s for sure; and we’ve said it before; sustainability considerations are no longer just ‘nice-to-have’ policies in business, but now a necessity and something everyone should be challenging themselves on to do better at it. Continuous improvement is good for everyone and everything – and long may the cycle continue. Untying the circular knot Astrid Wynne, Sustainability Manager, Techbuyer, tells us about a project to reclaim and reuse critical raw materials. The CEDaCI Project is led by London South Bank University and Techbuyer is part of the consortium supporting the work. Technology is rightly hailed as a force for good in making the world a fairer, more sustainable place. However, meeting the needs of an increasingly digitalised IT asset disposition – sustainable disposal and minimising e-waste Of course, as with all hardware, at some point, everything comes to the end of its life and needs removing from a data centre. It is at this point in time that many businesses find themselves unwittingly buying into unsustainable practices by simply appointing an ITAD firm and having equipment removed – and giving up their accountability at that point. In order to ensure they are acting as responsibly as possible to minimise their e-waste, businesses should take an end-to-end approach with ITAD. Working with a provider from equipment assessment and verification right through to refurbishment, reconfiguration, resale or disposal gives full transparency across the entire process of asset disposition; allowing for intervention if required and the exploration of various options to improve sustainability and value derived. www.intelligentdatacentres.com