As the dust settles on the seismic shift brought about by the pandemic, we find ourselves firmly in the era of hybrid work. The tentative return to office has now evolved into a well-established norm. Businesses are no longer just reacquainting themselves with onsite IT equipment after months away; they are navigating the intricacies of a workplace transformed by the fusion of remote and in-person collaboration.
The hybrid work model has not only weathered the storm, but has become the bedrock of the corporate landscape. This reality leads to a reevaluation of office spaces, with considerations for full office consolidations, downsizing, and relocations become integral to strategic planning. Due to these workplace transformations, a demand for specialized IT asset disposition services (ITAD) has emerged. The services include hardware disposal & destruction, data erasure & repurposing, among others.
ITAD Future Trends
Here are just a few upcoming expectations over the next two years:
- The Global IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Market is expected to reach $34 billion by 2030 and the Data Destruction Segment to reach $7.2 billion by 2026; the US ITAD market is estimated at $15.5 billion in 2022
- 83% of UK IT directors believe demand for ITAD and data destruction services will grow, with nearly one in five (17%) predicting a dramatic increase in demand.
- 69% of IT directors said data erasure services will be most in demand.
- Around 60% of IT directors believe end-of-life IT services will see a growth in demand with 24% expecting a dramatic increase.
- More than half of those questioned (55%) believe demand will increase for onsite data destruction and recycling of IT services with 33% expecting a dramatic increase in demand for recycling and 29% a dramatic rise in demand for onsite data destruction.
The Risks of Improper Disposition
Improperly deleting data and disposing of hardware not only may result in costly data breaches, but sensitive data can be extracted from discarded devices that do not follow a correct process.
For example, in 2020, Morgan Stanley was fined $60 million for failing to properly decommission hardware containing wealth management data from two data centers in 2016. In another incident, ShopRite and its parent company, Wakefern Food Corporation, will pay $235K after two supermarkets threw away electronic devices exposing thousands of customers’ medical information.
Choose an Experienced ITAD Partner
Bringing on a team of dedicated professionals to handle these specific IT services, in addition to larger consolidation, expansion, or relocation services, can save critical time and cost while lowering potential security risks.
Align is a leading global provider of Technology Infrastructure Solutions—from the desktop to the data center. Recently, our team was brought on to evaluate the office footprint for a global financial firm, which included an office closure. The Align team followed our vetted IT Asset Disposition Program (ITAD) to help safeguard assets and eliminate risk throughout the closure program.
Interested in learning more?
Reach out to one of Align's Workplace Technology experts to learn how we can help re-evaluate your office and IT today. Contact us now.
