IT Asset Disposition Report Indicates a Balance of Business and Social Priorities

According to a recent study by Arrow Value Recovery, concern over data security is driving a steady uptick in plans to improve IT asset disposition (ITAD) strategies. Driven in part by media reports of data breaches and fines, the research document notes that corporate 2014 budgeting for ITAD increased 38% over 2012.

Environmental issues ranked second after data security concerns, with larger companies tending to show a greater commitment to compliance than smaller ones.  Almost all companies said that R2 and e-Stewards were the most important environmental standard, with well over half finding them equally important.

The study also suggests that the percentage of responding organizations using ITAD providers for asset disposition was up significantly:  59% for 2014 compared to 41% for 2012. A related statistic shows that in 2014, 63% of responding companies were using a third-party service provider.

Taken together, the factors driving ITAD strategies appear to be a combination of practical business concerns and a commitment to responsible social /environmental policies. See chart below.

However, the report also notes the existence of a lingering lack of awareness regarding the most effective methods of data destruction. This dilemma is reflected to some degree by a surprising line item in the report: many companies still include “delete the file directory on the hard drive” among tactics used to destroy data.

Overall, the report supports the finding that while most companies continue to move toward more effective and responsible IT asset disposal, there is plenty of room for education and improvement in this changing marketplace.

This posting references the Arrow IT Asset Disposition Trends Report produced by Engelwood, CO-based Arrow Value Recovery.