Security is a huge concern for solution providers and their SMB clients alike. But a missing piece of the security puzzle has been the easy and secure disposal and removal of data from all kinds of IT storage devices. Now, Santa Ana, Calif.-based Ingram Micro Inc. has announced that its new IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Services are available for resale by the distributor’s U.S. channel partners.
Developed in collaboration with U.S. Micro, Ingram Micro’s ITAD Services enable channel pros to offer clients the secure disposal and removal of data from hard disk drives, SD memory cards, printers, copiers, and other electronic devices that carry a digital history. “It’s a tremendous tool for our partners,” says Michael Humke, senior director, public sector and healthcare markets, Ingram Micro U.S. ” It helps them add more value.”
The service can be ordered from Ingram Micro the same way a product is ordered, notes John Redman, manager of professional services at Ingram Micro. Once the distributor provides pricing and the partner sends a purchase order, U.S. Micro is contacted and sends a technician to inventory the assets to be cleaned and/or removed.
The devices are then securely shipped to a central processing facility in Atlanta or Las Vegas, where they are inventoried again, explains Redman. A three-phase DoD compliant script is then run on the equipment to ensure all the data has been cleaned. U.S. Micro then attempts to remarket the devices, and if they are not reusable, they are destroyed.
Ingram Micro provides custom quotes for the ITAD Services, since pricing is not yet standardized. “It depends on the types of devices that need to be cleaned and the number of devices,” says Redman. “But ultimately, when we have more experience and have some history behind us, we are going to try to get to a baseline pricing.”
By leveraging the ITAD Services, partners can provide their clients with environmentally friendly IT disposal services that remove the risk of future liability for the improper disposal of electronic waste and potentially hazardous materials. The ITAD Services are also approved for use by regulatory influences such as HIPAA that require healthcare facilities to determine and document the methods used to dispose of hardware, software, and data.
Another benefit of the ITAD Services? “It gives our partners the opportunity to manage the whole lifecycle of their customers’ IT assets,” says Redman. “It gives them a chance to really own that relationship with their customers from beginning to end.”
For more information about the ITAD Services, contact the Ingram Micro Professional Services team at IMSNServices@IngramMicro.com.
