I'm working at a school and recently found out that our budget for refreshing the computers has been slashed to nearly nothing. I've looked into companies that sell refurbished equipment, but our budget won't even cover that! I'm curious about what other organizations typically do with their outdated tech during a refresh. Do they sell it off, or do they just hire recycling companies? I'm looking for alternative ideas to acquire new equipment as cheaply as possible.
5 Answers
Consider looking into local organizations or surplus departments at state universities. Sometimes they offer older tech at a discount. Also, check if recycling centers have programs for donating usable equipment. In my experience, places like Give IT Get IT are fantastic for this!
My local university has something similar. Definitely worth checking out!
As someone who’s part of a large law firm, recycling is pretty much the norm for us; no one wants five-year-old servers. We occasionally donate functioning equipment to schools, but everything goes through a data destruction process first. I’d recommend reaching out to IT directors in your local firms. Many are keen to support their communities!
It really depends on the organization. In my previous job at a service provider, we often destroyed drives, but we had a dedicated employee who refurbished older hardware to donate to nonprofits or schools. Nowadays, I work for a credit union that also donates equipment if it’s still in good shape. Just reach out to local organizations and see what they have available!
I’ve seen organizations go through strict measures for security reasons before getting rid of old tech. We had a ransomware incident and had to safely destroy all our PCs, even if they were still good machines. This can be brutal, but sometimes it’s seen as necessary to protect data.
Totally get that! It's heartbreaking to see decent machines go to waste. I'd absolutely recommend replacing hard drives for security if you get your hands on anything.
If I manage to acquire any old PCs, I'd definitely swap the HDD/SSD for security. It’s a no-brainer to avoid potential data issues.
It’s a tough situation! You might want to set some clear expectations with your administration. If the budget is tight, consider doing smaller rollouts instead of a full refresh; maybe tackle 25 machines at a time. Sticking to one manufacturer can help with consistency too. Also, consider investing in the longest warranties if you can. You want to make sure you’re covered in case something goes wrong!
That’s the plan! We have two Computer Science labs that are using machines that are a decade old. I got a quote for 31 refurbished computers for one lab that came out to nearly £8,990, but that’s just one lab – it’s overwhelming.
Careful with warranties, though! Extended warranties can be a trick. Companies price them knowing that most will never use them. Just something to keep in mind!
+1 for Give IT Get IT; they do great work!