Sustainability and cost-efficiency go hand in hand in IT: Instead of wasting valuable resources through constant new purchases, more and more companies are adopting sustainable IT lifecycle management. System houses can actively shape this trend by offering their customers high-performance, refurbished hardware. This saves costs, reduces electronic waste, and creates new business opportunities. Refurbished IT has long been an attractive alternative to new hardware – economically viable and environmentally responsible.
IT hardware goes through various phases: acquisition, usage, maintenance, replacement, and disposal or reuse. IT lifecycle management optimises this process by not only ensuring efficient use of devices but also evaluating early on whether refurbishment and resale are viable options. This reduces costs, conserves valuable resources, and ensures that high-performance hardware remains in circulation for longer.
They can offer customers cost-efficient alternatives to new devices.
They support companies in implementing sustainable procurement strategies.
They open up new business models by incorporating refurbished hardware into their portfolio.
Refurbished IT is a key component of a sustainable IT strategy. Professionally refurbished devices undergo thorough inspections, defects are repaired, and all data is securely erased. This allows companies to obtain high-quality hardware at a fraction of the cost of new equipment. Refurbished items include notebooks, PCs, servers, networking hardware, and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The high quality of refurbished IT is also evident in the fact that many providers offer warranties and support options. This gives companies a durable and secure alternative to expensive new products.
Refurbished hardware offers a range of benefits for both system houses and end customers:
Cost savings: Refurbished devices are more affordable than new products without compromising on quality. Companies can use their IT budgets more efficiently.
Sustainability: Less electronic waste due to longer hardware lifecycles. Conservation of valuable resources such as rare earth metals.
Availability and flexibility: Supply chain shortages for new hardware are not an issue, as refurbished IT is readily available. Hardware upgrades can be performed without replacing entire systems.
IT security: Professional providers ensure certified data erasure. Companies do not need to worry about data protection risks.
Refurbished IT is particularly worthwhile for companies that need reliable hardware at lower costs, want to make their IT infrastructure more sustainable, or require devices on short notice. SMEs and educational institutions especially benefit from solid technology at affordable prices, while in security-critical or high-performance applications, new hardware is often the better choice.
IT lifecycle management and refurbished IT are not short-term trends but a long-term paradigm shift. Companies are increasingly turning to sustainable IT solutions to cut costs while making a positive environmental impact. In some countries, such as France, legal requirements already mandate a certain percentage of refurbished devices in public procurement.
For system houses, it is crucial to position themselves early and find the right partners for effective lifecycle management to benefit from the growing market. Potential business models include hardware buyback programmes, where old devices are purchased and resold, as well as integrating refurbished IT into their portfolio to offer customers a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to new products.
For system houses looking to strategically incorporate refurbished IT hardware into their portfolio, ITscope now offers a simple solution: the new Refurbished Portal on ITscope. Here, you can choose from a wide range of professionally refurbished devices, compare prices and availability, and connect directly with distributors.