6 hot trends and topics from ITAD Summit 2021 [VIDEO]

Posted in Events

Glenn Laga

 To watch the session video, click here.

ITAD Summit 2021 is over! As always, it was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with current clients, learn about new trends and discover new opportunities. Even with COVID and the Delta variant discouraging travel and mingling, it felt good to safely connect with those who felt comfortable attending.

Speaking of comfortable, thanks to everyone who stopped by to relax in the Guardian Data Destruction “lounge” while you were at the show. Whether it’s a sensitive data center or data destruction job, or a trade show, you know you can “relax when you’re with Guardian!”

So, what were the hot topics in our first face-to-face ITAD-focused event?

1. Onsite data destruction is still the primary interest with hard drive shredding in the lead position. Whether it’s 30 mm, 20 mm, 10 mm or the newest 2 mm shred size for solid state drives, compliance and fear of a data breach are top of mind. It’s not just laptops and desktops. IT asset management now includes data destruction planning for copiers, printers, point of sale devices, kiosks, data centers and anything with a solid state drive or chip. (If you didn’t pick up a 2 mm SSD shred sample at the show, send us an email and we’ll send it right to you!)

2. Recycling is more important than ever with (a) new SERI regulations in process for R2 recyclers,(b) intensified corporate responsibility and vetting of downstream vendors and (c) the mountains of end-of-life IT assets predicted to accumulate.

3. Data center decommissioning and enterprise lift and shifts are ramping up. As post-COVID IT infrastructure adapts to accommodate (permanent?) work-from-home models that are resulting in reduced corporate real estate needs. That means consolidated server spaces and cloud storage, so many servers are getting upgraded or moved around as IT architecture plans roll out.

4. IT packing and logistics needs for gnarly locations are growing. Stories about nightmare packing and pick-ups of recycling, end-of-life high value and live data IT equipment abounded at ITAD Summit. We know from experience that dense districts in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago where parking regulations, tight driving spaces and unusually small and narrow truck bays can be downright painful if your drivers don’t know what they’re doing. (Side note: as we’re originally based in NYC, Guardian project managers and drivers are prepared for exactly these situations.)

5. Short-term secure warehouse space for IT assets awaiting disposition, repair, refurbishing or redistribution is needed for ITAD leasing and end-of-life programs that are catching up after COVID restrictions.

6. Partnerships are paramount to success and growth. Brendan O’Byrne participated in an ITAD Summit 2021 panel discussion that focused on growing ITAD partnerships to expand geography and services. To watch the session video, click here.

If you missed ITAD Summit 2021 and want to catch up with Guardian about the channel partner services noted above — onsite data destruction, recycling, data center services such as decommissioning and enterprise site migrations, our downstream recycling vendors and process, IT packing and shipping services, warehouse space options — reach out to us for an update.
And if what you missed most was our CEO Glenn Laga (as we heard from so many), he was hoping to see you at the just-canceled ACE IAITAM in Nashville Oct 19-21! Instead, schedule a virtual coffee and conversation with him to see what’s new.  Why wait until IAITAM Las Vegas?