As original equipment manufacturers struggle to keep up with demand during the pandemic, more businesses are turning to refurbished IT for quality solutions as they realise that the performance is as good as new but a fraction of the price. There are hundreds of reasons why refurbished IT is gaining popularity – here are our top ten reasons.
1) Performance is proven to be as good as new
Refurbished servers and IT parts provide the exact same performance as new. This is something that has pleasantly surprised our clients over the years.
In 2020, the University of East London measured the energy and performance of processing units, server RAM and data storage systems, and revealed that a new and refurbished server, of the same manufacturer and model, had identical performance.
The results of this research are reflected in industry practice. Google has been refurbishing its own servers since 2015 and the company has saved over $1 billion in terms of operation costs, purely based on energy efficiency. They state: “Once components are in inventory, there is no distinction made between refurbished and new inventory, both are considered equivalent.” (Source: Circular Economy at Work in Google Data Centres, Ellen MacArthur)
2) Immediately available stock
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how important immediate stock is for today’s organisations. Demand for lap tops sky-rocketed in early 2020 as businesses required quick and flexible remote-working IT solutions. When manufacturers struggled to keep up, organisations started buying quality refurbished laptops.
Having access to computer and IT parts enables us to offer fast turn arounds and avoids any long manufacturing waiting times. TecHut has hundreds of PCs and laptops in stock and from all the leading brands including HP, Dell and IBM. This enables us to ship IT equipment quickly.
3) Extensive testing
Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) typically spot-test IT equipment. However, refurbishment specialists carry out extensive testing to ensure every device performs optimally. At Techut, we have a rigorous recertification process that included inspecting each individual component to secure data erasure. Reliability is the priority at every stage of the process.
4) Access to IT equipment no longer available through the manufacturer
After a few years, manufacturers will stop providing one generation of technology to make way for the latest version. This leaves organisations with two options: replacing with newer IT equipment or upgrading their existing IT equipment through the secondary market.
Replacing with new makes sense for high performance computing, since all the latest features will be utilised. However, most organisations are unlikely to need the most expensive technologies.
Many of our clients choose legacy, refurbished generations with us to avoid the expense of upscaling with new. We stock hundreds of IT systems and parts, from the oldest to the newest laptop generations to help cater for every organisation’s IT requirements.
5) Zero conflict with existing systems
If your organisation decides to upgrade your current IT hardware with refurbished, this will be 100% compatible. There will be also be no conflict with your existing system.
6) Significant cost savings
Out of all the reasons to buy refurbished, this is probably the one you have heard the most about. Reducing costs is especially important in today’s climate, where IT infrastructure managers are expected to do more with a reduced budget. This is a great way to free up costs for elsewhere in your budget.
7) Maximised flexibility
Flexibility is a crucial part of IT procurement. Whether upgrading remote working solutions or refreshing large facilities, every organisation has different IT requirements.
At component level, refurbishment specialists often provide a choice of new, refurbished and third-party devices. You also have the option of making hybrid IT solutions, which are a mixture of new, refurbished, or third-party. Choosing a combination is a great way to maximise your IT budget and meet all your technical specifications.
8) Stop mining finite materials
It’s no secret that the endless manufacture of electronic goods, without reuse & recycling, will have a devastating impact on the planet. The manufacturing process releases substantial Greenhouse Gas and Scope 3 emissions, uses finite resources, and damages landscapes.
IT equipment contains increasingly rare resources, such as aluminium and silicon metal. These are due to run out in a matter of decades and are often mined illegally. Keeping the millions of devices in circulation, and reducing the need to remanufacture new, is the best way forward.
9) Reduced e-waste
Not only does buying refurbished reduce the pressure to manufacture new, but it also reduces the millions of tonnes of e-waste each year.
There are several reasons for this waste. Firstly, IT refresh rates are very high and secondly, used IT hardware is still being discarded or shredded, rather than data erased and refurbished. Using the resources that we already have ensures we create a circular economy. This reduces e-waste and its associated environmental impact. An example of this is Microsoft’s new Circular Centre which will recycle and reuse redundant servers. This is part of the company’s plans to generate zero waste by 2030.
10) Reduced supply chain carbon footprint
Computers and IT hardware contain a large amount of steel, aluminium and plastics, three of the top five worst culprits when it comes to industrial greenhouse emissions worldwide. Dell’s work on carbon footprints for its products says that the carbon involved in the mining, manufacture and transport of a server before it is used adds up to around 1200kg CO2e for the average tower server, 1300kg CO2e for the average rack server, and 1750kg CO2e for the average blade server.
Choosing to upgrade and extend the life of servers saves on a significant amount of carbon per unit. This can then go towards an organisation’s carbon accounting.
These are just some of the reasons to choose refurbished IT equipment. Why not browse our wide variety of refurbished laptops, desktops, servers, storage and networking equipment today. Or to begin your journey with us, contact our experienced team who will be happy to help.