Problem:
A multinational financial services and bank holding company faced the critical task of closing its existing data center in Wales and migrating all hardware and applications to a new co-located facility. This move took place in conjunction with a simultaneous technology refresh, requiring the complete disposition of a vast array of IT assets, including servers, storage devices, network infrastructure, and associated peripherals. A hard end date for the data center lease meant all IT assets needed to be removed promptly to avoid significant financial penalties from lease termination requirements and ongoing maintenance costs for unused equipment.
Challenges:
The project presented several significant hurdles. The inflexible deadline was paramount, which required the development and strict adherence to a robust project plan, overseen and executed by a highly skilled team. Furthermore, the project was segmented into three distinct phases, each requiring seamless integration with decommissioning activities carried out by separate technical teams. This demanded exceptional coordination and cooperation among all involved parties to ensure a smooth transition and prevent any operational disruptions. The comprehensive service involved a series of intricate tasks for each phase: identifying and reconciling IT assets against customer-provided lists, confirming their operational status, and meticulously sanitizing applicable assets in strict compliance with U.S. NIST Special Publication 800-88 Revision 1. Subsequent steps included de-racking, de-installing, moving, preparing, packing, and palletizing the assets, followed by secure transportation to certified facilities for processing.
Results:
Despite the inherent complexities and demanding schedule, the project was successfully delivered on time and within the project budget. A total of 16,184 enterprise IT assets were successfully diverted from landfills, ensuring 36,000 kilograms (40 tons) of electronic waste was responsibly recycled in-country. Recycling resulted in a 61,000 kilograms (67 tons) reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The successful completion of the project not only met the critical lease termination requirements, thereby avoiding financial penalties, but also significantly contributed to the client’s environmental sustainability goals by ensuring the responsible disposition of their retired IT infrastructure.