Recognised as South Africa’s pioneer in IT Asset Disposal, Xperien is celebrating 20 years of service excellence. The company has established itself as the forerunner and the first choice for providing compliant and secure data destruction, data erasure, reverse IT logistics, certified refurbished systems (CRS) and continuous IT lifecycle solutions including asset finance.
Xperien CEO Wale Arewa reflects on the many achievements over the past two decades. “Servicing SA’s four biggest retail banks over the last 10 years is a huge milestone. This alone is proof that we are a trustworthy data protection specialist, we mitigate the risk of data loss and we help protect our client’s reputation.”
He points to the level of understanding and maturity levels of the South African market when it comes to ITAD and compliance. “Very few companies understand the principles of IT asset disposal (ITAD) and more importantly, very few know how to meet legislative compliance whilst reducing total cost of ownership.”
“It seems that larger companies with more than 5 000 devices have started implementing processes and have already engaged with a service provider to take advantage of the benefits,” he adds.
Arewa says his biggest concern about the local market is companies trying to implement these procedures themselves or even using unaccredited service providers. “They can quickly find themselves exposed to the risk of data loss. They need to realise that the biggest benefit can be achieved by outsourcing to a professional.”
It is crucial for companies to find a balance between cost efficiency and risk mitigation to address the risks of ITAD-related data security and improper recycling pose to their brand. They need to partner with ITAD specialists to better identify which ITAD processes they require.
ITAD solutions don’t always require a budget and they could easily save companies a lot of money. Xperien has launched a programme to help companies replace old computers for new equipment at substantially reduced cost. As part of this service offering, Xperien also assists with data erasure to ensure all data protection processes and regulations are met.
Redundant IT assets can now be used as a ‘Trade-in’, allowing companies to reduce their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). At the same time, they can purchase and finance Certified Refurbished Systems (CRS) that cost up to 75% less than new machines.
Due to a growing demand for professional ITAD services, Xperien recently acquired larger facilities that will enable the company to provide new services to its clients including warehousing and PC reimaging and redeployment of computers.
This move also forms part of Xperien’s growth strategy to provide a wider range of solutions like Compliance 325® for the effective recovery, reuse and retirement of redundant IT assets. It aims to recover all disposal charges when assets are disposed of within a three to five year period of installation.
The company’s vision going forward is to keep innovating and refining ITAD solutions, maintain market leadership, increase market share and diversify into other areas of IT Asset Management (ITAM).