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The Hidden Costs of Keeping Obsolete Computers:
A Worksheet
Initially, many people question the wisdom of paying another company to
haul away obsolete computer systems—believing that the systems still
hold some value. However, many companies fail to assess the true
costs of keeping those obsolete systems, and it’s actually more
cost-effective for companies dispose of old systems than to continue to
store them. Here’s a quick look at what it really costs to keep
those obsolete computer systems:
| Steps |
Detail |
Data |
| 1.
|
Number
of stored computer systems: |
. |
| 2. |
Square
footage of storage space for the systems (Class A space: $34/sq. ft.;
Class B space: $20/sq. ft. Class C space: $12/sq. ft.; and warehouse space:
$5/sq. ft.) |
. |
| 3. |
Monthly
cost of storage: |
. |
| 4. |
Multiply
monthly cost of storage (No. 3) x 12=annual storage costs: |
. |
| 5. |
Annual
cost of security equipment and staff to secure access to and employee
contact with obsolete computer systems (Mandatory to comply with new federal
security/privacy laws) |
. |
| 6. |
Annual
cost of insurance for equipment not removed from inventory: |
. |
| 7. |
Business
property tax paid on equipment in storage each year |
. |
| 8. |
Cost
of moving obsolete equipment to storage facilities each year |
. |
| 9. |
Cost
of administrative and accounting fees to track obsolete assets each year: |
. |
| 10. |
Cost
of degaussing all computer systems and and encryption of memory* (Computer
systems must be wiped of data to comply with new federal security/privacy
laws; the average conservative cost of doing this is a minimum of $100
per PC system; the cost is much higher for servers and mainframes.) |
. |
*Degaussing is not required when working with SecureCyber Destruction
because the systems, data and software are destroyed, and no equipment
or components are re-sold. Therefore, degaussing is not necessary.
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