CASE STUDY - HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER DECOMMISSIONING
This case study explores how SK Tes provided a comprehensive data center decommissioning solution for the client, resulting in a 34% higher financial return.
Data Center Decommissioning
Whether you are migrating to the cloud, upgrading outdated servers, consolidating facilities, relocating a data center, or managing architecture changes, SK Tes delivers global data center decommissioning services engineered for scale, security, and operational continuity.
Compliant, sustainable & secure lifecycle management for all data center equipment
Global data center on site services delivered without operational interruption
Extensive expertise in systematic planning & delivering enterprise, hybrid, and hyperscale decommissioning programs
Data Center Services
Global, secure data center decommissioning at scale
Retiring your data center equipment can be complex, but SK Tes makes it simple. SK Tes is one of the few data center decommissioning companies with the global footprint, security rigor, and operational maturity required for enterprise grade projects.
Our standardized, evidence-based workflows ensure complete chain of custody transparency across corporate, colocation, hybrid, and edge data center environments. We manage high volumes, tight timelines, large inventories, and strict security requirements without disrupting operations.
Explore our global network of data center processing sites.
Need support for your data center decommissioning project?
Whether you need decommissioning, data destruction, refurbishment, resale, or server recycling we offer flexible commercial models -including leaseback, buyback, and revenue share.
How to plan for data center decommissioning project with optimized value recovery and minimal disruption
Discover a streamlined end-to-end data center decommissioning process - ensuring accurate reporting, full device accountability, and zero compromised assets.
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Begin asset auditing, tagging, and registration of your data center equipment to ascertain how many assets in your data center need to be decommissioned. If equipment is logged in an asset management system, like ServiceNow, run a report of equipment ready for decommissioning.
For those without an asset management system in place, SK Tes offers smart hands services to audit, tag, and register your assets. This ensures full visibility and traceability of all hardware, enabling a seamless and efficient decommissioning process.
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It's time to evaluate and plan the disposition hierarchy for your IT assets. Determine the best outcomes for your data center equipment—whether components should be returned to the leaser, redeployed, resold, or recycled. SK Tes can offer expert guidance to help you with strategies and techniques for protecting your data, maximizing equipment value recovery, and aligning with your corporate sustainability goals.
Key considerations include data classification, storage device types, regulatory compliance, cost and resources, and risk assessment. Prioritize identifying storage media that meet NIST and IEEE data destruction standards to ensure proper handling and compliance.
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Based on your asset inventory and planning, you can finalize a timeline for your data center decommissioning project, including milestones to keep you on track.
The experienced ITAD specialists at SK Tes can help you with project planning and creating a robust audit trail for your data center decommissioning process. We can support you with equipment lease returns and leaseback options to support the transition to new equipment.
If you have a lease, begin to return your leased assets to allow for testing and transportation before your lease expires. SK Tes' onsite sanitization solution strengthens data security and avoids penalty charges for pulling and shredding drives from leased equipment.
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Decide on the most appropriate data destruction technique for your data center decommissioning project, whether it’s software-based data erasure or physical destruction of your data center hardware, legacy equipment, and storage media.
Choose data destruction methods based on drive type such as HDD, SSD, or the more proprietary disks that are from Storage Arrays. Define a security policy for levels of verification or when to allow reallocated sectors and when not to. For failed or undiscovered storage devices, define the means of physical destruction and handling of these devices.
SK Tes provides expert guidance to create a custom-designed plan that ensures full data protection with a complete chain of custody. We deliver secure data destruction appropriate to your drive types, including logical, cryptographic and block erasure methods. -
Thorough planning is essential for data center decommissioning projects, covering every detail—from cable mining, egress routing, and flooring protection to managing truck traffic for the safe removal of servers and cabinets.
SK Tes reverse logistics specialists are experts in handling, storing, and packing data center equipment to prevent damage and preserve its value, ensuring every step is executed with precision and care, whether you are handling it yourself or relying on our professional team.
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Data center assets designated for reuse will be securely transported from your location to either your new data center or a specialist technology lifecycle service provider, such as SK Tes, where they will be reimaged, reprogrammed, or processed for remarketing.
Any reconciliation paperwork will be reviewed and signed off by the site contact before equipment removal. Liquidated assets should be prepared for departure from the current facility. Your specialist can assist with additional requirements, including point-to-point shipping, GPS tracking, and added insurance.
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At this point, you should verify that your data center decommissioning project's agreed-upon goals have been met and address any concerns. Your SK Tes data center specialists will begin processing servers and hardware for remanufacturing, redeployment, resale, or recycling.
We provide full reporting down to the serial number level, including IT asset wipe and data destruction reports and Certificate of Destruction (COD), final disposition report, ensuring a complete chain of custody record. We also provide GHG emissions and sustainability reporting for your data center decommissioning.
