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Your data center isn’t like other data centers. Your hardware isn’t “off-the-shelf.”

You run on custom-built, high-density compute sleds. You’re an early adopter of OCP (Open Compute Project) hardware. Your racks are filled with specialized AI/ML accelerators that general-purpose ITAD vendors have never seen before.

So why would you use a general-purpose ITAD vendor to manage its end-of-life?

A standard ITAD company, whose business is built on processing millions of identical corporate laptops and beige Dell servers, sees your hyperscale hardware as a problem. To them, it’s non-standard, difficult to process, and has no clear resale channel.

To them, it’s scrap. To you, that means you’re leaving millions in residual value on the table.

The “Scrap-It” vs. “Smart-It” Approach

A generalist ITAD vendor runs on a simple model: “If we don’t recognize it, we shred it.” This “scrap-first” approach is a massive financial liability for two reasons:

1. They Don’t Understand the Value: They see a custom-built OCP rack and quote you a price based on its scrap metal weight. They don’t see the high-value, remarketable NPUs, the advanced cooling components, or the chassis itself, which is in high demand by second-tier cloud providers.
2. They Lack the Technical Expertise: They don’t have engineers who can properly test, audit, and sanitize custom hardware at the component level. Their “solution” is to physically destroy everything, erasing 100% of its potential value just to mitigate a risk they don’t know how to manage.

For hyperscalers, this is not a sustainable or financially sound model. You need a partner who is a hardware expert, not just a logistics-and-destruction company.

The Hyperscale ITAD Model: Technical Expertise First

A specialized hyperscale partner operates on a completely different model. When we see a rack of custom hardware, our process is built around value preservation, not just disposal.

• Engineering-Led Audits: Our team includes hardware engineers who understand your custom architecture. We can securely and non-destructively test your hardware to identify high-value, functional components.
• Component-Level Harvest: We know the true value isn’t in the “server” but in its parts: the processors, the memory, the network cards, and the specialized accelerator chips. We have the technical facilities to safely harvest, test, and inventory these components.
• Niche Global Markets: A generalist vendor sells on eBay. A hyperscale specialist has a global, private network of buyers for OCP and custom hardware. We have direct relationships with research labs, AI startups, and specialized hosting companies who are hungry for this specific hardware.

This expertise-led approach means we can unlock value from assets that other vendors would have already sent to the shredder.

Case in Point: The OCP Conundrum

We recently worked with a hyperscale client decommissioning 4,000 custom OCP servers. Their previous ITAD vendor quoted them a cost of $150,000 for the secure shredding and disposal of the equipment.

Our engineering team audited the hardware and identified that the chassis and networking components were in high demand. We managed the entire secure data sanitization process on-site, then used our remarketing network to sell the data-free hardware.

The result? Instead of paying a $150,000 bill, the client received a check for $900,000.

That’s the financial difference between a “disposal vendor” and a “value-recovery partner.”

Your Custom Hardware Is an Asset, Not a Liability

Your infrastructure is your competitive advantage. Its end-of-life shouldn’t be an expensive, high-risk problem.

At itad.co, we are specialists in hyperscale and custom hardware. We have the engineering expertise and the global market access to securely manage your data sanitization and maximize the residual value of your unique assets. Stop shredding your own money.

Don’t let a generalist vendor scrap your high-value hardware.

Your custom and OCP hardware has a significant second-market value. Let our hardware experts show you what it’s really worth.

Schedule a confidential, no-obligation Valuation Assessment for your custom hardware. We’ll provide a real-world estimate of its residual value.

Book My Free Hardware Valuation