Asset lifecycle management (ALM)

Iron Mountain provides a comprehensive IT asset lifecycle management solution designed to protect your data and brand reputation. Our process establishes a secure, documented chain of custody from the moment your assets are collected. We manage the entire IT asset lifecycle, from initial deployment to final disposition. This approach mitigates the significant risks associated with data exposure and environmental non-compliance, ensuring your organization's sensitive information is handled with care at every stage.

Our services provide a consistent and defensible process.

• We manage logistics with a secure chain of custody, using vetted employees and sealed transportation for asset protection.
• Our facilities provide secure storage and processing of your IT equipment, with access controls and 24/7 monitoring.
• We perform data sanitization that is verified to NIST 800-88 and other global standards, providing serialized certificates of destruction for every asset.
• You receive transparent and detailed reporting through our online portal, giving you full visibility and supporting your compliance requirements.

A partnership with us for your asset lifecycle management needs helps keep your data remains secure and your company compliant. Automating requests through our online interface, our asset disposal services streamline the retirement of IT equipment, reducing the internal burden on your teams. We provide detailed reporting suitable for audits and help you recover value from your old assets through secure remarketing channels. Our programs are designed to support your secure IT asset disposition and sustainability goals, creating a complete lifecycle management solution.

Our IT asset lifecycle management services are built to handle complex logistics for businesses of any size. We simplify your IT equipment lifecycle management by creating a unified and efficient workflow. This allows your team to focus on strategic initiatives rather than coordinating complex logistics for your asset life cycle.

We have the infrastructure to manage your IT lifecycle service needs at scale.

• We provide imaging and configuration services as well as deployment so that new IT assets arrive at your locations ready for immediate use by your employees.
• Our teams manage coordinated retrievals of retired assets from multiple office locations, ensuring a consistent and secure process nationwide.
• We offer secure, temporary storage for new or retired assets, providing overflow capacity during large-scale transitions or office moves.
• Our experts can manage complex data center decommissioning projects, ensuring sensitive equipment is handled securely and project timelines are met.

Choosing Iron Mountain as your partner provides access to a robust network designed for security and efficiency. We develop a lifecycle management plan that aligns with your specific operational needs and timelines. Our contract services offer the flexibility to scale up or down as your business requirements change. We deliver a complete solution that controls costs, protects data, and makes certain your IT asset lifecycle is managed professionally from start to finish.

Yes, we provide secure IT asset remarketing as a core component of our asset lifecycle management solution. The primary goal is to help your business recover the maximum possible value from retired assets. We evaluate each device to determine its potential resale value based on condition, age, and current market demand. This process turns your retired hardware from a liability into a revenue source, improving the return on your initial investment.

Our remarketing services are integrated into a secure workflow.

• We securely erase all data from assets before they are evaluated for resale, ensuring your information is protected throughout the process.
• Our detailed testing and grading process accurately assesses the functional and cosmetic condition of each asset to maximize its market value.
• We leverage a global network of buyers to find the best resale channel for your equipment, whether through wholesale or direct-to-consumer sales.
• You receive a transparent share of the revenue generated from the sale of your assets, which is documented in detailed financial reporting.

Our service extends beyond simple disposal. We focus on creating a circular economy for your IT hardware, which also supports your corporate sustainability goals. The detailed inventory and financial data we provide can be integrated with your own systems, giving your ALM analyst clear visibility into the program's success.

IT asset lifecycle management, or ALM, is the strategic process of managing a company's information technology assets from procurement to retirement. This framework provides visibility and control over the entire IT asset lifecycle. A successful lifecycle management solution enables technology resources to be utilized efficiently and disposed of securely. It transforms IT hardware from a simple operational expense into a managed portfolio of assets with measurable value and risk profiles.

A complete ALM program includes several distinct stages.

• The cycle begins with asset procurement and deployment, where technology is purchased and integrated into the business environment for employee use.
• The maintenance phase involves managing, upgrading, and servicing assets during their operational life to maximize their utility and performance.
• The final retirement stage consists of securely removing assets from service, destroying all data, and reselling or recycling the hardware responsibly.

An effective asset life cycle planning strategy is essential for modern business. It directly impacts financial performance by optimizing technology spend and preventing unnecessary purchases. It also forms a critical part of a company's security posture by ensuring sensitive data is not exposed on retired equipment..

A formal asset disposal process is a critical business function for mitigating significant security and financial risks. Without a structured plan, companies can suffer data breaches from improperly wiped hard drives or face fines for violating environmental regulations. A professional IT lifecycle service provides a documented and defensible process. This makes certain that every piece of retired IT equipment is handled consistently and securely, protecting both your data and your brand reputation.

A formal process provides multiple layers of protection.

• It requires that all retired assets are tracked from the point of departure to final disposition, leaving no gaps in security.
• The process mandates that all data-bearing devices undergo certified data sanitization or physical destruction, rendering sensitive corporate or customer information completely irrecoverable.
• It provides a clear audit trail, including certificates of destruction, to prove compliance with data privacy laws like HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA.

Implementing a structured approach to what is life cycle management is not just a best practice; it is a necessity. It protects your organization from legal and financial penalties associated with data loss and improper e-waste handling. Asset disposal services managed by a trusted third-party provider offer peace of mind. They make certain every asset is accounted for through end-of-life processes like data sanitization, secure media shredding, remarketing, and e-waste recycling , closing the loop on your IT asset lifecycle.

IT asset lifecycle management tools are essential software platforms that allow a business to track and manage its technology assets in real time. These digital solutions provide a centralized inventory of all hardware, from laptops to servers. They automate many of the tasks associated with life-cycle management, such as monitoring asset health and warranty status. This automation transforms asset tracking from a manual, error-prone task into a streamlined, strategic function for any ALM business.

These tools offer significant operational and financial advantages.

• They provide complete visibility into your entire IT asset inventory, preventing asset loss and helping you track device assignments and locations.
• The software helps optimize spending by identifying underutilized assets that can be redeployed elsewhere, delaying the need for new purchases.
• These platforms automate the end-of-life process by flagging assets for disposal based on age or other predefined business rules.
• They generate detailed reports that are critical for compliance audits, financial planning, and demonstrating effective IT governance to stakeholders.

Implementing IT asset lifecycle management tools empowers your organization with data-driven insights. It helps reduce costs, enhance security, and improve overall efficiency. The detailed data supports every stage of asset life cycle planning, from purchase to disposal. By integrating these tools, you gain access to the precise reporting and inventory management capabilities needed to control your IT environment, simplify compliance, and maximize the return on your technology investments.

Deciding when to retire IT assets is a critical financial and security decision. Creating a formal retirement policy provides clear, consistent guidelines for the IT asset lifecycle, preventing the use of outdated or insecure hardware. An effective policy balances total cost of ownership, performance, and security risk. This strategic approach to asset life cycle planning leads to technology being refreshed proactively, not just when a device fails, which is key to a predictable IT lifecycle.

A retirement policy should be based on several key triggers.

• Fixed Age and Warranty: Many organizations use a fixed refresh cycle, such as replacing laptops every three to four years, to align with warranty periods and prevent performance degradation.
• Rising Maintenance Costs: An asset should be retired when its repair frequency and costs become excessive, making it more economical to replace the device than to continue maintaining it.
• Security and Compliance Gaps: Hardware must be retired if it can no longer receive essential security updates from the manufacturer, as this creates a significant vulnerability.
• Performance and User Needs: When a device no longer supports the software or meets the performance demands required for an employee's role, it is time for a replacement to maintain productivity.

A well-defined retirement policy is the foundation of any successful IT equipment lifecycle management program. It creates a predictable refresh schedule, helps with budgeting, and minimizes the risks associated with aging technology. This approach moves your organization from a reactive break-fix model to a proactive lifecycle management solution. Formalizing these rules is a crucial step in developing a stronger information governance advisory posture that protects the entire organization.

Asset lifecycle management directly supports corporate sustainability by establishing a framework for the responsible handling of electronic waste. A comprehensive lifecycle management plan prioritizes the reuse and recycling of retired IT equipment. This approach is a core part of the circular economy and a key component of any modern environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program. It demonstrates a commitment to reducing environmental impact that goes far beyond basic compliance with regulations.

A sustainable ALM program incorporates several key practices.

• It focuses on extending the life of IT assets through repair and refurbishment, reducing the need to manufacture new devices and consume more resources.
• The program facilitates the resale of viable equipment on the secondary market, which keeps functional hardware in use and out of the waste stream.
• For assets that have no resale value, it verifies that all materials are responsibly recycled through certified partners, preventing hazardous e-waste from entering landfills.

Adopting a sustainable approach to the IT asset lifecycle enhances brand reputation and meets the growing expectations of customers, investors, and employees. An environmental benefits report that includes transparent reporting on e-waste diversion and recycling rates provides concrete data for your corporate responsibility reports. Choosing a partner that adheres to the highest ALM certifications and standards is a critical step toward making your program both environmentally responsible and fully compliant, reinforcing your commitment to a sustainable future.

Iron Mountain provides consistent and secure IT Asset Lifecycle Management services globally. Our own expansive network of asset lifecycle management facilities and logistics capabilities, further expanded by a global partner network, allows us to support your business operations wherever they are located. We help multinational corporations maintain a unified standard for IT asset management, compliance, and secure data disposition across all their sites.

• United Kingdom: Securely manage the entire lifecycle of your IT assets, from deployment to disposition. We help you recover value, protect your data, and meet sustainability goals with certified processes.
• Australia: We provide a complete solution for the lifecycle of your IT assets, from initial deployment to secure disposal. Our certified approach allows you to maximize value recovery, safeguard your data, and meet environmental targets.
• Canada: From deployment to final disposition, we manage the complete lifecycle of your IT assets. Our certified processes help you recover value, protect sensitive data, and achieve your corporate sustainability objectives.
• India: Partner with us for end-to-end management of your IT asset lifecycle, from deployment to disposition. With our certified processes, we work to increase value recovery, uphold data security, and support your sustainability initiatives.
• Germany: Verwalten Sie den gesamten Lebenszyklus Ihrer IT-Assets sicher, von der Bereitstellung bis zur Stilllegung. Wir helfen Ihnen, Werte zurückzugewinnen, Datensicherheit zu gewährleisten und Nachhaltigkeitsziele mit zertifizierten Prozessen zu erreichen.
• France: Gérez en toute sécurité l'ensemble du cycle de vie de vos actifs informatiques, du déploiement à la mise au rebut. Nous vous aidons à récupérer de la valeur et à garantir la sécurité des données.
• Spain: Gestione de forma segura todo el ciclo de vida de sus activos de TI, desde la implementación hasta la disposición. Le ayudamos a recuperar valor y garantizar la seguridad de los datos.
• Brazil: Gerencie com segurança todo o ciclo de vida de seus ativos de TI, desde a implantação até o descarte. Ajudamos você a recuperar valor e garantir a segurança dos dados.
• Mexico: Gestione de forma segura todo el ciclo de vida de sus activos de TI, desde la implementación hasta la disposición. Le ayudamos a recuperar valor y garantizar la seguridad de los datos.