That Old Hardware Can Make You Money - How It All Works
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Here's how the process works:

1. Introduction
The customer and Converge make contact, either through active solicitation by the company or as a result of the customer seeking out an asset-disposal company. Often customers find Converge through its Web site, www.converge.com.

2. Consultation
Converge evaluates the equipment needing disposal and discusses with the customer various options, including whether to overwrite data, erase it with a magnetic device called a "degausser" or shred the hard drive. Which option the customer chooses depends on its corporate risk tolerance, which Converge helps assess.

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3. Inventory
At this point, comprehensive cataloguing of the equipment headed for disposal takes place. Equipment is counted and sorted, and serial numbers are checked and cross-checked with the company's financial and IT records. "This level of detail really provides big value to our clients," says Adam.

4. Determination
Converge determines with the customer the service levels required, including how best to proceed with disposal while protecting against environmental mishaps and data leaks.

5. Logistics
Equipment, once sorted and catalogued, is gathered in a central location and prepared for transport. Different methods of transportation are evaluated.

6. Transportation
The hardware is shipped out through the customer's chosen method, which may include having some of it broken down before shipping. Transport options include trucks with GPS tracking, such as those offered by FedEx's Custom Critical fleet.

7. Registration
Once again serial numbers and identification tags are checked against what the customer believes was inventoried and shipped to make sure everyone is on the same page.

8. Identification
Devices are sorted and data erasure or overwriting that didn't happen at the customer site takes place. Decisions are made on whether to resell whole systems or break them down for recycling or "demanufacturing."

9. Remarketing
Usable complete systems and devices are resold. Seventy percent of equipment Converge handles is remarketed, either whole or as parts.

10. Demanufacturing
Subassemblies and components are extracted and resold for reuse elsewhere. PC vendors buy back some motherboards and processors no longer in production to satisfy warranties.

11. Recycling
Any leftover raw materials, be they glass, plastic or metal, are broken down and sent out for recycling. Converge has a zero landfill and incineration policy.

12. Certification
Customers receive some or all of these documents certifying that materials were disposed of according to government regulations: Certificate of Compliant Destruction, Certificate of Compliant Recycling, Certificate of Compliant Data Erasure.

13. Reporting
Customers receive final reports about the process and financial settlements are reached. Money earned through remarketing is subtracted from Converge's fees to the customer. Customers can track the process and access reports through Converge's Web site.

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