Public bodies 'wasting billions' on IT equipment disposal

News Article - 31 July 2007
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Billions of pounds are being waster by public organisations each year because they are selling off their IT apparatus at the wrong time, it has been claimed.

According to the National Audit Office (NAO), computer equipment is being sold after about five years when its value has greatly depreciated. In addition, many bodies fail to check that their hardware has been cleared of private data before it is sold on, the findings showed.

"The majority of public bodies had no oversight of the data wiping standards and approaches being used in practice by their disposal agents," the NAO said.

"Many simply do not know the volume and method of disposal," it added.

By switching to a three-year replacement plan, public bodies could generate savings of £70 million per year, while overall savings on productivity and maintenance could amount to £1.4 billion, the body stated.

Head of the NAO, John Bourn, said that the government needs to make itself more aware of the benefits of IT equipment disposal.

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