Last Updated on July 31, 2025 by Ewen Finser
When your organization makes the choice to upgrade its IT infrastructure or retire its end-of-life equipment, you have to decide what will happen to those assets.
Disposing of them improperly can lead to environmental damages, data breaches, and even regulatory violation. This can potentially cost businesses millions in fines and harm to their reputation.
Having worked in big tech environments, I’ve seen how choosing the wrong ITAD partner (or going the ‘DIY’ route) can turn what should be a straightforward process into a compliance nightmare.
The right ITAD partner won’t just show up and remove your old equipment. They can be a strategic partner in protecting your business information, boosting your green credentials, and maximizing your asset value.
Bottom Line Up Front
After extensive research and no small amount of experience with the leading providers in this space, I have to say that Alta Technologies is a clear winner.
I originally decided to give the platform a shot a few years back, as it’s been around since 1995. I felt with almost 30 years of experience they must know something, and my hunch proved correct.
Alta Technologies is always looking to add to its huge inventory, so you’ve a good choice of maximizing value recovery. It also has R2v3 and ISO certifications so you know your equipment and data are being handled responsibly.
While I’ve found other providers might do better in very specific niches, Alta gets the gold star for its holistic approach to ITAD, as I’ve witnessed it deliver superior results across all key metrics.
Naturally, the right ITAD company for your organization will depend on your specific requirements, priorities, and preferences. Read on for a more in-depth exploration of the best providers.
Alta Technologies
As I outlined above, Alta Technologies is the premier choice for IT asset disposition. It’s even come up with a term for its offering: Smarter ITAD™. This is an approach that maximizes environmental benefits and financial returns through strategic reuse. Each time I’ve worked with this company, it’s lived up to this reputation.
Pros
Industry-leading reuse focus
I’ve seen myself that this is more than just marketing hype. Alta has been in this business for over three decades, and has always championed reuse as the best form of recycling. This prevents a lot of products going to landfill and probably explains why the site has over 1.3 million parts in stock, ready to ship.
Comprehensive certification
Of all the ITAD suppliers I’ve worked with, Alta Technologies holds the gold standard when it comes to certificates, including R2v3, ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety). This means you get peace of mind for everything from data security to environmental responsibility.
Unmatched inventory
As I stated above, Alta has over a million products in stock. Its inventory encompasses servers, networking equipment, data storage systems and components from big names like Dell, HP, IBM, and Cisco. It’s also got a line of bleeding-edge hardware, like NVIDIA AI GPUs.
Cons
Specialized focus on enterprise equipment
The only slight drawback I discovered about Alta Technologies is that it’s mainly focused on data center and enterprise-grade hardware. That means if your business has a large amount of consumer-grade equipment, then you might find more cost-effective options elsewhere.
ERI
This company claims to be the largest fully integrated ITAD service provider in North America. I’ve never been able to verify this claim, as it’s not clear if they mean in terms of infrastructure, inventory, intake, or all of the above. Still, it counts some Fortune 500 companies (including one I worked for) and government agencies amongst its clients, so it must be doing something right.
Pros
Cutting-edge tech
Of all the ITAD providers I’ve dealt with, ERI definitely deploys some of the best technology, such as its proprietary SOAR™ AI platform, which can manage asset intake and processing through machine learning. I found it hugely sped up the device identification process.
Comprehensive certification
With the exception of Alta Technologies, I’ve never encountered a more certified ITAD company than ERI. It holds certifications across all eight of its facilities including R2, e-stewards, ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and NAID AAA. It also achieved carbon-neutral status in 2022.
Strong chain-of-custody tracking
ERI’s Optech™ Capture™ mobile scanning can be used to photograph, serialize, and track products in real time via the ERI online portal.
Cons
Relatively high costs
Running a premium tech platform with AI real-time tracking is expensive, especially given ERI’s extensive infrastructure. Expect to pay higher costs relative to other ITAD companies.
Complex onboarding process
When the company I worked for initially tried to set up our account, we found the interface overwhelming at first. Honestly, it’s overkill for smaller companies with straightforward ITAD requirements.
Sims Lifecycle Services
As sad as it was to find out that this company has nothing to do with the awesome video game series, I did discover that it’s a part of Sims Limited. The umbrella company focuses on making resources available for future use. For example, the Sims ‘Metal’ division buys and processes scrap metal from businesses and other recyclers.
The company is also particularly good at quickly processing high-value components like GPUs and specialized CPUs. This makes it a good choice if your ITAD strategy is on a tight schedule and/or you want to maximize value for money.
Pros
Robotics and automation
The company has coined a term for this holistic approach to advanced disposition: “ITAD Plus”. Its processing center deploys advanced robotics to break down assets to component level, so it carries out precision activities like recovering precious metals in an economic way.
Global reach
Sims has a network of carefully vetted subcontractors in around sixty countries across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions. It uses a scoring system (MIDAS) to ensure consistent service quality across sites.
Cons
Focus on large-scale projects
Both SLS’ infrastructure and pricing model are clearly modelled around high-volume enterprise clients. This isn’t an issue if you happen to be such a client, and want to get maximum value for money as the robots extract every DIMM module and scrap of gold from your equipment. However, this makes Sims Lifecycle Services less cost-effective for smaller organizations.
Securis
As the name suggests, this company’s main focus is on secure ITAD services that also meet stringent regulatory requirements.
I found the client portal very easy to navigate for this purpose, as you can easily list inventory reports, along with certificates of destruction (as necessary). The potential savings in fines from data or compliance breaches, make it a strong contender in the ITAD space.
Pros
Regulatory Industry Expertise
Securis is GSA-approved and certified to serve sectors that routinely handle sensitive information like the government, finance, and healthcare. Its processes are specifically designed to be compatible with guidelines like HIPAA, GLBA, SOX, and FFIEC.
AI-powered inventory
Like ERI, Securis has a proprietary system for managing inventory. It’s called DriveSnap AI, and the company claims it offers 99% inventory accuracy versus the industry average of 85%. I can’t speak to this specific number but my client reported no verification issues uploading thousands of inventory items to Securis’ AI system.
Cons
Limited global presence
Securis is based in Virginia and North Carolina. This means if your organization is located elsewhere, you may have pickup and chain of custody issues.
Iron Mountain
This is a name that inspires trust, and in fact Iron Mountain has been delivering digital storage and security services since 1951, making it the oldest of all the companies we’ve explored here.
Its ITAD offering is more recent, but Iron Mountain’s extensive experience with handling sensitive information and its extensive partner network means it’s well placed to handle complex projects.
The company also has good relationships with refurbishers and recyclers around the world, so it’s likely that it can handle all aspects of IT asset lifecycle management, no matter the size or requirements of your organization.
Pros
Established global infrastructure
Iron Mountain currently has 742 facilities worldwide – the most of any ITAD provider I’ve reviewed. This means it can handle more complex, multi-location projects.
Comprehensive lifecycle management
The company has a dedicated division devoted to end-to-end services from initial deployment through to final disposition. I’ve found this is the best way to optimize total cost of ownership. It can also help organizations to better manage transitions between asset cycles.
Cons
Higher pricing for premium services
When my client first discovered Iron Mountain, we quickly realized that it has an enterprise-level service model. While it offers excellent value for money in terms of location, chain of custody procedures, and data destruction for larger organizations, smaller ones may find the price tag harder to justify.
Less specialization in emerging tech
Unlike competitors such as Alta Technologies, Iron Mountain doesn’t seem to place much emphasis on cutting-edge hardware like AI accelerators or specialized cloud infrastructure components.
Top Mistakes People Make When Choosing an ITAD Company
Based on my experience of enterprise technology environments, I’ve seen the same mistakes crop up time and again when selecting ITAD providers. I’ve also learned the hard way that this is one decision where there’s very little room for error, given the potential risk of data breaches and compliance issues.
Common mistakes include:
Focusing only on cost, not on value
You’re always going to find a lower-priced ITAD provider, and I’ve seen businesses chase after the lowest quote without considering the total cost of ownership or possible risks.
A provider offering suspiciously low prices for its services is probably going to cut some corners. For example, it might lack the proper certification for destroying data or fail to provide the right documentation for compliance audits.
Remember, the true cost of ITAD involves not just the upfront fees. You also need to consider the value recovery potential of your equipment and the peace of mind that comes with knowing you won’t run against compliance or data deletion issues.
Inadequate due diligence
I hold my hands up and say that I’ve been guilty of this in the past myself, as I learned the hard way that not all ITAD certifications are made equal.
This is where using a search engine and speaking to multiple providers come in useful, as it can help you understand the scope and validity of any certifications your chosen ITAD company has.
R2v3, e-Stewards, and NAID AAA certifications need to be up-to-date, specific to the facility you’ll be using, and independently audited.
Even if this is the case, some certifications may only apply to specific processes or locations, so don’t be afraid to do your research before requesting a quote.
Neglecting data security protocols
I can’t emphasize strongly enough how dangerous a mistake it is to believe that just deleting files or formatting drives is sufficient for secure data deletion.
Any respectable ITAD provider should use NIST 800-88 compliant data destruction methods (clear, purge, and destroy).
It should also provide detailed certificates of destruction, ideally with serial tracking. Whatever provider you choose, the chain of custody must be unbroken from the point of pickup to final disposition. Ask for photographic evidence and GPS tracking to prove this.
Failing to plan for asset lifecycle management
In my experience, organizations too often see ITAD as a one-time disposal activity that creeps up on them instead of part of a comprehensive lifestyle strategy for managing assets.
Without proper planning, assets often end up just piling up in storage areas like unused rooms and closets. This not only wastes space, but misses chances for value recovery – not to mention the security risks of unattended equipment that contains potentially sensitive information.
It’s best to think of your ITAD company as a strategic partner who can help you to develop refresh cycles for regular, secure disposition.
Ignoring environmental compliance/sustainability reporting
As more organizations are focusing on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals, you need to find an ITAD provider that understands current local environmental regulations, and can provide detailed sustainability reporting.
Look for ITAD companies that have responsible recycling practices, share their landfill diversion rates, and refurbish/resell equipment in an environmentally responsible way.
The Best ITAD Company
In my time in enterprise tech environments I’ve found that it helps to think of choosing your ITAD partner as a strategic decision, as it can impact your organization’s data security, regulatory compliance, environmental record, and even its bottom line.
I stand by my original assessment that Alta Technologies represents the best overall choice for any business seeking first rate, comprehensive, trustworthy, and value-driven ITAD services.
This company has been balancing asset value recovery without sacrificing environmental or data security standards for over 30 years now. You also get peace of mind from its slew of certifications and commitment to ‘reuse-first’ principles.
Still, there can be specific use cases where other providers might make more sense. For instance, Iron Mountain has extremely strict chain of custody procedures, so might be the best choice for very security conscious organizations. Securis’ services are designed to be ‘audit ready’, making it a solid option for companies dealing with strict compliance requirements.
This is why it’s so important to consider your organization’s priorities and disposition plan before signing up