Pros and Cons of Refurbished Servers
There are many pros and cons to consider when making any IT buying decision, but considering the lack of experience many have with buying used servers, be sure to weigh these options carefully. In my experience, users find that the pros seriously outnumber any cons, in most cases.
Pro: Discounted Price
Con:Â Have to be careful whom you buy from - do your research to make sure that you're working with an established, long-time reseller.
Pro:Â Available with a lifetime warranty, extended one year, two years, three years, and even lifetime warranties can be purchased for the assurance of buying equipment that's just going to work and work forever.
Con:Â The market may lack the latest and greatest technology, although oftentimes equipment is available within months of its initial release, even on the used market.
Pro:Â Helpful for maintaining a legacy system.
Pro:Â equipment is available to be delivered immediately even if the manufacturer has supply chain shortages.
Pro:Â Allows you to extend the life of your current equipment by using the availability of secondhand equipment for upgrades.
I think you can see that the pros are so valuable, and the cons can be mitigated when working with quality vendors. Every user should make the best choice for themselves though!
Server and Storage Bundles
Many users bundle storage solutions with their server purchases, and this is no different when it comes to refurbished equipment. Large resellers of used enterprise IT buyers can sell bundled solutions such as refurbished Dell server and storage bundles, HP, IBM, Oracle or any combination of system paired with storage options from the likes of Dell EMC or NetApp as well.
When and Where are Refurbished Servers Deployed?
Many are surprised to hear that used IT equipment is purchased and used by companies of all sizes – from Fortune 50 companies and hyperscale environments to small businesses and home labs. Some companies will buy thousands of servers at once, while others purchase their only server used, or perhaps parts upgrades for that system.
Refurbished servers are deployed for many purposes, from test and development environments, to backup redundant systems, to backup vault destinations and labs.
Most commonly though, used servers are deployed into production. Users trust reliable resellers to have tested and vetted equipment from prior users, not to mention the built-in redundancies of modern systems, to fully support their compute and storage needs. Enterprise servers will built to last, and companies increasingly are taking advantage of the cost savings and reliability of quality refurbished servers.
Summary:Â The article highlights the advantages of refurbished servers, including cost savings, immediate availability, and extended warranties, while also cautioning readers to choose reputable resellers and noting that the market may not always feature the latest technology.
Last Updated:
04/05/2024
Questions about Refurbished Servers?
Contact us anytime… we’ve been doing business in the secondary market for IT hardware since 1995.
info@altatechnologies.com
763-475-2900 | 800-546-2582
Additional Reading & Resources:
- Article:Â What are Used Servers?
- Article:Â Using & Maintaining Used Servers
- Article:Â Types of Servers
- Article:Â New vs. Used Servers
- Article:Â A More Sustainable IT Future
- Article:Â Separating ITAD Fact from Fiction
- Article:Â Maximizing Your IT Budget
- Alta:Â Used Servers for Sale
Corey is a reuse advocate with 20 years experience in ITAD and serves as President of Alta Technologies, the gold standard for quality in testing and refurbishing servers, networking and data storage hardware, since 1995.
An active member of the Right-To-Repair movement, Corey also serves on the ASCDI Board, is a member of the Forbes Business Council, Vistage, SIA and UNEDA. He enjoys local adventures with his family and dog, Freya, near Minneapolis, MN.