What Is a Refurbished Server?
A refurbished server is most simply a server that has been used by another user and is now available for reuse. I know you're asking, where does the refurbishment come in? Well.. that depends on who you ask.
Some would say that refurbished servers are items that have been damaged in the past and then fixed, but we find that is not typically the case. At my company - less than 1% of the equipment we sell was ever in need of repair - upgrading, cleaning, reconfiguring and testing - sure, but not repair.
The vast majority of servers have "just worked" for their life to date, needed a bit of cleaning, maybe some reconfiguring to meet the new users' needs along with testing and diagnostics. But generally, a used or "refurbished" server is a piece of equipment that's always worked great, has been under a maintenance plan at another user, and is ready to be deployed to a new data center or server room home.
Now, there are those who have differing opinions. They will say refurbished servers are only those that have been reconditioned and fixed. But generally, we find that the terms refurbished server, used server, and secondhand server are thrown around interchangeably and can mean different things depending on the individual that you speak with.
If you're talking about "what is an eBay refurbished server or server part?", well they have their specific requirements and reviews to list a product that way on their platform. Again, it still doesn't mean the item was ever bad, but they get commitments from the seller that it has been cleaned, updated, and tested before sale.
Summary:Â A refurbished server is simply a server that has been used by another user and is now available for reuse. The terms refurbished server, used server, and secondhand server are interchangeable and can mean different things depending on the individual that you speak with.
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
Last Updated:
04/05/2024
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.