Robert Davie, Founder of Venderis was gracious enough to answer a few of our questions regarding his revolutionary new End of Life IT Asset Recovery software solution, Venderis Software Solution Suite.

“Armored trucks, employee background checks, the issues that relate to sending systems off-site are all eliminated by our solution.”

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In a nutshell, what does Venderis do?

“I need more than a nutshell to describe Venderis… but here goes. Venderis has sort of a dual role. It reduces the risk of data stored on PCs from escaping to the public domain, while at the same time it increases the resale value of PC assets.

Venderis accomplishes this dual role in several ways:
1. By erasing hard drives
2. By restoring the original Operating System
3. By running diagnostics important to the resale community
4. By discovering and auditing the level of hardware details necessary for resale

And probably most importantly, Venderis performs its functions across a WAN, LAN or enterprise network thereby making these end-of-life processes automated, fast and easy.”

How did you come up with the idea for Venderis?

“There is an interesting story behind this. Three of us went away to the North Carolina coast to brainstorm and discuss a several ideas for processes that occur at the end of the life of PCs. Utilizing my experience in the used computer industry, taking advantage of an employee’s strengths, and adding the objective viewpoints of a Harvard MBA, we set off to the beach for a brainstorm session.

After using an entire roll of whiteboard paper, a complete set of magic markers, and exhausting our brains, we came up with five problem areas that needed desperate attention, and that could be automated through software application.”

What is your background in the IT industry?

“I have been in the IT asset remarketing industry since I graduated from college, with the exception of a short stint of three years at IBM, almost 20 years altogether. As the founder of ITParade.com, I was responsible for creating a large marketplace for buyers and sellers of used computer and networking systems.

Over 1500 computer resellers participate in the ITParade.com marketplace and my interaction with them generated unique insights into the inner-workings of the industry that allowed me to launch Venderis.”

Who can benefit from using the Venderis Asset Recovery Software Solution?

“Fortune 5000 companies, large organizations, IT Asset Remarketers, Recovery Specialists. Anyone who is concerned about cutting costs at the end of life of an IT asset. Anyone who is concerned about chain of custody of sensitive data contained within hard drives. Anyone who needs to maximize the resale value of PC assets.”

What is your current go-to-market plan?

“We intend to leverage our network of over 1500 IT resellers developed over a 10-year period at ITParade.com. These relationships represent the leading resellers in the United States and around the world. Venderis will support an initial group of 12 leading resellers, then a larger group of resellers, through an extensive and comprehensive marketing and support system that includes marketing materials, co-selling, Live Support, On-site Training, On-site Support and Webinars.”

Security is a hot-button issue in the asset recovery world, does Venderis help address these concerns?

“Security is an extremely important issue. It was one of the driving factors in the development of Venderis.

Venderis can guarantee that sensitive data stays within an organization by providing the ability to wipe 10 or 10,000 systems on-site and simultaneously. The chain of custody stays with the end user of Venderis, no third-party erasure is required and therefore absolute safety of sensitive data is guaranteed! Armored trucks, employee background checks, the issues that relate to sending systems off-site are all eliminated by our solution.

Finally, there is no limit to the number of Department of Defense-standard erasures Venderis can perform.”

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Vibrant is proud to be a tier1 reseller of Venderis. We’ll be working the Venderis booth along with Robert at the upcoming E-Scrap IT Asset Recovery Conference where they are a sponsor. If you’re in the Asset Recovery business, please stop by our booth and introduce yourself, meet Robert and learn more about how Venderis can benefit you and your clients.

At Vibrant we’re quick to offer top dollar for your used IT hardware, but we definitely also encourage users to consider donation as an option (we do so ourselves when we can). There are many organizations out there who could use enterprise IT hardware and many who have equipment to spare, so here are a few sites that can pair up the two:

Share the Technology

We’ve used this site to connect with organizations and schools in need of server, storage and networking donations. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, they’ve provided a free public-access database since 1996.

Just this month we connected with John Kugler of Hyde Park Academy in Chicago to whom we sent some Cisco routers and switches. He mentioned those will possibly go to use in an IT project for a local YMCA, or perhaps be used for introductory networking education. These were surplus items to us and we’re glad they could be put to good use by this good gentleman.
If you’re a reseller, sign up for the Share the Technology database today!

National Cristina Foundation

From their website:

“National Cristina Foundation (NCF) provides computer technology and solutions to give people with disabilities, students at risk and economically disadvantaged persons the opportunity, through training, to lead more independent and productive lives.”

Donate Today!

Also, check out TechSoup’s extensive list of non-profit and school-based recyclers, as well as their article, 10 Tips on Donating a Computer.

In the end, if you still need to get some money back for your excess equipment, selling it to another user or Vibrant isn’t going to completely destroy your karma. You are preventing one more server from being made after all (reuse, recycle and all that).

Shipping high-end servers and storage equipment across the country or to the other side of the globe can potentially be a scary proposition if you don’t have a freight forwarder you can trust. At Vibrant, we do all we can to ensure a quality product arrives at our customer’s dock – so choosing reliable freight vendors cannot be overlooked.

Axis Global Logistics is one of these top-notch partners for us and our rep, Chris Kosvic, was kind enough to answer some questions we had on how they ensure safe passage of our valuable products – and what we can do to help them succeed.

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Q: Hi Chris. Could you briefly introduce us to Axis?

Chris Kosvic: Thank you for this opportunity, Corey. Axis is a freight forwarder that can pick up from and deliver to anywhere in the world in adherence to our clients’ specific time frame, no matter how tight. We are unique in that we’re physically staffed 24/7/365 to follow our clients’ shipments through the night and to respond to emergencies without fail. Adcom offers complete turnkey logistics solutions – shipping, packaging, crating, warehousing, fulfillment, cargo insurance as well as web-based booking, tracking and reporting.

Q: When shipping delicate, high-end IT hardware, what precautions are taken by freight forwarders?

Chris Kosvic: Freight forwarders are different from the standard, more familiar shipping companies because we treat each shipment as its own individual project. Your freight is not forced into mammoth systems where creativity and care are difficult to provide. From arranging packaging to providing advice on safe shipment practices, forwarders like Adcom excel at customizing our services to fit the needs of high-end IT shippers.

Q: What is the best advice you can give to shipping departments in regards to preparing IT equipment for transport?

Chris Kosvic: A couple of things come to mind. The first is to always consider an “exclusive use” vehicle, where your shipment is the only freight on the truck. In shipping jargon, this is known as a “hotshot” and is the safest, most effective method of transporting high-end equipment. If your budget does not allow for a hotshot, make absolutely sure your goods are professionally packaged and crated.

While we at Adcom Worldwide do our best to pamper your shipments, the transportation environment can be one of controlled chaos – one with forklifts whirring, trucks unloading and drivers hurrying. Things can happen, and until someone invents those Star Trek transponders that zap your goods from one place to another, they always will. Thoughtful planning will always mitigate (and hopefully) eliminate any damage your shipment could otherwise incur.

Q: When handling overseas freight, what extra precautions might be considered?

Chris Kosvic: The most important component of shipping internationally is to ensure that your documentation is meticulously completed. Make sure your packing list is precise and includes the specific country of origin for each product. This, along with accurately labeling the individual items within your shipment, will dramatically decrease the likelihood of your freight getting hung up in customs.

Another issue that has reared its head in recent years is the heat treatment and fumigation of your wood packaging. Stringent rules have been put in place to prevent the spread of pests that lurk within boxes, pallets, crates, etc. If you ship internationally, import or export, it is critical that you utilize heat-treated materials; otherwise, your shipments will be delayed so the packaging can be fumigated. If you’re interested in learning more about this program, visit: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/wpm/.

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Thanks to Axis Global Logistics for taking time to answer our questions and for their ongoing service. Vibrant recommends Axis as a freight forwarder for any high-end IT Hardware freight shipments as they offer a great blend of competitive pricing and secure regional, national and international shipping options.

Chris Kosvic can be contacted directly by email or by phone at 952-884-0070.

Coming to a datacenter corner near you…
Dust off those old systems because it’s the IBM RS6000 Antiques Roadshow!

While this program wouldn’t be incredibly exciting to anyone outside of the Unix world, there are definitely finds to be had. In our marketplace of server, storage and networking gear, older equipment can suddenly jump in value. An outdated system or part will often encounter an unexpected blip in demand or it could be in such limited supply that it goes from obsolete to coveted antique.

For example, take the IBM RS/6000 C20 Server. A base configuration originally sold new from IBM for $11,500 list. As of last year, these could be picked up for as low as $200 each. Then, something strange happened in the long-stagnant C20 market. A government or maintenance client must have made a significant purchase of them as they suddenly were nowhere to be found. Due to this scarcity, values are on the rise and the base now sells for upwards of $800. Now that isn’t like finding a Van Gogh behind a cheap coffee shop canvas, but it’s surely better to get something back for your gear than to pay somebody else to scrap it.

The value of components also often jumps due to supply and demand factors. The IBM 2975 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet feature became a very expensive card last year. These adapters list for $1,333-$1,600 (depending on which system they’re being installed into), yet on the used market you couldn’t find one below $1,600 due to the high demand. Fortunately, they have now fallen back to a more rational price of around $650 each.

Keep in mind these are sales prices and stocking prices will always vary based on existing inventory and long-term sales prospects. It’s normal for equipment to slowly decrease in value – these increases are very much the exception.

Nonetheless, it’s worth taking a look at that dusty pile of systems you’ve been meaning to scrap, and take a minute to run it by a remarketer. You might just find an antique surprise in the lot. If not, we can typically arrange the freight and take the gear off of your hands.

IBM 4452, 4 x 53P3226 512MB RS6000 memory DIMMs
non-working, honey-glazed

We work with scores of liquidators and leasing companies who contact us with excess hardware and asset recovery opportunities – 99.9% of whom turn out to be fantastic partners with great hardware. The other .01% send non-functional memory in deli meat bags.

Obviously we don’t resell anything that is non-functional and/or smells like ham, so when this happened to us, we were forced to send the shipment back to the liquidator. I don’t think we’ll be bidding on that guy’s hardware packages again.

I’ll be putting together a post on preferred packing methods for IT hardware so that I can point our clients towards it when they need help in this area.

Update (4/18/07): Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems, also sometimes receives hardware in sandwich bags.