Future-proofing IT operations: Building agile IT infrastructures with refurbished servers

The traditional approach of continually investing in brand-new hardware is slowly disintegrating. Many businesses realize how it can strain IT budgets and increase operational challenges. To maintain a competitive advantage, companies must rapidly adjust to evolving market demands, adopt new technologies, and scale their capabilities as needed.

Let's explore how integrating refurbished servers into your IT strategy can provide a more flexible and cost-effective path to building an agile IT infrastructure.

Navigating the imperative of IT agility

Technology moves fast. From AI to edge computing and IoT, new options are prompting enterprises to continuously re-evaluate their IT infrastructure. Complemented by the need for businesses to rely on IT to drive innovation, improve customer experiences, and streamline operations, companies must:

• Scale resources rapidly to meet changing demands.
• Implement new technologies without disrupting existing operations.
• Optimize costs while maintaining high performance and reliability.
• Ensure security and compliance in a changing threat landscape.

IT infrastructures must be more flexible, scalable, and resilient to meet these challenges. The concept of agile IT is the ability to quickly reconfigure and redeploy resources as needed.

Limitations of the "New Hardware" approach

Organizations pursue agility by continually upgrading to the newest server models. This approach has its own set of pros, but it also has some challenges, including:

• Lack of cost optimization: Constantly integrating the latest hardware is not only expensive, it often exceeds budgetary constraints.
• Operational disruption: The "rip and replace" strategy of swapping out entire infrastructure components is another way to increase operational downtime and migration challenges.
• Environmental impact: Rapid hardware turnover significantly contributes to electronic waste and may negatively impact corporate sustainability goals.
• Vendor lock-in: Relying solely on new equipment from a single manufacturer can limit flexibility.
• Skill gap: New technologies often require retraining staff or hiring specialists, adding to operational overheads and complexity.

These challenges have created the need for alternative strategies for building agile infrastructures.

Advantages of upgrading IT infrastructure with refurbished servers

As IT departments opt for greater agility, integrating refurbished servers offers a powerful strategy for building flexible, cost-effective infrastructures.

By moving beyond the limitations of a purely new hardware approach and embracing a holistic view that incorporates quality refurbished equipment, organizations can create IT environments that are better equipped to meet the challenges of the modern business landscape.

• Cost-effectiveness: Refurbished servers typically cost 40-60% less than new equivalents, allowing organizations to upgrade to the latest models at a much lower cost.
• Flexibility: Savings from refurbished hardware could be reinvested in other critical areas, such as software, security, or cloud services, enabling a more balanced approach to IT modernization.
• Extended lifecycle: Many refurbished servers can match the performance of newer models for years, reducing the pressure for frequent upgrades.
• Compatibility: Refurbished equipment can seamlessly integrate with existing infrastructure, minimizing disruption and easing migration paths.
• Sustainability: Extending the life of server hardware aligns with green IT initiatives and corporate social responsibility goals.

Building a holistic agile infrastructure with refurbished servers

Adopting a strategic, holistic approach is crucial to leveraging refurbished servers for agile IT. Rather than viewing refurbished hardware as a stopgap measure, many forward-thinking organizations are integrating it as a core component of their infrastructure strategy.

• Opt for hybrid deployment: Combine new and refurbished servers to create a flexible infrastructure. You could deploy new hardware for cutting-edge applications and refurbished equipment for stable, well-functional workloads.
• Check for performance tiers: Implement a tiered approach. For demanding applications use high-end refurbished servers and modest configurations for less performance-intensive tasks.
• Build scalability on demand: Your teams could maintain a pool of refurbished servers to quickly scale up resources during peak periods or for temporary projects.
• Ensure test and development: Use refurbished servers to create robust testing and development environments at lower costs.
• Enable smooth disaster recovery: Build cost-effective redundancy and failover systems using refurbished hardware. Deploy refurbished servers in edge locations where the latest models may be overkill or cost-prohibitive.

By strategically incorporating refurbished servers, organizations can create an agile and economically sustainable infrastructure.

Choosing the right refurbished hardware partner

The success of a refurbished server strategy hinges on partnering with the right vendor. Key factors to consider include:

• Quality assurance: Vendors following strict testing and repair processes can ensure that the hardware you procure is reliable.
• Warranty and support: Seek vendors offering comprehensive warranties and ongoing technical support.
• Access to a vast inventory: With access to a wide selection of models and configurations, you can build an IT infrastructure hinged on greater flexibility.
• Technical expertise: Technical expertise must be a deciding factor to ensure your partner has a deep knowledge of both current and legacy systems.
• Custom solutions: Customization and configurability can help you make the most of a solution that meets your requirements fully.
• Lifecycle management: For all-around services like asset recovery and secure data destruction, choose a hardware provider that manages your complete IT lifecycle.

CXtec: Your partner-of-choice for refurbished server excellence

As a market leader in the refurbished server market, CXtec offers a unique combination of quality, expertise, and support across your complete IT lifecycle. We provide a comprehensive range of IT infrastructure solutions, with a focus on refurbished servers, built on a foundation of more than 40 years of industry expertise.

• Enhanced aftermarket services: RapidCare® CXtec extends robust post-purchase support that covers 24/7/4 technical assistance for quick problem resolution and minimized system downtime.
• Strong quality assurance: Our refurbished server inventory undergoes thorough testing protocols to ensure that each equal2new® server meets high performance and reliability standards before being offered to customers.
• Vast inventory: We help you access a wide range of server models and configurations from leading manufacturers, like Cisco, Dell, and HPE.
• Environmentally responsible hardware: We help you align with extended hardware lifecycles and reduce electronic waste.

By leveraging our expertise and high-quality refurbished servers, organizations can build truly agile IT infrastructures that balance performance, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.

Ready to get started? Connect with us now.