How far in advance should we schedule?

Most projects can be scheduled within [2–3 weeks]. Larger facility closures benefit from a site survey 30 or more days before your target date.

Is there a minimum project size?

No. We handle everything from a single rack or server room to a full facility closure.

Do you handle partial decommissions and hardware refreshes?

Yes. We remove only what's scheduled to retire and protect equipment that stays in production.

How is our data protected during transport?

Every device is serialized on-site before it moves and stays under AVAY chain of custody until its data is destroyed and documented.*

What does R2v3 certification mean for us?

It means our handling, data security, and downstream recycling are independently audited to the SERI R2v3 standard, giving you documented accountability for every asset.

Can we get money back for our old equipment?

Often, yes. Servers, networking gear, and transceivers with resale value are tested and remarketed, and you receive a share of the recovered value.

How is pricing determined?

Pricing depends on equipment volume, site access, labor, and the resale value of your hardware. We provide a written quote after the site survey.

White Glove Data Center Decommissioning & Equipment Removal

R2v3-certified teams that de-rack, track, wipe, and remove your servers, storage, and network gear, with full chain of custody from your floor to final disposition.

Request a Decommissioning Quote

RECYCLE

REFURBISH

RESELL

Decommissioning without the disruption

Retiring a data center, a server room, or a few aisles of racks puts sensitive data, valuable hardware, and your schedule on the line. AVAY's white glove team handles the physical work and the paperwork so your staff can stay focused on the migration.

We coordinate with your facilities and IT teams, work around your maintenance windows, and leave the space clean. Every asset is serialized before it leaves your site, so you can account for each drive and device from removal to final disposition.

Equipment we remove

Rack servers, blade chassis, and blades
Storage arrays, SAN, and NAS
HDDs, SSDs, NVMe, and backup tape
Core, aggregation, and top-of-rack switches
Routers, firewalls, and load balancers

Optical transceivers and cabling
PDUs, UPS units, and battery cabinets
Racks, cabinets, and cable management
Telecom and headend gear, including CMTS

Our white glove decommissioning process

One unbroken chain of custody, from the site survey to your closeout report.

1

Site survey and scoping

We walk the space or review your inventory, rack count, and access constraints, then deliver a written plan, timeline, and quote.

3

De-installation and de-racking

Technicians disconnect, de-cable, and remove equipment, protecting floors, doorways, and any gear staying in service.

5

Secure packing and transport

Assets are packed, palletized, and transported in locked, GPS-tracked vehicles to our R2v3-certified facility in Columbus, using AVAY-operated vehicles or approved logistics partners as appropriate.

2

Scheduling and power-down

We work around your cutover and maintenance windows and coordinate power-down and building access with your facilities team.

4

On-site serialization

Every device and drive is scanned and logged by serial number before it leaves your site. .

6

Destruction, reporting, disposition

Media is wiped or shredded, equipment is remarketed or recycled, and you receive a full serialized report with certificates.

R2v3 certified, from your rack to final disposition

R2v3 is the Responsible Recycling standard from SERI (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International). It holds certified facilities to strict requirements for data security, worker and environmental safety, and accountability for where equipment goes after it leaves our hands.

For you, that means an independently audited process, not just a promise. AVAY's certification covers how we handle your data-bearing devices, how we test and resell working equipment, and how we vet every downstream recycling partner.

View our R2v3 certification

Data destruction you can prove

Every data-bearing device is tracked by serial number until its data is destroyed. We sanitize drives to NIST SP 800-88 guidelines, and physically shred media that fails wiping or that you choose not to reuse.

Software wiping for HDDs, SSDs, and NVMe, with per-drive verification
Physical shredding on-site with a mobile shredder, or at our facility
Certificate of destruction listing each serial number
Optional witness destruction for regulated customers confirm

Learn more about data sanitization

What you receive at closeout

Serialized asset report

Every device by make, model, serial number, and final disposition.

Certificate of data destruction

Drive-level detail for your auditors and compliance team.

Certificate of recycling

Proof that non-reusable materials went through R2v3 downstream partners.

Value recovery report

What was remarketed and the return credited back to you rebate or credit.

Get value back from retired hardware

Servers, switches, transceivers, and storage often have real resale value after they leave your data center. AVAY tests, wipes, and remarkets eligible equipment through our own resale division, and returns a share of that value to you as a rebate or a credit against service fees. For many projects, recovered value offsets much of the decommissioning cost.

Why data center teams choose AVAY

Telecom and network expertise

We test and refurbish more than 10 million devices a year for broadband providers, so we know network hardware inside and out.

One partner, start to finish

Removal, data destruction, resale, and recycling happen under one R2v3-certified roof, with no hand-offs to unknown subcontractors.

Local, accountable team

Based in Columbus since 2013, with background-checked, insured technicians on every job.

Service area

We serve data centers, colocation facilities, enterprise server rooms, and telecom headends across the United States, with nationwide service available for projects of all sizes.

Data center decommissioning FAQ