Two equally groundbreaking and potentially earth-shattering regulations recently rocked Europe that will impact Redemtech’s customers in the U.S. and abroad in the coming years and have a profound influence on our industry. One regulation regards the proper disposal of electronic waste, which is one of Redemtech’s primary social and environmental causes, while the other affects data security and the privacy of customer information.
Hidden behind America’s irreversible addiction to gadgetry and all things electronic lie ugly realities our frenzied lives effectively mask. When you turn on your computer, do you envision the coal mines?
Wyoming Coal Mines. Source: Wikipedia Common Photos
After my last blog, “A is for Asset,” I decided to stay on track with the ABC’s of technology lifecycle management. My original thought for the letter “B” was Budget – but due to recent events, Breach has become the new “B” word (In more ways than one).
Recently, I listened to comments from Ron Ross, a Senior Computer Scientist with NIST. In this roundtable discussion, Ross connects the dots between risk management and complexity. Ross is the chief author of Special Publication 800-53, NIST’s security controls guidance; so he ought to know a thing or two about mitigating risk.
Since I first discovered Redemtech in my research for Green IT For Dummies in the fall of 2008, my life has taken a different course. Researching e-waste and my conversations with Redemtech President Bob Houghton gave me something truly tangible and relevant I could do something about. In probing into the origins of IT, I learned that the technology that enables worlds where “knowledge workers” never get their hands dirty, not only has a long and sullied history, but also is rife with contemporary crime. “Crime?,” you ask? Crime. Crime in which, if you don’t pay careful attention, you’ll find yourself participating.
The Bing dictionary offers the following definition: as•set [ á sèt 1. somebody or something useful: somebody or something that is useful and contributes to the success of something
It's been an action-packed year, with riots, public protests, strikes, national scandals and, most notably, global economic turmoil. Technology leaders and IT asset managers--with the advent of cloud computing, big data and BYOD--are also living in tumultuous times.
Through this forum, we hope to raise awareness of the issues and challenges inherent in managing IT equipment to the highest standards of financial, social and environmental responsibility. We welcome you to join the dialogue. Learn more»
