Striking the Right Chord – PC Pledge 100 Campaign Enables Corporations to Help Families

One-hundred years ago, the primary source of social interaction for many Americans was a piano.  For those who could afford the luxury during the early years of the 20th century, the customary piano in the parlor invited families and friends to listen to songs like I Love You Truly and Oh Promise Me while they conversed about the events of the day. With its thousands of intricate, moving parts, the piano was a complicated, yet integral device in the homes of millions of people.

A century or more later, the piano has become an icon of the past that is seeing mass disposition. According to a recent New York Times feature story, thousands of late 19th and early 20th century pianos are being dumped, dismantled for their wood and metal, or simply demolished because people don’t want them any more. In a digital age, it is cheaper to buy a modern electronic keyboard than to replace the old family piano.

In many ways, but on an accelerated scale, computers are following the same path as the piano. Many end-of-life desktops and laptops sit in storage while their corporate owners see little value and consequently desire to be rid of them. Many companies replace older units with sleeker, more modern hardware that itself is dated almost from the moment it comes out of the box. Others are unaware that working IT equipment still has a useful life, and may be refurbished and donated to help needy people while at the same time helping the environment.

It is estimated that more than 17 million used-but-still-useable corporate computers are prematurely disposed or stored in warehouses each year. Seventy-five percent of these PCs are four or less years old and can be extremely useful to low-income families that desperately need computers, but cannot afford new technology. Computers are necessary for work and educational objectives, as well as a significant source for social interaction and news.

Today, Redemtech launched a nationwide campaign to guide surplus corporate computers to Americans who need this technology to improve their lives. PC Pledge 100 invites corporations to commit to donations of at least 100 qualifying laptop computers or desktop computer systems that will be refurbished and upgraded with new software, and then made available to eligible low-income families along with an offer of technical assistance and a warranty. Redemtech is partnering with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s Connect2Compete program to facilitate PC Pledge 100.

For corporations, donating refurbished computers provides an effective approach to meeting corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives while minimizing cash expenses.  With tax benefits and discounted software, donating computers provides a substantial Giving ROI of $5 to $7 for every dollar of cash expense.

Beyond the financial incentives, committing to the PC Pledge 100 program extends the life cycle of existing technology, rather than diverting important resources and energy to new products, and can reduce electronic waste. Companies interested in participating in the PC Pledge 100 campaign may learn more at: Redemtech.com/PCPledge.

Unlike the sour note left by the vanishing era of the family piano in the parlor, donating refurbished computers to help others should strike the right chord for many corporations.