Second-hand IT.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: News, Trends & Analysis - Used personal computers, servers and networking hardware - Brief Article

A recent CIO.com survey found that 77 percent of companies surveyed are buying second-hand or used IT equipment, including PCs, servers, and networking hardware. And half of those surveyed said they will increase their spending on used IT in the next 18 months.

The biggest factor in purchasing used technology was to lower capital expenses. Thirty percent of the 164 IT and business professionals surveyed said the performance of new equipment does not justify the investment or additional cost.

IT professionals said used IT equipment is ideal when high performance is not an issue or the particular system or technology is not mission-critical. In addition to realizing savings of 50 to 75 percent off new equipment prices in some cases, survey respondents also mentioned compatibility with existing systems as a benefit of secondhand technology. If the IT...