Department of Defence pays $5 million for ICT hardware disposal

Technology lifecycle solution provider Greenbox Systems has been awarded a $5 million ICT hardware disposal contract with the Department of Defence.

The contract was awarded in March and runs until February 2019.

Every year the department has to safely dispose of thousands of ICT hardware.

The Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG) within the Department of Defence is responsible for the disposal of equipment such as desktop PCs, monitors, notebooks, servers, network equipment and related accessories and peripherals. 

Items are usually disposed when they run out of warranty or reach end of life.

According to a department spokesperson, most major brands are represented within the department and disposed of when required.

All ICT hardware, including servers, are sanitised in accordance with the Defence Information Security Manual (ISM). All items are deemed "unclassified" before disposal, ensuring the security of information.

The ISM has a set of rules for making sure items become unclassified before going out the door. This can vary for different types of media and there are different procedures for printers and MFDs, televisions and computer monitors, network devices and fax machines.

Greenbox was selected after providing best value for money, the contract notice said.

Greenbox is part of the IT suppliers listed on the head agreement for the provision of certain desktop hardware and associated services to whole-of-government. Among the 12 companies listed are Data#3, Dell, HP and UXC Connect.

New South Wales-based Greenbox was established more than 10 years ago and specialises in managing IT assets from sourcing and installation through to managing and disposal. The company currently employs 60 people.