Most people with any degree of exposure to computers and technology are reasonably familiar with the concept of data recovery. Companies that store sensitive or important customer information occasionally have to deal with storage failure, usually a hard drive or tape backup that suffers mechanical wear of logical damage, and turn to technical experts who somehow manage to coax the seemingly erased and permanently lost bits to restore the critical data. What most of us don’t think about is that the same hard drive data recovery techniques can also be used to recover files stored on damaged personal electronic devices such as iPods and digital cameras.

Hard drives, whether the “old fashioned” spinning platter or the new solid state drives (SSDs) found in higher end laptops, all fail eventually. So do the flash RAM chips used by iPods, cell phones and digital cameras. It’s not a question of “if,” but “when.” Most people end up trading up to a newer device before the storage on their current version begins to die, but if it goes prematurely (because of heavy use, a manufacturing defect, exposure to extreme temperatures or water, or even dropping), hard drive recovery is an option that might save the day. Industry leader DriveSavers Data Recovery has been working with manufacturers of consumer electronics devices including MP3 players, iPods and digital cameras since they were first introduced to the market. In fact, DriverSavers is authorized by manufacturers including Apple, SanDisk, Sony, Dell, Canon, Nikon and others to open their sealed drive mechanisms and data storage devices without voiding the product warranty. If one of these devices suffers a failure that renders the data irretrievable, don’t give up -data recovery through a qualified expert can get it back again.

In theory, an iPod is synced to iTunes on a computer, so if the iPod’s storage mechanism is damaged, the contents (songs, photos, apps and videos) shouldn’t be permanently lost. However, that isn’t always the case. Sometimes iPods are configured to be auxiliary storage devices and hold data that isn’t synced through iTunes. Some users prefer to bypass iTunes altogether and manage their player themselves. In both of these cases, it’s possible that data stored on the iPod is unique, meaning that if its drive fails, the data is permanently lost. Permanently unless hard drive data recovery is used to retrieve the data, that is. Digital cameras are even more susceptible to data loss issues. Memory cards that are inserted and removed repeatedly are subject to physical wear and tear and the constant writing and rewriting of data can lead to logical errors on the memory card. Because photos are typically downloaded in batches, a damaged memory card can be catastrophic, with the card holding the only copies of photos from a family event or special occasion. In most cases, DriveSavers is able to employ state of the art hard drive recovery technology to retrieve the files stored on damaged memory cards, preventing permanent loss.

With so many large businesses downsizing, consolidating operations, closing centers or shutting down altogether, the availability of used computer hardware has never been better. A few years ago, this might not have mattered so much. New startups had tons of cash being thrown at them by venture capitalists and, with no budgetary constraints, they’d equip a full data center with brand new equipment without blinking an eye. With the contraction of so many larger companies, startups are actually increasing this year, especially in the technology sectors, but the difference is that money is much tighter this round. People are financing their business out of their own pocket, or working with VCs that are much more risk-adverse. If they need to set up a data center to support their business model, used network equipment is a very attractive option.

For any company needing to invest in new networking equipment, the costs can be staggering, especially when enterprise level security and performance is need. Just a single Cisco router can cost over $10 thousand. Apply those numbers to the entire network architecture requirements and the final price tag can be overwhelming. Rather than trying to save money on generic versions, many companies are turning to www.reselltestequipment.com, an online, nationwide used test equipment and network liquidation service. With a vast selection of equipment purchased from other businesses that had excess assets to dispose of, it’s possible to pick up used cisco equipment that’s current, in excellent condition and a fraction of the cost of buying new. Other key industry players are also well represented, with products from Sun, Juniper, Lucent, Linksys and HP available.

The same benefits have been realized by many garage startups, whether they’re writing computer software, designing iPhone apps or building the next generation of high tech medical equipment. Used computer hardware can save considerably on getting the company online and the office fully functioning, while buying surplus telephone equipment (including VOIP technology) can give the appearance of a large scale operation for potential customers; it’s even possible to buy used test equipment for those needing to set up a quality assurance lab. There is sometimes reluctance among business owners to consider buying previously owned equipment. In the automobile market, there’s a vast difference between the clunkers being sold on corner auto lots with the trailer for a sales department, and the premium previously used autos sold at a BMW dealership. The analogy holds true when considering the purchase of used laptops, oscilloscopes or used cisco equipment: you can go through want ads or eBay and pick up “bargain” pieces here and there on a buyer beware basis, or source all of your electronic equipment through a retailer that specializes in the business of liquidating surplus electronics.

If your company happens to be one of those that is consolidating operations, or maybe just moving to another platform, with the result of having surplus used computer hardware, be sure to contact www.reselltestequipment.com for a competitive offer to buy your equipment.