Background
A UK telecommunications provider required the decommissioning of two legacy data centre environments. Enabling an infrastructure refresh, redundant workloads were moved to modern, efficient environments. The objective was to remove outdated infrastructure, securely handle data bearing assets, and return space for future use.
The project covered multiple halls within a Slough data centre and a secondary facility in South Wales, involving mixed rack types, legacy hardware, and extensive cabling.
> 350
Devices decommissioned.
The Requirement
The decommission needed to address:
- Mixed vendor rack infrastructure including HP, Siemon, and Rittal
- Non wheeled racks requiring dismantling or specialist lifting
- Removal of overhead and in-rack cabling
- Separation of client equipment from colocation provider owned racks
- Secure handling and destruction of data bearing devices
- Complete removal of racks in some locations and partial decommission in others
All redundant equipment, cabling, and rack infrastructure had to be removed, with assets either securely destroyed or recycled.
End-to-end service
Site dilapidation, removal, secure destruction, compliant recycling.
The Solution
Phase 1: Slough Data Centre
- Removal of all equipment, cabling, and data bearing devices from designated racks
- Decommission and removal of selected rack infrastructure
- Extraction of overhead cabling for off site recycling
- Dismantling or lifting of non wheeled racks
- Separation of colocation provider owned racks, with equipment removed and racks left in situ
- Secure staging of assets for removal and destruction
Phase 2: South Wales Data Centre
- De-racking of all devices across multiple racks
- Removal and staging of redundant hardware
- Extraction and removal of rack infrastructure
- Full removal of associated cabling
- Site clearance and preparation for handback
Secure Destruction and Recycling
All data bearing assets were securely destroyed. Remaining hardware, racks, and cabling were responsibly recycled to meet environmental and compliance requirements.
The Outcome
✅ Legacy infrastructure decommissioned across two facilities
✅ Secure destruction of data bearing assets
✅ Space returned for modern, efficient environments
✅ Full removal of redundant racks and cabling
✅ Environmentally responsible recycling
DISCOVER HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU
Sunspeed has been providing IT services for over 30 years. We are industry leaders in transformation projects such as Data Centre Relocations, and provide a comprehensive package of services to deliver you control of your physical IT infrastructure. Reach out today to discover how we can support you:
