FAQ
Since its creation, Remober has developed in-depth knowledge of the management of professional IT fleets. Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions here.
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End of life for your equipment
Resale of your unused IT equipment, recovery, WEEE recycling… All the questions you may have about the end-of-life of your smartphones, tablets and PCs.
- Reuse: Reuse is the operation whereby your IT equipment is guaranteed a second life for a use identical to that for which it was designed. By opting for re-use, you extend the life of your business equipment and help to reduce the production of electronic waste.
- Recycling: The act of recovering equipment (business smartphones, business PCs, business tablets) that cannot be reused, processing it and recovering the raw materials it contains so that it can be reintroduced into the production cycle.
- Upcycling: Reusing IT equipment to create another product, with a different use from the one for which it was designed.
The RGPD, or General Data Protection Regulation, establishes a legal framework for the protection of personal data in companies. When IT equipment is retired, employees must be informed about the processing of personal data on their equipment (company smartphones, company PCs, company tablets) and be able to retrieve it or request its deletion. Companies must therefore be able to prove that the deletion of company data has been carried out properly (e.g. data deletion certified by Blancco) and allow employees to back up their data and withdraw their Icloud and gmail accounts.
At Remober we pay particular attention to the security and traceability of your data. As such, we are Blancco certified for the complete data wiping of your units and we provide a data erasure certificate by IMEI number to assure you that company refurbished phones have been completely wiped clean of their data.
There are two types of audit:
- The first is a cosmetic audit, in which Remober technicians establish whether or not the equipment is functional. If they are not, the equipment cannot be reused and is therefore recycled. The raw materials that make up the equipment will be recovered and reintroduced into the manufacturing cycle.
- If they are functional, the equipment undergoes a second audit, this time a technical one, which will diagnose the equipment according to 24 control points so that it can be correctly recycled.
- Plan ahead – Don’t wait until you have all your units before upgrading them. Think about doing it as you go along, to get the best financial return.
De-lock – Make a de-locking request to your operator to obtain the de-locking codes. This step can take time and block the audit, so plan ahead! - Depersonalise – Ask your employees to back up their data and remove their Icloud and Gmail accounts. Also remove your units from your company’s MDM.
- Erasure – Make sure that the company you entrust your fleet to has a recognised and certified data erasure accreditation, such as Blancco.
- Protect – Pack your equipment properly to prevent breakage and use neutral packaging to minimise the risk of theft. At Remober, we pay for the collection of the goods, and we offer packaging and tracking as an option.
- Raising awareness – Once we have taken back your equipment, Remober will send you: the volume of CO2 avoided, the data erasure certificates and a certificate if you have opted to donate your recycling to Habitat et Humanisme.
Remober’s mission is to recover as much as possible of your old equipment. When recovery is not possible, because the unit is blocked or out of service, it is recycled to recover raw materials.
To do this, we work with various partners (Morphois, RSB, Ecologic) who carry out the various stages of recycling: firstly, the logistical collection, weighing, IMEI recording and sorting of the units; then the dismantling, crushing and treatment of the devices so that they can be recovered as raw materials. Our processes are ISO14001, ISO9001 and Weelabex certified.
IT asset deployment
Buying reconditioned IT equipment, MDM, TEM, leasing… All the questions you have about deploying your IT estate.
MDM, or Mobile Device Management, refers to the management of mobile devices. MDM software enables companies to manage their mobile fleet and facilitate the deployment of applications, data and configurations, as well as securing, monitoring, integrating and managing devices. It is a tool generally used by CIOs or corporate IT fleet managers.
EMM, or Enterprise Mobility Management, focuses on the management of mobile devices, wireless networks and other mobile services in a business context. The aim of EMM is to determine the extent to which mobile IT should be integrated into the company’s processes and objectives, and how to support employees in their use of their devices.
TEM, or Technology Expense Management, is the name given to all the processes and technologies that manage IT equipment expenditure (hardware, software, etc.). This includes invoices, contracts, licences, patents, etc.
The enterprise edition is a version of a certain hardware or software model that is better suited to business needs. Compared to consumer versions, these models will often offer more choice, control and security to suit business needs and IT administrators. Security and mobile maintenance are often extended, the lifecycle extended and the software adapted.
Is your business smartphone subjected to extreme conditions of use?
To protect it as well as possible and ensure it lasts as long as possible, Remober advises you to use dedicated professional smartphone accessories: a protective case and glass will greatly limit the breakage of your devices.
Remober also advises you on the choice of smartphone best suited to its use: classic vs. reinforced smartphones, for example.
To go one step further in extending the life of your company’s mobile equipment, opt for an IT fleet maintenance contract: companies that take out maintenance contracts generally see a reduction in the rate of employee breakage.
As with smartphones, there are accessories such as cases to protect your business PC from breakage.
Here too, maintenance contracts are useful. If your employees carry out repairs outside the scope of maintenance contracts, they are taking a risk with regard to the data on their devices and the parts used during repairs. Repairs should therefore be carried out in a secure environment.
There are 5 grades at Remober, all of which correspond to 100% functional equipment:
- Grade A: Like new
- Grade B: Near-new
- Grade C : Good general condition
- Grade D: Marks of use
- Grade E: Lack of brightness
A second-hand software licence is a licence that has already been sold to at least one user. The licence key has already been used by the first buyer, and can then be resold. As software does not expire, the resale and acquisition of second-hand licences makes it possible to obtain a full licence at a lower cost. These sales and acquisitions are legal, in accordance with the decision of the European Court of Justice.
The choice of accessories depends on how you use your mobile equipment (business smartphones, PCs, desktops, business tablets) and is important for limiting breakage and optimising the lifespan of your devices. Protective shells and glass in particular greatly reduce breakage rates.
At Remober, we work with various suppliers of environmentally-friendly accessories made from recycled or biodegradable materials. In environments where the breakage rate is particularly high, the question of model choice also arises. Reinforced smartphones are an alternative to consider.
There are several possible scenarios: you may have a project to deploy new equipment for your entire fleet, or you may want to add to your existing fleet. In the latter case, the equipment you want to deploy may have reached the end of the manufacturer’s roadmap, and is therefore no longer widely available. In this case, we advise you to supplement your fleet with refurbished units.
In any case, once you have chosen your equipment, the steps for deploying your fleet are :
- Staging – configuring your terminals according to your specifications. Remober can help you prepare your devices according to your needs (unit inventory, loading business applications, device protection, installing SIM cards, etc.).
- MDM integration – MDM (Mobile Device Management) or EMM (Enterprise Mobile Management) solutions enable you to manage, secure and monitor the performance of your mobile fleet. Installing and configuring them is one of the stages in deployment.
- Dispatch – The challenges of multi-site delivery are significant, particularly when deploying smartphones and tablets. Remober can help you with dispatch through delivery services, packaging, reporting, etc.
IT equipment maintenance
All the questions you have about repairing your IT equipment.
Remober has developed a unique tool enabling its customers to gain visibility of their equipment fleets and make repair requests and follow-ups by IMEI or serial number.
The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) code is a 15- to 17-digit number used to identify mobile equipment. It is unique for each piece of equipment and enables your devices to be identified and traced throughout their lifecycle. For IT equipment other than smartphones and tablets with a mobile subscription, the term “serial number” is used.
The company is responsible for protecting the data on professional devices. To avoid dubious repairs that could jeopardise data security, it is important to establish a framework with clear mobile maintenance processes.
For both end-of-life management and maintenance, businesses need to ensure that they entrust their IT assets to recognised and trusted players. To simplify these processes and facilitate access for all employees, the ideal solution is to opt for a maintenance contract tailored to your needs.
CSR and digital sustainability
WEEE recycling, carbon footprint, raising employee awareness… All the questions you’re asking about the CSR impact of your IT assets.
Green IT, also known as sustainable computing or responsible digital computing, is a set of techniques designed to reduce the social, economic and environmental footprint of digital technology.
Digital technology has a major impact on the environment, accounting for 4% of total greenhouse gas emissions and consuming 4.2% of the world’s primary energy. Practices such as taking back old equipment, maintaining IT assets and buying refurbished equipment are all part of this approach, helping to limit the carbon footprint and the production of electronic waste.
There are three main ways to reduce the digital footprint of your business IT fleet:
- Buying reconditioned equipment. In the life cycle of a device, 80% of CO2 is produced during manufacture. The purchase of refurbished equipment is an alternative to the production of new equipment and therefore represents a significant amount of CO2 avoided: on average, a smartphone refurbished by Remober represents a CO2 saving of 85% compared with new equipment.
- Computer maintenance. Repairing your faulty units rather than replacing them also avoids the production of new ones, and has an impact on your digital footprint. In addition to this aspect, maintenance helps to raise awareness among your staff of the need to extend the lifespan of equipment.
- IT asset recovery. When your equipment reaches the end of its useful life and is due to be replaced, it is often still functional. This means that, even if they no longer meet your technological requirements, they can be reused and have a second life elsewhere. Once again, this lever enables the production of new products, with all the environmental benefits that implies.
Our core business is re-use, and we do our utmost to recycle your old equipment. When devices are no longer functional or repairable, we recycle them with our partners to preserve natural resources and reintroduce them into the production cycle.
By processing and refining your old equipment, we obtain several types of metal (gold, silver, copper, etc.), as well as other clean materials (plastics, etc.) or pre-concentrated materials. In this case, Remober undertakes to provide you with a follow-up and traceability of the destruction of your equipment with a certificate of destruction by IMEI number.
Companies that own electrical and electronic equipment have obligations in terms of waste management. The European WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC) sets out a framework for waste prevention, selective collection, recycling and other forms of recovery. Companies must sort their WEEE and use an authorised collector. If WEEE contains hazardous substances, it must be covered by a hazardous waste tracking document (BSDD).
Our processes are ISO14001, ISO9001 and Weelabex certified.
Remober’s mission is to recycle as much of your old equipment as possible, because that’s where we have a real environmental impact. In fact, 80% of the carbon emissions from a new smartphone are emitted during production. By recycling your old equipment, you avoid on average almost 70% of the carbon footprint of the device’s life cycle (see diagram).
When we cannot give a second life to a device, because it is blocked (gmail, mdm, icloud account) or out of order, we make sure that it is recycled in the best conditions to revalue the components or raw materials.
Extending the lifespan of your equipment, by moving from a 3 to a 5 year product roadmap for example, offers both economic and ecological advantages. How can you do this?
- By opting for a maintenance contract for your b2b IT fleet, to systematically repair rather than replace,
- By adding reconditioned units to your fleet, to keep it together for longer,
- By choosing devices tailored to your needs.
When your equipment is no longer suited to your needs, you can extend its lifespan by taking it back: in this way, your devices can be reconditioned and given a second useful life.
