Delivering Global Data Centre Exit and Office IT Decommissioning Across 8 Sites in APAC and EMEA

Client Background

Our client is a Tier 1 global investment bank undertaking a strategic transformation of its international technology estate.

As part of a wider infrastructure optimisation programme, the bank required the decommissioning of office technology, trading floor equipment and enterprise infrastructure across multiple international locations. The engagement covered 2,521 IT assets, together with associated enterprise infrastructure distributed across offices, business continuity sites and data centre environments throughout APAC and EMEA including:

• London, United Kingdom
• Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
• Singapore, Singapore
• Seoul, South Korea
• Mumbai, India
• Sydney, Australia
• Taipei, Taiwan
• Tokyo, Japan

Challenge: Coordinating a Multi-Country Infrastructure Exit

Delivering a secure infrastructure exit across eight international locations required careful coordination between regional stakeholders, local logistics providers and specialist engineering teams.

The programme required a single delivery partner capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining consistent governance, security and regulatory compliance across every jurisdiction.

Key project considerations included:

• Coordinating infrastructure removal across eight international locations.
• Managing office environments, business continuity facilities and enterprise data centres.
• Secure decommissioning of office IT, trading floor technology and enterprise infrastructure.
• Compliance with regional environmental legislation and data protection requirements.
• Secure international logistics with complete chain of custody.
• Preserving technology value through refurbishment, redeployment and responsible recovery wherever possible.

Without a coordinated global delivery model, the programme risked inconsistent regional execution, increased operational complexity, delayed site exits and unnecessary disposal of valuable enterprise technology.

Solution: Global Data Centre Exit & Office IT Decommissioning

RTK delivered a fully managed Secure IT Asset Disposal (SITAD) programme, providing a consistent governance framework across every project location.

The programme included:

• Global programme and project management.
• Office and trading floor decommissioning.
• Enterprise data centre infrastructure removal.
• Asset discovery, reconciliation and inventory validation.
• Secure packing, collection and international logistics.
• Certified data sanitisation and secure asset processing.
• Asset segregation for refurbishment, redeployment, resale or licensed recovery.

Full compliance reporting, audit trails and certification for every project location.

Key Execution Considerations

• Multi-Jurisdiction Delivery
  The programme was delivered across the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, India, Australia, Taiwan and Japan, requiring central programme governance while adapting execution to local operational, environmental and regulatory requirements.
  
• Complex Infrastructure Environments
  The engagement incorporated office locations, business continuity sites and enterprise data centres, requiring carefully phased decommissioning to minimise operational disruption while maintaining business continuity throughout the programme.
  
• Circular IT Lifecycle
  Rather than treating redundant technology as waste, RTK assessed assets for refurbishment, redeployment and resale before routing remaining equipment through licensed recovery channels. This approach maximised residual value while supporting the bank’s sustainability objectives.

Outcome: Controlled Global Infrastructure Exit

RTK successfully delivered:

• Infrastructure decommissioning across eight international locations.
• Secure processing of 2,521+ IT assets.
• Certified data sanitisation and secure IT asset disposal.
• Complete audit trail and compliance documentation.
• Secure international logistics managed through a documented chain of custody.
• Consistent programme delivery across APAC and EMEA.
• Controlled infrastructure exits completed within planned project timelines, preserving technology value and reducing operational risk.

Sustainability Outcomes:

Through RTK’s circular IT lifecycle methodology, equipment was prioritised for refurbishment, reuse and certified material recovery before recycling, delivering measurable environmental outcomes across the programme.

Combined Project Impact

• 19,937 kg of IT equipment routed to licensed recovery partners.
• 905,146 kg CO₂e of emissions impact avoided through certified material recovery.
• Significant reduction in environmental impact through refurbishment, reuse and responsible recycling, supporting the client’s ESG objectives while extending the lifecycle of enterprise technology.

Conclusion

This engagement demonstrates how a structured global data centre exit and office IT decommissioning programme enables Tier 1 financial institutions to retire complex international technology estates without operational disruption or unnecessary environmental impact.

By combining global programme management, certified Secure IT Asset Disposal (SITAD), secure data sanitisation, international logistics and circular economy principles, RTK delivered a disciplined infrastructure exit across APAC and EMEA that maintained regulatory compliance, protected sensitive data, maximised asset value and generated measurable sustainability outcomes.