Blancco releases white paper on secure resale of mobile devices

The used smartphone market is expected to grow from 53 million to 257 million units over the next five years, according to Blancco, headquartered in Finland. Mobile network operators (MNOs) can find ways to leverage this growth at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, where Blancco, a global leader in data erasure and computer reuse solutions, will exhibit and introduce a white paper on why MNOs and their recycling partners should fully erase data from smartphones and tablets before resale.

“MNOs can capture significant residual value from used mobile devices, adding to the vital average revenue per user (ARPU) metric,” says Kim Väisänen, CEO and co-founder of Blancco. “From Feb. 24-27 at MWC, our exhibit will advise the industry on avoiding the risks of liability and brand damage with an automated, TÜV SÜD-approved data erasure product designed for a range of mobile device platforms. Our software performs full data erasure, not simple resets that leave recoverable data,” he says.

TÜV SÜD is a Germany-based firm that offers auditing and system certification as well as product testing and certification.

Blancco’s new white paper, “Mobile Network Operators and the Used Mobile Device Market: Safely Capturing Value with Advanced Data Erasure,” will be available at Blancco’s Stand 5C41, Hall 5, at MWC and by download. Blancco experts will be on hand to discuss the security, third-party approval and advanced automation available with Blancco Mobile, which allows one operator to fully erase hundreds of devices per day, the company says.

”In this era of bring your own device (BYOD), most businesses still lack a strong mobile device erasure policy, leaving open the distinct possibility for data breaches of both personal and corporate data accessed by smartphones and tablets if not fully erased,” Väisänen says. “That’s why it’s important for MNOs to find an expert recycling partner that utilizes advanced data erasure tools, which provide detailed reports to prove data removal, as well as device health for resale.”

Blancco also is a member of the Device Renewal Forum (DRF), an industry group dedicated to expanding global growth of the device renewal market.