SINGAPORE, SG – 09/05/2026 – (SeaPRwire) – The rapid global expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure is dramatically changing how enterprises manage the lifecycle of data center equipment, according to new market insights released by SK tes. The company reports that accelerated AI adoption is shortening hardware replacement timelines, intensifying pressure on supply chains, and increasing the strategic importance of secure IT asset disposition and infrastructure recovery services.
As organizations scale AI workloads and modernize computing environments, traditional server refresh cycles are being replaced by significantly faster upgrade schedules. Industry trends indicate that AI-optimized, GPU-intensive servers are now being retired in as little as 10 to 18 months, compared with the conventional four- to six-year lifecycle historically associated with enterprise infrastructure.
The shift is generating substantial volumes of decommissioned servers, networking systems, storage infrastructure, processors, and memory components entering secondary markets. According to SK tes, many enterprises are finding that existing decommissioning and recovery processes are not equipped to handle the pace and complexity created by AI-driven infrastructure turnover.
Eric Ingebretsen, Chief Commercial Officer at SK tes, stated in a recent industry discussion that organizations are modernizing AI infrastructure faster than operational retirement strategies can evolve. He noted that this imbalance is creating both operational risk and new opportunities for companies capable of implementing scalable, secure, and value-focused IT asset disposition programs.
Industry analysts increasingly view infrastructure turnover capacity as a critical factor in AI deployment strategies. Beyond compute availability itself, organizations must also manage secure equipment retirement, data sanitization, logistics coordination, and recovery of residual hardware value at much higher volumes than in previous technology cycles.
SK tes said its global IT asset disposition and decommissioning network has been structured to support these accelerated refresh environments. Operating more than 40 facilities worldwide, the company provides onsite decommissioning services, secure data sanitization, rack-level infrastructure removal, component harvesting, and logistics management for enterprises, hyperscale operators, and cloud service providers.
The company noted that AI-driven infrastructure refresh cycles are also affecting the global memory market. According to insights referenced in the recent SK tes Market Insights Report, AI-focused data centers are estimated to consume approximately 70% of the world’s memory chip production as manufacturers increasingly prioritize high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technologies used in AI accelerators.
This transition has significantly altered supply dynamics for traditional memory products such as DDR4 DRAM. While DDR4 remains widely deployed across enterprise servers and embedded systems, major manufacturers are gradually shifting production toward DDR5 and HBM technologies. The resulting imbalance has contributed to increased market volatility, including rapid price increases followed by short-term declines driven by sudden inventory releases.
SK tes indicated that IT asset disposition providers are emerging as an important secondary supply channel for DDR4 components during this market transition. Through refurbishment and recovery programs, retired servers from enterprise AI upgrade cycles can reintroduce tested and validated DDR4 memory modules back into the market, helping extend the operational life of legacy systems while easing supply shortages.
Ingebretsen added that the accelerating pace of AI adoption is forcing enterprises to rethink the entire data center lifecycle, from procurement and deployment to decommissioning and value recovery. He emphasized the growing need for globally standardized processes, advanced data security protocols, and experienced program management capable of supporting large-scale infrastructure transitions.
As enterprises continue expanding AI investments and consolidating existing infrastructure, SK tes stated that it remains focused on increasing global operational capacity, strengthening onsite service capabilities, and advancing data sanitization technologies to support the next phase of digital infrastructure transformation.
About SK tes
Founded in 2005 and operating as a subsidiary of SK ecoplant, SK tes is a global provider of sustainable battery recycling and technology lifecycle services. The company delivers solutions for battery recycling, IT asset disposition, data center decommissioning, and material recovery, helping recover critical materials for reuse within manufacturing supply chains.
SK tes operates more than 40 facilities across 22 countries, supporting customers with regional compliance expertise, localized operational support, logistics coordination, and standardized global service capabilities.