Socially Responsible Computing

All of us at rbTech believe strongly in doing the right thing from both the technological and human perspectives. We offer non-profit organizations discounts and even free gear through our ‘Socially Responsible Computing’ initiative and are an e-waste collection site, partnering with GoodPoint Recycling.

Our “Socially Responsible Computing” initiative was started in the early-2000’s when we had a few clients who were upgrading servers that they had outgrown.  We also had a couple of non-profit sites who were sorely in need of a server to help organize their data, and provide a central point for backups.  We’ve always offered deep discounts to non-profits, especially those in the human services sector; those organizations provide critical services to our most vulnerable populations, and we’ve always tried to support their missions to the best extent we can.
We saw a natural fit in the scenario above: We offered to purchase our client’s serviceable used gear, and then turned around and installed the systems on our non-profit sites for free.  By providing the gear at no charge, the non-profits were able to leverage technology in a way they couldn’t before, which supported their mission and protected their bottom line.  And instead of sitting unused on a shelf until it was thrown away, the gear was re-used and kept out of the waste stream, protecting the planet in the process.

That initial round of donations turned into an ongoing program that we call Socially Responsible Computing, and is one of the ways we keep our ‘triple bottom line’ healthy – By supporting non-profits, we’re doing our part for both People and Planet.