Archive for the ‘Office Shredders’ Category

Today, paper shredders are a common piece of office and home office equipment. What used to be a piece of office equipment primarily used for military and government agencies, has now trickled down into the small business industry, and is almost necessary for the day to day functions in any office. The privacy concerns of today were almost infeasible eighty years ago when the first model for paper shredders was patented. However, increased government regulations and growing awareness of privacy issues leads many homeowners and business owners with no alternative. When looking for a paper shredder to fit your needs, it is important to know the different types and capabilities, as well as the various security levels, to ensure an appropriate purchase.

The sale of paper shredders in the United States closely correlates to some major government scandals and key privacy legislation. For example, the Watergate Scandal and the Iran-Contra affair both played key roles in a market boost. The Privacy Act of 1974, The Ecology Movement of the 90s, and the HIPAA of 1996 also boosted paper shredder sales in the United States. Today, paper shredders are seeing a major jump in sales due to increased national awareness of identity theft. Current attempts and legislative efforts are placing identity theft and privacy concerns at the forefront of every citizen’s mind and encourage businesses to do their fair share in alleviating these concerns.

The military and government agencies have recognized the need of high security paper shredders for decades. Although this equipment was primarily used for government functions in the early stages of development, today commercial businesses account for two thirds of the paper shredder market. Corporations and small businesses are finding that paper shredders satisfy government standards and company policies. Shredders are not only used to protect the companies from outside privacy invaders, but are also used to protect them from the overwhelming prospects of industrial espionage. This year, it is estimated that industrial espionage will account for over $60 billion in losses.

All businesses are bound by several government regulations that are enacted to help protect individuals from the misuse of their private information. These regulations manifest themselves in the form of HIPAA, which protects medical information, and many identity theft standards. HIPAA ensures the proper destruction and privacy protections of medical records and identifying information attached to it. These are national standards to protect the privacy of personal health information. Additionally, the government and business policies have implemented standards to help keep personally identifying information private. This ensures that financial information will remain confidential, as well as social security numbers. Banking documents, loan information, credit card transactions, and much more are destroyed by paper shredders based on this standard of privacy.

There are many different makes and models of paper shredders. However, they can be categorized as strip-cut or cross-cut models. Depending on the type of shredding needed and the security level needed, these models can provide the privacy needed. The strip-cut models are the most common, but least secure. These paper shredders cut the documents into various sized strips, depending on the settings. The cross-cut models have separate shredding capabilities and cut documents into small particles. The cross-cut model is more secure and even has security levels and features amongst the various shredders.

The type of privacy needed and level of security necessary to ensure the proper destruction of a document are key factors when deciding to purchase an appropriate paper shredder. The growing awareness of privacy concerns and the increased government standards create a great need for a paper shredder in any office or business.

Andy West is a writer for iShopShredders.com which offers wide selection of paper shredders and other business products.

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Destroyit is a recognized brand in the paper shredder field that traces its origins back to the Clary Business Machines in San Diego in 1954. They manufactured adding machines and cash registers previously but today, they specialize in digital technology and have been the authorized dealers of Destroyit shredders for five years.

Destroyit paper shredders carry ten-year warranties and they have been in the market for over five decades. Compact in design, they are well-suited for home offices or small offices.

There are two identical versions of Destroyit shredders notable by their serial numbers having SC for straight-cut or CC for cross-cut. The CC shredders cost more because of the complexity of the required cutting head. Also, the cross-cut debris is more efficient thereby allowing more pages to fit.

However, Destroyit shredders are difficult to be found as many retailers combine the CC and the SC features. Thus, you should carefully review the documentation before any purchase.

The 2402CC Cross Cut Shredder is a 60 pound, $1500 commercial shredder with a one-year warranty and a five-year warranty on the shaft and cutting wheels. This new powerful machine can accommodate 12 sheets at once.

The 2250CC Personal Deskside Cross-Cut Shredder is a 50 pound, $570 personal shredder that can shred 6 sheets at once.

The 4003SC Straight Cut 16″ Printout Shredder with Cabinet is a 75 pound, $5500 commercial shredder that can shred 50 pages at once.

The 2350CC Cross Cut Shredder is a 20 pound, $830 machine that can shred 8 pages at once into 3/32″ x 5/8″. It comes with a one-year warranty with five years on the shaft and cutting wheels.

The 2230SC Personal Deskside Strip-Cut Shredder is a 50 pound, $320 strip shredder with a five-year limited warranty on the cutting head. It is a new model that can shred 7 sheets at once.

The 2230CC Personal Deskside Strip-Cut Shredder is a 20 pound, $440 shredder with a five year limited warranty on the cutting heads.

The Destroyit Shredder 2240SC is a personal strip shredder that costs $320 but it can be purchased online for $200. There is a ten-year warranty on the cutting head and one year on the parts. This 15 pound machine has an identical model – the 2240CC, which provides cross-cut shredding from $280 to $450.

For more detailed reviews of Destroyit paper shredders visit Paper Shredder Reviews website.

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Many paper shredders do not just simply shred paper – they’ve grown in light of the modern times when we don’t just depend on paper but also use other media. Hence many shredders now have the ability to shred electronic media such as CDs, DVDs and electronic cards.

Apart from this, thievery has now also reached a different kind of level – technological advances have developed specially designed software that could reconstruct torn pieces of paper. To counter this, many shredders have been made with cross-cut blades, producing thousands of unrecognizable bits of paper. These meet global security standards aimed to protect information users.

Lastly, some of the best shredders have also recognized the world’s growing environmental issues – a large number of them offer environmental features that will allow you to recycle paper, or even to reuse them, such as for animal feeds and bedding. Hence, there are indeed many features available to each type of shredder.

How then do you know which shredder is best for you? There are many things to consider, such as the volume you plan to shred, the type of media, the other features, and the level of encryption.

In terms of volume, some of the best shredders for small-time use can handle up to hundreds of sheets within a day, with the most industry-grade shredders shredding up to 2 tons in a single day. Smaller volume shredders are designed with paper feed slots to accommodate 1-10 pages at a time, while larger shredders are made with conveyor belts to accommodate hundreds of pages at a time, whether crumpled, folded, or balled.

As for media, many shredders do not just shred paper anymore but also CDs, DVDs, credit cards and even cassette types. For more industrial users, shredders also handle plastic, fibreglass and boxes.

When it comes to features, the best shredders offer various services apart from the actual shredding, such as energy conservation, specially designed blades for recycling, and cutting of boxes and paper into specific sizes and shapes. This can be handy for businesses that need other services besides cutting paper, and can represent tremendous cost savings.

Lastly, in terms of encryption, many complex shredders have been made to cut paper into tens of thousands of pieces. This is favourable for highly competitive companies who want their sensitive information secured at the maximum level. There are global security standards which control this, and many shredders have been made to reach these standards.

Ultimately, choosing the best shredder will depend on these levels. By getting a good estimate on your needs per level, you will be able to choose the shredder will the best value. Just remember that sometimes shredders offered by popular retail stores may not offer the best value, so be sure to do your research.

Establishments, companies, businesses, government organizations and agencies and even private individuals use shredders to dispose off and destroy important, private, confidential or otherwise sensitive documents. These documents and papers are produced in a very high volume daily which makes it very much susceptible to theft. Vigilance and awareness is needed to avoid from becoming a victim of such crimes.

The use of a heavy duty shredder could take care of all these papers and documents in a very short amount of time. Some could even shred tons of papers all at the same time. Most of these equipment cost a considerable amount of money but the functions and use is hundreds of what it is worth. Saving you the hassle of theft and misuse in terms of the information contained in the documents and papers that you need to dispose off is priceless.

If you need something that can take on grueling shredding tasks then a heavy duty shredder is the one for you. Not only can it take more work load from the usual run of the mill normal sized shredder but it can also endure a higher amount of punishment in terms of your daily use and the daily wear and tear. It does the job quicker with more loads when it comes to the documents that it will shred.

The service that a heavy duty shredder can offer you can last for a very long time. Purchasing from well known, established and reliable brands is a very good way in acquiring one of these equipment. Some companies that offer these machineries even have an over the phone technical support for their products. The companies that offer the best service and part warranties usually have a very strong confidence in the durability and functionality of their products, so looking into those brands is highly recommended.