IT outsourcing can help charities simplify their IT operations, cut costs and improve their service levels. As with all change projects, the execution is as important as the design. However, outsourcing IT comes with its own set of risks; choosing the right partner is not just about reputation, but also about whether they are the…
Smartdesc will continue to be open and operating as normal despite the second lockdown beginning this Thursday, 5th November. Where site visits are deemed absolutely critical (due to an issue, outage etc.) we can still fulfil these, as long as workplaces follow the COVID-19 secure guidelines. Smartdesc staff will conduct a short risk assessment before…
Optimising Microsoft 365 for nonprofits The last 6 months have been a time of fantastic innovation and lateral thinking around Digital; people have worked extremely hard to keep operations running in the face of adversity. Charities reacted very quickly in March and, as offices were abandoned in apocalyptic style, many ended up dumping data onto…
The Charity Digital Skills Report 2020 The Charity Digital Skills Report is an annual report on the charity sector’s use of digital technology. Produced by Skills Platform, Zoe Amar Digital and Catalyst, the report tracks the skills of those working and volunteering for the charity and non-profit sector. It is a good yardstick on the…
IT for Charities – Useful resources and guidance for your IT Security and IT Policies As a charity IT specialist, IT Security and Policies are something we are frequently asked about, especially as most organisations are not operating in their usual working environments and, as so many staff and volunteers are using their own…
What will IT for charities look like as lockdown eases? When the sudden shift to remote working happened, charities had to react fast to enormous changes to their way of working, almost overnight. If you haven’t already, have a look at some examples of good practice on our ‘IT for Charities – Remote Working in…
Smartdesc Zoom Security Review for charities Our Smartdesc Security team completed some analysis on Zoom recently and the attached PDF explains what we’ve found, including answers to common questions clients have raised. Spoiler alert: Zoom is a great tool and, set up correctly with a bit of care and attention, is perfectly good to use…
IT for charities – Top Tips during the COVID-19 lockdown and lessons learnt so far! Over the last 8 weeks, most charities have experienced a seismic shift in how they work. Digital Transformation programmes to implement Agile Working over the next 18 months happened in just 2 weeks for most organisations. Specialising in Charity IT, Smartdesc…
Charity IT Security – Tips and Advice for working remotely As most of us get used to life working at home, IT security can easily slip down our conscious priorities. Here are some tips and tricks on how you can help to ensure working from home is done securely, and what we all need to…
Google will be moving all UK user data to data centres in the United States from the 31st March 2020 Ricci Wilding, Smartdesc’s Information Governance and Security Officer, shares some key facts you need to know; On March 31st 2020, Google Ireland will transfer ALL UK user data over to Google LLC (Their US…
