IT Cost Saving Resources

Welcome to the Smartdesc November newsletter. Smartdesc are NCVO-approved IT experts specialising in the charity sector, enabling nonprofits to achieve more with technology and modern ways of working. This month we focus on the Cost of Living crisis, and how charities can reduce, optimise and trim their IT expenditure. In the era of cloud computing and subscription-based services it’s easy for costs to spiral, so here we provide advice, guidance and best practice on how to keep IT costs in check, plus share some resources from Microsoft, the NCVO and ACEVO.  

Resources

 

• Our Strategy Director, James Field, discusses four easy ways in which charities can review, trim and control their IT costs in this article: IT Cost Saving for Charities
• Microsoft Azure is used by most medium to large charities for cloud hosting, but the consumption-based subscription model can be challenging to navigate. Smartdesc are offering a “no saving, no fee” promotion until Spring 2023 to review your Azure estate and help refresh the structure to optimise the cost. The offer is explained here: Azure Cost Saving
• It’s fairly common knowledge that Microsoft 365 is available at a huge discount for charities, but did you know there are also generous grants and donations available for Azure, Dynamics, and Teams Phone (Microsoft’s answer to your traditional phone system)? They’ve produced a guidebook that summarises all these offers here: Technology and software grants and discounts for nonprofits
• The NCVO have pulled together a comprehensive set of resources to support charities in selecting, procuring and maintaining Digital tools and systems here: Digital and technology | NCVO
• Our friends at ACEVO maintain a supplier list of companies that specialise in supporting charities, covering everything from Technology to Recruitment. These suppliers could save you money against your current contracts: Supplier directory – ACEVO

   

Smartdesc’s sole focus is nonprofit organisations, which includes charities, social enterprises and NGOs. We are Microsoft Solution Partners for Modern Work and Infrastructure, as well as Cyber Essentials Assessors, and are approved as trusted suppliers to the sector by both the NCVO and ACEVO.

We help charities align to best practice, optimise their ICT estate, improve their Cyber Security posture, and train their staff. Speak to us today to find out how we can help consolidate, secure and optimise technology within your organisation.