Launched in October 2021, Microsoft Windows 11 is the latest Microsoft Operating System (OS) for PCs. A free upgrade has been rolled out to Windows 10 computers that meet the hardware specification, so you may have noticed a message offering you to upgrade already. New PCs are now starting to come pre-loaded with Windows 11…
According to the UK government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021, a quarter of charities (26%) reported having cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months. The risk is high for all organisations; email (phishing) remains the most successful method. Preparing for what to do should the worst happen is almost as important as preventative…
Microsoft Price increases As we all know, cost of living rises are a hot topic at the moment. Microsoft announced last year that they too will be increasing their prices in 2022 – some by as much as 20%. These price increases will start from the 1st March this year and is summarised in the…
In this vlog, Adam Monks, CEO & Co-Founder of Smartdesc, and James Field, Strategy Director, look back over the main themes in technology within non-profits in 2021, and discuss the key IT challenges that charities will be focussing on in 2022. You can read the main points of the discussion below: What have charity customers…
Many charities and non-profits struggle with ageing servers running old, legacy applications that are too complex to move to the cloud quickly. Microsoft Azure is a great alternative to running your own physical servers or paying for space in expensive Data Centres. The best part is that Microsoft give non-profits $3,500 per year towards the…
Creating an IT Strategy at a charity or non-profit can feel very daunting for some organisations, especially those who don’t have IT expertise in-house. At Smartdesc we help bridge the gap between the business and the technical, and in this video we share some tips and advice on how you can create a IT Strategy…
James Field, Customer Strategy Director at Smartdesc – non-profit IT specialists – comments on the Charity Digital Skills Report 2021 The Charity Digital Skills Report, now in its fifth year, is an annual report on the charity sector’s use of digital technology and an excellent barometer of support needs, digital skills, and attitudes from across…
Andrew Coyle, Head of Information Security at Smartdesc, explains how non-profits can achieve Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation to demonstrate their cyber security commitments to funders, supporters and other stakeholders: What is Cyber Essentials? Cyber Essentials is a government backed certification introduced following concerns that organisations were not putting the basic technical…
Adam Monks, Co-Founder & Director Co-founder of Smartdesc and a member of the Senior leadership team at Smartdesc, Adam has over 15 years IT operations and managed services experience, including a vast amount of expertise and valuable knowledge gained whilst supporting charities and non-profit organisations with their IT ambitions, helping break down perceived boundaries and…
A project is a fail if it does not meet the constraints of the project management triangle – Cost, Scope, and Time… why do some charities struggle with project management? Unclear Project Goals and Objectives Project Goals are the aspirations of the client for the project – the project purpose. Objectives are the benefits,…
