Welcome to the Smartdesc September newsletter. This month, we are thrilled to invite you to a free networking event for anyone involved in IT at charities – our Charity Leaders Winter Social on 7 November at the Microsoft Experience Centre.
Also, don’t miss our blog on important changes to Microsoft licensing, upcoming webinars on Data Protection and how WaterAid are trialling Microsoft Copilot, plus advice on ransomware payments if you ever find yourself in such a position.
Free charity IT resources
- Sharing your experiences in IT with other charity leaders is a great way to help inform your IT plans for next year. Come along to the impressive Microsoft Experience Centre in London for our Charity Leaders Winter Social on 7 November. Meet your peers, try out the latest Microsoft products, hear a talk from Refugee Council about their own IT journey, and have a drink on us! Feel free to invite your team too.
- In our latest blog, we discuss the new Microsoft New Commerce Experience (NCE). We share how it affects the licenses you buy, and the benefits of moving to NCE from an Enterprise Agreement (EA).
- Subject Access Requests (SARs) can be difficult and time-consuming. Join us on 22 October as we share practical advice on how to manage SARs effectively, with an interactive Q&A session.
- WaterAid are one of the early adopters of Microsoft Copilot, and see it as a way to save thousands of hours of work. Join our webinar hosted by ACEVO on 4 October to learn how they are preparing, piloting and testing Copilot for Microsoft 365.
- More slots are live for our popular Copilot Briefing sessions! Join us on a date that suits you to see a live demo, use cases and how it can save hours per person per month, like it has for The British Heart Foundation pilot group.
- We often get this question when discussing payment in ransomware incidents, and there are differing views on the best approach. This useful article from the NCSC provides helpful advice on what to consider in this scenario.
Smartdesc’s sole focus is nonprofit organisations, which includes charities, social enterprises and NGOs. Speak to us today to find out how we can help consolidate, secure and optimise technology within your organisation.
