Scalable, cost-effective and future proof technology for non-profits
Implement true hybrid/agile working at your charity by making full use of the Microsoft 365 and Azure platform, combined with large discounts from Microsoft, and market-leading support services from Smartdesc to give your staff the best possible hybrid user experience.
See how this has been successfully implemented for over 650 staff at the national charity Mind HERE.
Speak to us today about hybrid working at your organisation
Optimising your cloud systems
- All staff carry lightweight laptops (to a good specification), docking in the office
- Staff should work on the laptop’s local desktop not virtual or remote desktops
- M365 should be used to deploy, secure and maintain the laptops (Intune & Autopilot)
- Line of business applications should be cloud based and the user interface should be a web browser
- Single-Sign-On should manage the access control for all apps, integrated with Microsoft Azure AD
- Servers should be kept to a minimum and hosted in the cloud (Microsoft Azure)
- Organisations over 100 staff should use a file server in Azure with seamless VPN access, Organisations under 100 staff should hold files in Teams
- Meeting rooms should be configured for hybrid meetings, ideally as Teams Rooms
- Telephony should be routed through MS Teams
- Internet connections and wireless networks at offices and hubs should be fast and reliable
Secure, integrated remote working for all staff, wherever they are
- Implementing smart security policies via Conditional Access – to allow staff to be productive from home without overbearing security checks
- Building “Bring Your Own Device” policies to facilitate use of personal devices without the risk of accidental corporate data loss, using Intune
- Keeping all devices patched and up to date without the need to come into an office, because distributed working is the norm, not the exception
- Conducting regular Information Governance reviews, focussing on your policies and processes such as data retention, consent and other GDPR considerations
“Our IT partners, Smartdesc, have been instrumental in helping us move to cloud services and adopt flexible working. Indeed, we couldn’t have done it without them. Their affinity with the Not-for-Profit sector has proven invaluable at such a challenging time for charities in general.”
Michael Joseph, Chief Finance Officer, Volunteering Matters
Moving legacy applications to the cloud
- Removing the overhead of running physical servers on premise; moving them to the Microsoft Azure cloud and getting $3,500 per year donated towards running costs
- Migrating complex databases that run on legacy hardware into the Microsoft or Citrix clouds, securing their future for as long as is needed, and easily decommissioned thereafter
- Consulting and supporting organisations move away from creaking, unfit CRM systems to modern platforms such as Dynamics 365
We offer complementary technology consultations with our IT Directors, to discuss how we can help your organisation fully implement Hybrid Working. We will suggest ways forward to align to industry best practice, allowing your organisation’s IT to flex up and down in future, while controlling and reducing cost.
To book a free consultation please contact us and one of our team will be in touch.
