Although the best fit of technology requires a needs assessment and review of the best options for the business goals, we’ve found a few technologies that have been a great fit for many of our nonprofit customers.   Although previously available only to larger organizations with big technology budgets, these solutions are now affordable thanks to greatly discounted software available to qualified 501(c)3 non-profits.

With the ability to have collaborative e-mail with shared calendars and contact lists, this has become the non-profit technology solution of choice.   Add to this the ability to simply manage users, file rights, and and internal company web site (aka Intranet), and you have a great package to meet nonprofit technology needs.

Access to work e-mail and calendars, as well as files and applications, has become an important need for many offices.   It’s also important that this information is secure.   We have implemented a number of technologies to help make this possible, including firewalls, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

Lots of folks prefer using Apple Macintosh® computers for work and home computing.  Getting them to integrate with the office Windows infrastructure can sometime be a challenge.  We’ve been using Mac computers since the very first models and have learned some of the tricks and techniques that work best.

The only reasons computers exist in a company is to allow employees to use software to meet their business goals.   Proper software selection should focus on concrete business goals and is critical, however sufficient and narrowly focused training is equally critical to long term success.