Shani Viner is one of the four-person team behind 1st Point Consulting, an innovative firm that helps commercial clients manage their premises cost-effectively.

“We’re a service charge specialist for retail property,” she explains. “For instance, a retailer in a shopping centre usually has to pay rent and a service charge to the landlord. The service charge goes towards things like heating the shopping centre, providing security and so on.”

1st Point Consulting helps retailers ensure their service charges are reasonable. “We can identify where costs are inappropriate,” elaborates Shani. “If the landlord is unable to justify charges, we can advise our clients to take action.”

Strong growth requires flexible IT

With a string of blue-chip companies on its books, 1st Point found its growing client base was placing the firm’s IT system under strain.

“The four partners in the business are based in different locations,” continues Shani, “so we had a system for storing documents where we could all access them.”

But as the volume of data grew, the system became a drain on productivity. “We didn’t have the flexibility to edit documents online, and it was hard to find the files we needed,” confirms Shani. “When we won a big contract, we decided it was time to invest in a new system.”

Moving everything to the cloud

Although not a technical expert, Shani had a good idea what the firm wanted before approaching suppliers: “We’re not technical, but we put what we needed into words.” Armed with these requirements, Shani created a shortlist of IT providers in and around Derbyshire, where 1st Point planned to open an office.

“We were impressed by Yorkshire Cloud from the start,” she remembers. “They were friendly and flexible, but their prices seemed reasonable too.”

As Yorkshire Cloud began to understand 1st Point Consulting’s business, it became apparent that an entirely cloud-based solution was the best option. This would see all the firm’s data and software stored on secure servers, so the team could access it from anywhere.

The cloud in practice

“To start work, we log into our cloud server,” confirms Shani. Located in Wakefield – and safely backed up to a separate location – this forms the core of 1st Point’s IT infrastructure.

Shani and her colleagues can log in from any computer that’s connected to the internet and always see the same thing: their cloud desktop, providing access to the software and files they need to work.

“It’s really easy to use,” says Shani. “Our files and email are all there, and it’s made us more efficient simply because everything works together.”

What’s more, the easy mobile access has enabled this four-person team to stay in close communication, no matter where they are.

“One of our partners is often travelling, and he’s able to log in and use it worldwide,” enthuses Shani. “I’m planning to spend time out of the country next year, and it’ll be great that I can stay in touch too. We love that aspect of it.”

A straightforward move to the cloud

As the cloud desktop functions just like a regular computer, the 1st Point team was quickly able to get up to full productivity. As Shani explains, “it’s just like using any other computer. We wanted it to be idiot-proof, with the familiar setup. And it is.”

Keenly aware that significant downtime could damage 1st Point’s business, the team at Yorkshire Cloud did everything they could to ensure a smooth switchover.

According to Shani, they succeeded: “Our main concern was that it might be tricky to transfer data across from our old supplier, but Yorkshire Cloud were superb. They spoke the right language to get our data moved quickly and easily.”

“It’s been a really strong relationship. They always call us back when they promise, and they speak our language. It’s brilliant – it’s so much better than it was before.”

And as 1st Point plots further expansion, Shani is convinced they’ve found an IT partner ready to meet future needs: “We’re a growing company and we may need to expand. Yorkshire Cloud offers the flexibility and adaptability to change at our pace, not at theirs.”

Microsoft released Office 2013 recently, and we’re sure that many people are curious about what’s new and improved. Fortunately, Yorkshire Cloud customers don’t need to go through the hassle of upgrading Office themselves.

We recognise that Office is one of the core pieces of software our customer use, and upgrading to a major new software version can be confusing and disruptive. That’s why we’ve got demo servers set up ready for our customers to trial Office 2013 at their own pace. (If you’re an existing customer – please get in touch to start your free trial).

Even better, when our customers are ready to upgrade to Office 2013, they won’t pay a penny extra. The upgrade is fully included in their flat monthly fee.

So, what’s new in Office 2013? Well, there’s a whole host of improvements, some big, some small. The most noticeable changes are that the interface now looks very minimal, much like Windows 8. Also, Office is now fully compatible with touchscreen devices like the latest smartphones, tablets and some laptops. However, we expect that most people will still prefer to use a keyboard & mouse for any serious work.

Is Office 2013 difficult to get used to? We don’t think so. In fact, if you’re used to Office 2010, you’ll probably be able to just pick up Office 2013 with virtually zero training. And if you do need some assistance, our skilled Yorkshire Cloud engineers are always happy to help.

Yorkshire Cloud is proud of the fact we offer the latest & greatest software to our customers. We want to make IT easy for your business, so we’ll help you assess if Office 2013 is right for you. We’ll wait until you’re 100% ready to make the change, and then we’ll hold your hand through the whole process.

To see if a Hosted Desktop with Office 2013 is right for your business, please contact us on 01423 206062

Harrogate based YorkshireCloud.co.uk, which provides hosted desktop and cloud computing services to small businesses, has been appointed to employement group, Renovo.

Growing York-based Renovo provides a range of career support and advice services including executive recruitment, outplacement and employment support services for Welfare to Work providers. With an expanding workforce, the company wanted a cloud computing solution that was both reliable and accountable.

Chris Parker, director of Renovo, said: “Technology is vital to our business. The majority of our services are distance based, delivered via a common service platform consisting of next generation technology. We frequently communicate with clients online in the form of group workshops and webinars. It was essential that we appointed a cloud computing provider we could trust, and YorkshireCloud absolutely fitted the bill.”

He added: “We were really impressed with the responsiveness and professionalism of the YorkshireCloud team. Directors Rob Collins and Jonathan Edwards are down to earth and great at communicating with a non-technical audience.”

YorkshireCloud.co.uk was launched last year after Edwards found it impossible to source reputable and cost-effective cloud computing solutions for clients. Undaunted, Edwards, with his in-house team of technical specialists, designed and built a bespoke cloud solution for small organisations, with data hosted on dedicated secure servers located in Yorkshire.

YorkshireCloud technical director,

Rob Collins, said: “Increasing numbers of small businesses like Renovo are discovering the enormous benefits to be had by adopting cloud computing technology.

“Organisations that move to the cloud have greater flexibility to accommodate growth because they don’t have to buy expensive new kit in order to expand their IT systems. Instead, everything is online and more capacity can be added instantly, with a simple increase in the monthly fee. Reliability levels are guaranteed and we can provide and we can provide fixed rates for businesses as small as five desks. Topping it all off, our servers are based right here in Yorkshire.”

Arrow Digital is a small digital marketing agency based in Harrogate. “We help businesses develop their digital strategies and increase online revenues,” explains Leigh Woolard, the firm’s founder and managing director.

“That means we mainly build websites, perform search engine optimisation and run pay-per-click advertising campaigns for our clients.”

The company’s client list spans a range of organisations that run ecommerce operations, including Silver Cross, which has manufactured prams and buggies for over 130 years.

Dealing with a slow server

Like many companies, for many years Arrow Digital relied on a server-based IT system. The firm had an in-house server that was used to store key data. Each member of staff was able to access this centralised data from their own computer, via the company network.

Over time, this system became sluggish and less dependable. “Our server was getting slower and slower and our software was unreliable,” confirms Leigh. “The problems started to really disrupt our work, because some days we had to restart the server several times.”

Turning to the cloud

As it was clear the server’s days were numbered, Arrow decided to re-evaluate its IT provision. The firm had two key requirements in mind: it wanted to improve reliability and make it easier for staff to work on the move and from home.

With these in mind, Leigh approached local suppliers, including Yorkshire Cloud. After evaluating Arrow’s requirements, we proposed a system that would see Arrow move its data and applications into our cloud platform. Employees could then securely log in and access their data and software from any computer, anywhere.

“Although I’d had the idea that we might want to move to the cloud, I hadn’t seen a system like this in practice before,” describes Leigh. “The guys at Yorkshire Cloud did a really good job of explaining how it all worked, and once I saw it in action, it clicked in to place.”

Finding greater flexibility

Once he’d seen how Yorkshire Cloud functions, Leigh was sold on this new way of doing things. “I could tell straight away that the convenience was right for us. Occasionally I work from overseas, and I knew it would give me the flexibility to do that.”

With the contracts signed, our expert team began moving Arrow’s data to our cloud platform. With a project deadline never far away, it was vital to keep disruption to a minimum.

“We had to integrate four or five of our own pieces of software,” explains Leigh. “We had a few issues with one package, but as it wasn’t one that we used every day it was more important we got up and running quickly. Once everything else was sorted, Yorkshire Cloud went back and resolved the problem quickly.”

A smooth changeover

Because Arrow Digital was switching to an entirely new platform, Leigh’s staff were able to continue using their server-based system while we got everything set up.

“Altogether, it took three or four days,” confirms Leigh. “We had virtually no downtime. Yorkshire Cloud moved everything over, then we switched to the new system once it was ready.”

The new system allows Leigh and his colleagues to log in from any computer that’s connected to the internet. They always see the same thing: their desktop, providing access to the software and files they need to work. This is a standard Windows desktop – with no learning curve to speak of, Arrow was able to get straight up to speed.

Because everything runs from our central cloud servers, the firm hasn’t even had to invest in new equipment to see significant performance improvements. Arrow’s team use the same PCs as before, but now they work as terminals that connect to the cloud platform.

Ongoing benefits

“We’ve seen huge improvements in reliability,” enthuses Leigh, who doesn’t miss his old server in the slightest. “It’s a stable platform that works for us. We’ve never had a moment of downtime.”

It’s also clear that passing responsibility for system maintenance and updates to Yorkshire Cloud has lifted a significant weight from his shoulders. “It’s about efficiency,” he continues. “I had a lot of worries about IT equipment before, but now I can focus on my work.”

“The most important thing about Yorkshire Cloud is their service. They always respond quickly if something’s not right or we need extra software. That’s the greatest quality they bring. Yes, the product’s great and we don’t have any issues with it, but the service is what makes me confident we’ve made the best decision.”

We’re constantly working very hard to ensure that our customers are benefiting from the very latest in cloud technology. This week, we’re delighted to announce that our Cloud PC software now works on an iPad. This gives our customers the ultimate remote access experience.

Why not add an iPad keyboard and finally rid yourself of the bulky laptops?

The problem was that in complex AutoCAD drawings, especially ones with blocks and hatching, the mouse had a tendency to lag and drift across the screen. Sometimes it would take several seconds before the user could get control of the mouse again. The mouse didn’t do this all the time, although the problem was severe enough to make AutoCAD virtually unusable.

We had seen AutoCAD running perfectly well in other XenApp environments, so we knew it was possible to fix this issue. We diligently followed all the advice we could find online, including turning off most of AutoCAD’s graphics intensive features. Unfortunately, none of the recommendations had any effect.

We had also given the server more RAM and CPU than it knew what to do with! Apparently under-specced servers are a common cause of AutoCAD performance issues.

Lesson: If all else fails, use a process of elimination.

After weeks of hard work, we were close to running out of ideas. Instead we tried to do a process of elimination. It would be time consuming but we didn’t want to let our customer down. We decided to experiment with a wide range of Citrix policies, Windows settings and Group Policy Objects.

In the end, we were able to pinpoint the root cause of the AutoCAD issue – it was the Citrix Desktop Viewer. This is a handy utility which allows the hosted desktop windows to be resized dynamically. It also provides a useful black toolbar at the top of the screen which allows users to easily switch back and forth between their local computer and their hosted desktops.

We found that with Desktop Viewer enabled, AutoCAD performed poorly. But with it disabled, AutoCAD was perfectly fine. More than fine, in fact. We found that we could enable all of AutoCAD’s graphics-intensive features with no issues. We found this quite impressive, especially considering we weren’t using a dedicated graphics card.

For the more technically minded of you, you can enable/disable the Desktop Viewer by editing the webinterface.conf file on the Web Interface server. See the Citrix blog post here. Desktop Viewer was originally a feature of XenDesktop, but from early 2011 Citrix added experimental support for it in XenApp too. In summer 2012, with the release of Citrix Receiver 3.3, Citrix started officially supporting the use of Desktop Viewer in XenApp environments.

It came as a huge relief to solve this problem. AutoCAD is a core application for one of our customers. Without AutoCAD, their business struggled to function. It surprised us that no-one else seemed to have encountered this issue, which is why we’ve decided to write this blog post.

We do have a slight problem: Desktop Viewer can only be enabled or disabled for the whole Yorkshire Cloud environment, meaning it affects all of our customers. But some of our customers quite liked the Desktop Viewer’s toolbar. As a workaround, users can get back to their local desktop by pressing SHIFT + F2.

Needless to say, we have raised this issue with Citrix Support and are hoping they can fix it soon.

In the meantime, our team of talented Yorkshire Cloud engineers can feel satisfied that we’ve defeated one more IT gremlin. Persistence pays off!

Photo Credit: Markheybo

Do People Understand the Cloud?

According to the Citrix Cloud Survey Guide:

• 51% of respondents thought stormy weather would interfere with cloud computing.
• 14% said they’ve pretended to know what cloud computing is in a job interview.
• Only 16% said they think of a computer network to store, access and share data from Internet-connected devices.
• 54% of respondents claim to never use cloud computing. However, 95% of this group actually does use the cloud. Specifically, 65% bank online, 63 % shop online, 58% use social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter, 4 % have played online games, 29 % store photos online, 22% store music or videos online, and 19% use online file sharing.

The BSA, The Software Alliance found that in Europe:

• Only a quarter of respondents used cloud services, compared to 34 per cent globally. Nearly 4000 people were surveyed and the majority had either never heard of cloud computing or had heard the term but didn’t know what it was.
• Only 29% say they use the cloud for business purposes, lagging slightly behind cloud users globally at 33%.

What are business owners biggest concerns with cloud computing?

The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) recently carried out a survey and found that out of 250 UK IT decision-makers in private and public sector organisations:

• 90% of public sector respondents and 78% of private sector respondents admitted data security was their primary worry.
• Other concerns expressed were fear of losing IT control, supplier lock-in, data sovereignty and cost of migration.

The Cloud Secrity Alliance (CSA) found the Leading Constraints on Cloud Adoption were as follows (Average score, based on a scale of 1 to 5):

1. Information security (4.22)
2. Data ownership/custodian responsibilities (4.12)
3. Legal and contractual issues (4.04)
4. Regulatory compliance (4.01)
5. Information assurance (3.77)
6. Longevity of suppliers (3.44)
7. Contract lock-in (3.42)
8. Performance standards (3.30)
9. Disaster recovery/business continuity (3.25)
10. Performance monitoring (3.21)
11. Technology stability (3.10)

Is Cloud Computing Uptake on the Rise?

Cloud Industry Forum says:

• By the end of 2013, more than 75% of UK businesses will be using at least one type of cloud service. It also forecast that, of existing cloud users, 80% will increase their spending on cloud computing.

In their Cloud Computing UK market research paper Ibis World believe that:

• In 2012-13, the UK industry is expected to generate £5.79 billion in revenue. This will be a 6.5% increase on the previous year.

Research firm Gartner has stated:

• 60% of Server workloads that will be virtualized by 2014, a staggering percentage, especially when compared to 2008, when only 12% of server workloads were virtualized.
• By 2013 the size of the cloud computing market worldwide will be $150 billion.
• At year-end 2016, more than 50 percent of Global 1000 companies will have stored customer-sensitive data in the public cloud.

The Cloud Computing Outlook Survey by CloudStack finds that:

• 61% of organizations are in the information gathering or planning stages or have an approved cloud computing strategy.

Why are businesses moving to the cloud?

The Cloud Secrity Alliance (CSA) found the Leading Drivers of Cloud Adoption (Average score, based on a scale of 1 to 5) were:

1. Cost management (3.77)
2. Agility (3.75)
3. Time to market 3.73)
4. Efficiency (3.65)
5. Productivity (3.61)
6. Business unit demand (3.55)
7. Resilience (3.52)
8. New technology (3.46)
9. Customer demand (3.42)
10. Technical resources( 3.37)
11. New markets (3.33)

The respondents of the North Bridge Future of Cloud Computing Survey stated that:

• 57% of all respondents cited scalability as their primary driver for cloud adoption with business agility and cost close behind.
• Longer term (up to five years) drivers for cloud adoption include maintaining competitive differentiation, mobility and ensuring application interoperability through the use of open cloud APIs.

Do you have any interesting cloud computing statistics that you’ve discovered from the various industry surveys? Let us know in the comments.

Then there are tablet computers, becoming more popular among home users. Not to mention, of course, the not-so-humble laptop, which is now thinner, lighter and more powerful than ever.

Everyone has powerful gadgets

This relentless progress is putting convenient gadgets in the hands of ordinary people. They’re used to having a smart phone that just works when they need it. They’re used to grabbing their tablet to check their email in seconds.

Some of these people probably work in your business. At home, they’re accustomed to technology that is quick and easy to use. Often, their own devices – smartphones, tablets and laptops – are more advanced than those they get given at work.

A blurred line

The line between home and work technology is blurring. People bring smart phones into the office and take company laptops home. They check Facebook on their lunch hour and send work emails in the evening.

In this climate, there’s a growing trend of people using their own technology for work. For instance, if their tablet computer is better for travelling than the heavy laptop you’ve given them for work, then the laptop will get left behind.

It’s called BYOD

This trend is called ‘bring your own device’, or BYOD for short. It’s happening in companies of all sizes.

Back in 2010, research suggested that over half of UK employees had a personal device they used for work. Earlier this year, another piece of research found that 57% of IT managers reckoned at least some of their employees were using personal devices at work.

The chances are good that your staff are using their personal devices for work, even if you’ve told them not to. Can you stop them? Probably not. Is it a good idea to encourage BYOD? Well, it just might be.

Benefits of BYOD

At first glance, BYOD looks like a security and support nightmare. How can you keep tabs on business data with employees accessing it in different ways? How can you provide help if everyone has a different laptop and smart phone?

However, the experiences of other companies suggest these problems are not insurmountable. In fact, the benefits may well outweigh the costs:

• BYOD makes your staff happier. Many workers – particularly those interested in IT and technology – really care about the equipment they use for work. Give them the chance to pick the best tools themselves, and they may be happier and more productive.
• BYOD can make you more innovative. When you give choice to the people at the sharp end of your business, they get more freedom to find ways to be more efficient. They can try out new devices and technologies themselves, learning the best ways to do things.
• BYOD can reduce overall costs. The thought of providing every member of staff with a £500 smart phone may worry your accountant. But when many staff members already have the equipment they need, you can get a mobile-enabled workforce at a much lower cost.

There is, of course, a lot to think about with BYOD. Safeguards are required to protect important or sensitive data. And you need to carefully consider how far you’ll let your employees go.

For instance, will you maintain a list of supported devices and provide a stipend to employees who decide they want to buy one? Will you offer insurance for staff devices, so they can get a replacement if they’re lost or stolen? And will BYOD become a core element of your company’s IT strategy, or an added bonus for staff who want to explore the options?

BYOD is here to stay

Whatever your take, BYOD is here to stay. It’s almost certainly happening in your company already. And that means you need to explore the possibilities it offers, rather than ignoring it.

If you don’t know where to start, talk to someone who does, like your IT supplier.

Problems Facing Small Business Owners

One of the major issues faced by small businesses when it comes to their IT systems is that the owner is often run off their feet with so many other different tasks that IT takes a back-seat role. Sales, paying suppliers and making contacts, all whilst trying to make a profit are clearly a business owners priority. Because of that small business owners don’t have enough time to analyse the various benefits of different IT systems or cloud computing. As a consequence deciding on traditional IT, cloud computing; whether Google apps or Microsoft 365 is the right choice for the businesses IT requirements is very rarely a priority.

This usually means business owners stall and delay making IT related decisions; thus sticking with what they have, even though it may be costing them more money to run than an alternative. Or they end up adopting a sketchy, bit by bit approach that is often hard to change should the company grow.

Knowledge Gap

Speaking with businesses across Yorkshire about our hosted desktops, we’ve found a distinct knowledge gap between small business owners and solution providers like ourselves. A number of business owners fail to understand they already use the cloud in some form and reap the benefits of it; thus meaning embracing the cloud further isn’t too big a step. To narrow the gap, it’s essential for cloud-computing providers to work together to inform people about these products and services; be it with a beginners guides to cloud computing or via seminars and meet ups. Once small businesses fully understand cloud computing, the uptake will increase exponentially.

They Feel like They Don’t Need Cloud Computing

Unfortunately cloud computing is still perceived as an exclusive technology for the big corporates. This is primarily down to the way cloud computing companies package their services but also because of the way it’s reported within the technology news sector. If business owners are constantly presented with the cloud only being used by bigger organisations then they ultimately fail to see the benefits for themselves; immediately ruling it out as been too expensive or too complicated.

The Nature of Their Operation

Many small businesses have been operating the same way for many years, thus they feel no need to change and become ignorant to new technologies. Smaller businesses have comparatively less employees, less data/files and fewer layers of middle management. Consequently many tasks can be managed easily without having to use significant technology and that means cloud uptake by smaller businesses is low. However cloud computing presents several areas of opportunity for businesses to both save money, grow and take advantage of economies of scale. In the long term with businesses keen on future growth and security of their records and files, cloud computing becomes an almost inevitable choice.

How Can Small Businesses Benefit from Cloud Computing?

Businesses can gain huge benefits from the cloud and the technology lends itself perfectly to SME’s as it can grow with the business – far more so than a static, office-based server can.

The cloud provides:

• High levels of security by storing files in a secure location, not on a PC or in-house server
• Access to files no matter where you are – in or outside the office (perfect for sales teams)
• Regular upgrades and access to more advanced/enterprise level technology
• Increased storage

Security

The complexity and cost of integrating a backup, security, disaster recovery and business continuity plan via an in house IT infrastructure is often an unviable option for small businesses leaving them exposed and at risk to unforeseen circumstances. Cloud computing services are provided with guaranteed service level agreements ensuring services are always available. With the cloud your data is held in highly secure data centres with data being replicated in real time so that if you lose something, it can be instantly restored.

Cost savings

By using cloud computing small businesses no longer need to purchase or lease expensive computer equipment such as servers or backup equipment. Nor does it need to purchase costly software on a per PC basis to deliver its resources to employees. Savings vary from business to business but total costs of ownership savings in the region of 30-50% are common.

Increased Efficiency

With on site downtime, employee productivity is seriously effected. This can have huge impact on the business as well as increasing both the stress on employees and the management team. With cloud computing, employees can work remotely and at any time. Employees can work from home by accessing the software through internet connection, meaning if they can’t get into the office due to adverse weather, the day isn’t a total write off.

Ease of management

The cloud significantly simplifies the IT management for many small businesses because the service is fully managed. Any support needs are simply reported to the service provider who is then responsible for fixing them.

Access to Enterprise Level Technology

Large organisations have the cash and resources to create the bespoke functionality they need. Small companies more often than not do not. With the cloud they’re able to take advantage of enterprise class cloud applications that fit their exact requirements. No longer do businesses have to reinvent the wheel with their own platforms, they can leverage development, maintenance and upgrades of third party applications for a fraction of the cost.

How Else Can Cloud Computing Help Small Businesses?

The cloud allows business owners to both simplify and better forecast an IT budget. Traditional IT setups can eat up a huge part of the company’s budget due to the up-front cost of hardware and the on-going fee of upgrades, security and inevitable downtime. With the cloud all these capital investments are borne by the provider, all the business owner has to account for is the providers monthly subscription fee per user. There is also no need to invest in more IT based on the anticipation of future demand because the cloud is scalable as and when you need it.

By using the cloud business owners are able to better manage uncertainties. By investing in expensive hardware/server, a company is exposed to greater risks. Many businesses often overinvest in an IT system which leads to greater on going management expenses. Cloud computing providers reduce a business’s reliance on in house technology by removing the liability of procurement, management and upgrades as that’s all taken care of in an external data centre. This allows businesses to pursue growth without having to bear the uncertainties of large capital outlay.

If you’re a small business owner and would like to talk to us about our cloud computing solutions then feel to contact us with any questions you may have.

In many cases Charities are stuck in the dark ages with their IT infrastructure and as a consequence are paying obscene amounts for IT support just to keep their systems running so they can complete their day to day tasks.

With various cut backs in place charities also find themselves in the difficult position of having to do more, with less. They have fewer resources, less funding to draw on and potentially more cuts on the way.

Despite that, charities are trying to diversify and increase the services they offer and that inevitably means collaborating with other organisations to make that happen. This is where the cloud can help.

A Simple Overview of How Cloud Computing Can Help Charities

What are the benefits of cloud computing for a charity?

• Cost savings
• Increased efficiency
• Greater flexibility
• Ease of Collaboration

Cost Savings

Charities have to be run like a business and one obvious benefit of cloud computing for them is cost savings. With the cloud there’s no need to buy or maintain expensive IT hardware, administration costs or have to deal with software licensing, upgrades and security. This is all taken care of by the cloud provider.

Increased Efficiency

By removing the burden of having to deal with IT administration issues this allows charities to concentrate on their core business and spend more time running the business than spending it on time consuming tasks.

Greater Flexbility

Cloud computing also allows a charities workforce to be flexible. Many charities have workers based around the country or working in various areas. These employees often need to access their systems to complete tasks and report on various events. Hosted desktops are ideal for this as they allow staff to access their desktop computer from any location which can significantly improve how some charities work.

Easy to Collaborate with other Organisations

With more charities looking at adding more to their service offering, that inevitably means partnering and working with other organisation and this is where the cloud is an ideal solution. It allows workers from across the country to access data securely on a standardised platform. With traditional IT setups collaboration proves not only difficult but has the potential to be a security risk. The cloud eliminates this by allowing users to collaborate on the same system and only share files they wish, not sensitive information.

If you’re a charity and you’d like to learn more about cloud computing then feel free to contact us.