Is Cloud Computing Secure?

Is it safe to store your information on the internet? Can you trust Google, Microsoft or any other other big cloud computing providers? Is it legal to store your data online? Despite some of the obvious advantages to moving some or all of your computing services onto the web, these are the sorts of questions which many people are asking before making the switch. A new TechSoup Special about Cloud Computing offers a range of information about security and the cloud, as well as more information about the environmental claims made on its behalf.

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Top Five Free Tools?

There are plenty of free productivity tools that are available to help you be more efficient and effective. This Top Five is picked up from Simon Duncan, ICT Champion for Yorkshire and Humber and is a great list to uncover some gems you may not know about. 

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Choosing new software? Start with the users…

I came across this quote on a discussion thread on Slashdot about whether to use Raiser’s Edge or Salesforce.com for managing fundraising tasks. It was posted on a discussion forum for techies, but it captures an approach to software procurement that may help non-IT-literate managers and trustees when you’re grappling with too much jargon and a blizzard of techie-talk.

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A new age in online publishing?

It is easy to forget how the web is a new kind of space, a place where anyone who wants to can post whatever they want, saying anything they like. Now Posterous is pushing the boundaries even further and may be about to change the rules for how to get your stuff on the web, by lowering the threshold in terms of the skills and resources you need to actually have a website to publish your ideas to.

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Free Microsoft Training Resources

There are lots of free training resources available through the Microsoft site, as there are across the internet. Many can help staff and volunteers support themselves when using common tools, but which ones work best? Techsoup, based in the US, is running a free online training event/webinar (what an ugly word) at which Microsoft staff will guide you through what is available. It will take place at 7pm GMT on Wednesday 10 June – register at the Techsoup site.

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Top tips when choosing software

Do you need specialist software to manage Human Resources? Is it worth buying, what does it cost and who can supply it? The Workforce Hub has published research into the use of HR software in the third sector. This is typically used to store personnel files, training records and other HR-related functions. The research is based on 11 organisations, of different sizes, and suggests that anyone with fewer than 200 employees may well be better sticking to paper-based systems or spreadsheets.

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