Techsoup: Why Should Nonprofits Care About Cloud Computing?

Anna Jaegar at Techsoup, writing on the GreenTech theme, introduces us to the world of cloud computing and provides a list of reasons and green benefits for nonprofits who are bold (and brave) enough to consider a seismic shift in how they manage their technology.

I bet many of you are using a form of cloud computing without knowing it. Current examples are Gmail, Yahoo mail, Google Docs, Salesforce, and Microsoft Office Live Workspace. They are often called Software as a Service (SaaS). A company provides access to their software applications over the Internet and you access it through your web-browser. If you are using email hosted by a company, like one of those mentioned above, you and your staff don’t have to manage an in-house email server like Exchange. You simply sign up for the accounts and all the back-end stuff is handled for you.

Jaegar outlines a variety of aaS (“as-a-Service”) options for nonprofits to consider for moving hardware, software and data management to a virtual environment, and ends with some practical advice:  “Not every IT function should be migrated to “the cloud,” so you should discuss your situation with your IT staff or a consultant. The concept may be a bit scary for some, but once you get over that hurdle and realize that you are already using cloud computing, I think you will start seeing other ways you can use it to help your nonprofit get your work done efficiently.”

> Read the full article on TechSoup

Posted by irishg on August 31st, 2009 at 01:38pm