[July 31, 2008]

www.grahamoakes.co.uk: Charities, Don't Get Left Behind

(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
RDATE:31072008

With IT fast becoming a vital part of today's society, it is no
surprise that charities are beginning to become IT savvy too. Graham
Oakes, a leading IT consultant (www.grahamoakes.co.uk) discusses the
top five IT developments that charities cannot afford to ignore

Charities cover a very broad spectrum -- they range from very small
organisations to large multinationals; they have a huge range of
different missions; they have varying degrees of technical
sophistication. Here are five trends which I think might be applicable
across that broad range of needs andinterests.

In each case, the trend isn't especially "new". You could trace each
of them back over several years of developments in technology and the
marketplace. But many of them have only become relevant to most
organisations very recently -- until now, they've been limited to
technically sophisticated users or other niche positions. Now they're
entering the mainstream.

1) Cloud computing. This includes facilities likeGoogle Apps that
allow people to run applications on a centrally managed data centre
rather than in local servers or PCs. The range of applications
available is growing rapidly. Cloud computing will enable charities to
focus on their mission, rather than having to employ a large number of
IT specialists simply to keep the basic systems going.

2) Social networking. The Obama campaign in the US has been the best
funded campaign in history, largely due to its use of social networking
to mobilise supporters. Few charities can afford to neglect the use of
social networking technologies to engage with their supporters, raise
funds, and coordinate action.

Facebook groups and causes can be a good way to engage with people,
especially younger ones. For example, people are more likely to support
causes when they're approached by their friends than when they receive
a fairly anonymous mailing from an organisation. This is partly down to
peer pressure, but it's also because friends will communicate their
enthusiasm in a way that's much more personally relevant. Social
networks give a natural mechanism to support this type of communication.

3) Green computing. We all have to be aware of our environmental
impact. Beyond that, green computing offers plenty of scope to reduce
costs. There are two aspects to this -- reducing the costs of IT
operations (e.g. through making better use of servers etc) and reducing
general costs of business (e.g. through more efficient logistics,
through greater use of electronic communication rather than travel). I
think the latter is more important.

4) Semantic web. The web is currently pretty much a jumble of text,
images & files. It's hard enough for people to navigate; almost
impossible for systems to recognise trends and make meaningful
connections across sites. Semantic web standards will make it easier
to make connections. These standards have been talked about for a long
time, but they're starting to become more established now. This could
change the way we share knowledge dramatically.

5) Mobile devices. Devices like the iPhone and the Asus Eee are
finally realising the potential for mobile, networked devices -- they
are easy to carry around, easy to use, cheap enough to be affordable.
They will be the way we make use of many of the above trends.

CONTACT: Danielle Newman, Pazang PR
Tel: +44 (0)845 090 0171
e-mail: danielle.newman@pazang.co.uk
WWW: http://: www.pazang.co.uk

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