Well, it’s the new year and it is time again for that time honored tradition—new year’s resolutions. In addition to the usual list (go to bed earlier, lay off dessert, take the dog for a walk every night), I have a few about how to make better use of the technology that surrounds me. They are all pretty simple but I think that they can be helpful to you. Here they are:

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With all the talk about Cloud computing, you may be asking what NPower thinks of this technology. Well, we are actually very excited about it and have already started working with a number of organizations to move some important mission critical applications, especially email, out of the local office and to the cloud

NPower has just completed a proof of concept deployment using Google Apps to provide email and calendaring services along with an Intranet solution for a small organization. Coming off the success of this project, NPower is actively working with several other organizations to deploy Google Apps to replace internal email systems. We are also beginning a proof of concept deployment in January using a solution from Microsoft called the Business Productivity Online Solution or BPOS which we anticipate completing in March 2010. This solution provides most of the same features of a traditional Exchange server but with several additional features that some organizations may find very compelling.

Which solution is right for your organization? Well, one size does not always fit all but NPower can help you identify the right solution for your organization.

We are pleased to let you know that we have added the ability to customize Salesforce.com to our list of capabilities at NPower Greater DC. Increasingly, nonprofits are finding this powerful tool a great way to create a variety of databases including donor management systems and constituent tracking systems. We are working with our friends at the Nonprofit Roundtable to organize a workshop in early March on some of the interesting things our local nonprofits are doing with Salesforce. Stay tuned for more details. Please email me at Julie@npowergdcr.org if you are interested in learning more about our capabilities. And, check out the Salesforce Foundation’s website http://foundation.force.com/home.

We are big fans of the Idealware, a nonprofit website which provides candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits. We find their product comparisons very useful and recommend them to you when you are selecting software solutions for your nonprofit. Topics covered include constituent databases, websites, email and advocacy, and a broad range of office productivity tools. They also have frequent webinars—cost is $40 for a live seminar and $20 for a recorded session. You might find some of the upcoming sessions of interest. Check out the Idealware site for more information—www.idealware.org.

Making the Most of Social Networking Sites
Thursday January 21st, 1:00 - 2:30 EST

Comparing Open Source CMSs: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Plone
Thursday January 28th, 1:00 - 2:30 EST

Getting Started with Online Conferencing
Thursday February 4th, 1:00 - 2:30 EST

As part of its commitment to Strengthen Nonprofit Organizations through Information Technology, Microsoft is hosting a series of free webinars to help nonprofit organizations explore how IT can help them be more efficient and effective in their work. Designed specifically with nonprofits in mind, the free webinar series will cover topics ranging from Windows 7 to Making the Most of Social Media Tools to Harnessing SharePoint for Effective Collaboration. All webinars will be offered free to nonprofit organizations, but space is limited and pre-registration is required.

The first webinar, Meet Windows 7: Your Nonprofit PC Simplified, is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27th from 10:00am to 11:00am PST. Seats are limited, so learn more and register today!

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Meet Windows 7: Your Nonprofit PC, Simplified

In this brief but information-packed webinar, you’ll get the scoop direct from the Microsoft Community Affairs team about what matters to nonprofits in Windows 7. We’ll review how eligible nonprofit organizations can request a donation of Windows 7 Upgrade software, and highlight some of the new features that nonprofit organizations will especially like, including:

• Safety and security enhancements such as Windows Defender and BitLocker;

• Some cool, new tools like jump lists, pin, shake, snap and peek that make Windows 7 work the way you want, and;

• Ease of use enhancements like finding wireless networks and setting up printers more quickly.

Whether you’re already using Windows 7, or just curious to learn more, this webinar will definitely help you get better acquainted with Microsoft’s latest operating system. Attendance is free, but space is limited, so register today!

We welcome our new NPower ON! clients for 2009 and are delighted to have the chance to work with you! Welcome to: Association of Children’s Museums, CEDPA, CLASP, DC Vote, Equal Justice Works, Georgetown BID, Girls on the Run of No Va, Latino Economic Development Corporation, Lifestarts Youth and Family Services, Mentors Inc, NCCNHR, Neighborhood Legal Services, Polaris Project, Threshold Services, Urban Alliance Foundation, and Volunteers of America Chesapeake. We provide each of these organizations high quality services at affordable prices. If you are interested in learning more about NPower's capabilities, please contact me at Julie@npowergdcr.org.