There are many choices for organizations when deciding on an messaging and collaboration platform and or provider. Most organizations will need to consider function and features compared to cost, and for Non-Profit (501(c3)) organizations that decision just can be a little easier due to Microsoft's philanthropy initiatives.
Starting in September 2013 Microsoft announced that they wanted to increase subscribers to their Office 365 platform by offering their Enterprise level 1 plan free to 501(c3) organizations and their Enterprise level 3 plan at about eighty percent off.
No for my organization that hosted our own Exchange and Lync servers we were struggling with to keep mailbox sizes reasonable, to keep server backup manageable and provide Instant Messaging features up to date the offering by Microsoft was great news. So we did our due diligence to make sure the offering wasn't a bait and switch, that the features we needed would be within the free package and that we were not going to need new software of extensive end users training.
Since we currently use Office 2010 and Lync 2010 there was nothing new and we would get OneDrive and SharePoint for an extranet. Everything was looked great and so we signed up and began mapping a migration strategy. The migration of Lync was super easy, Exchange had a few bumps but nothing major and a month later we now have all staff connecting to Office 365 for Exchange Online and Lync Online. The really remarkable part of it all is that there was no data loss and staff were typically only without email for a few hours during their mailbox migration.
All in all if your organization is a registered 501(c3) then Microsoft's Office 365 Enterprise 1 package is worth researching.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Home Solar System Made Affordable
Wow it has been two years since I last posted an article on Home Solar Systems and since then a lot has changed. The most notable is the cost of entry that was around $15,000 for a average sized system. Today you can get that same system for free, or at least zero entry cost as nothing is truly free.
How is this possible that companies are installing system at no cost to the home owner. Well it has to do with a contract called a 'Purchase Agreement' which states that you will purchase a specific amount of electricity from the company who is installing the system and who are the owners of the system.
Some of the nice parts about them being the owners of the solar system are as follows. They install and maintain the solar system throughout a predetermined length of time. At the end of that time you have the option to have a new system installed or have that system removed.
We have recently decided to have a system installed owned and maintained by SolarCity. The length of the contract is twenty years at which time we can renew a contract (and get a new system) or have them remove the system at no cost to us. SolarCity will design the system, pull building permits, install the system and of course maintain the system for the length of the contract. In return we agree to purchase a specific amount of electricity from them/the system every month for the length of the contract. The contract does have annual increases that are spelled out in the contract so every year we know what the cost of electricity from the system will cost. Any extra electricity the system creates will feed to the electric company's grid and will help offset the amount of electricity we purchase from them.
Sounds good? Well see, we singed the contract about three weeks ago and are in the phase of them pulling permits. I will update the post as we get to the next phase.
How is this possible that companies are installing system at no cost to the home owner. Well it has to do with a contract called a 'Purchase Agreement' which states that you will purchase a specific amount of electricity from the company who is installing the system and who are the owners of the system.
Some of the nice parts about them being the owners of the solar system are as follows. They install and maintain the solar system throughout a predetermined length of time. At the end of that time you have the option to have a new system installed or have that system removed.
We have recently decided to have a system installed owned and maintained by SolarCity. The length of the contract is twenty years at which time we can renew a contract (and get a new system) or have them remove the system at no cost to us. SolarCity will design the system, pull building permits, install the system and of course maintain the system for the length of the contract. In return we agree to purchase a specific amount of electricity from them/the system every month for the length of the contract. The contract does have annual increases that are spelled out in the contract so every year we know what the cost of electricity from the system will cost. Any extra electricity the system creates will feed to the electric company's grid and will help offset the amount of electricity we purchase from them.
Sounds good? Well see, we singed the contract about three weeks ago and are in the phase of them pulling permits. I will update the post as we get to the next phase.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
VoIP for the beginners
Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP as it is commonly know as can either save you lots of money or cost you lots of time. There are several options to consider and each has their own positives and negatives, you should think about what you want to accomplish before looking at all the different companies providing VoIP solutions.
For example, do you just want to make voice calls, or do you want to do video as well? Who will you be calling and where do they live? Will you be asking others to make changes so that you can call them on your new VoIP system and what will that cost them? Do you want lots of extra features, such as chat, computer integration, MS Office integration, desktop sharing, conference calling, etc.
Once you have made a list of options you want then start looking at providers. Some of which only supply a single solution while others have various options. Two main options are Vonage and Skype. At their core both provide a basic VoIP solution but do so in very different ways. Vonage is a pay for service and you get a hardware device that plugs in line with your current phone. It provides a low cost calling plan to the US and many countries around the world.
Skype is a software solution that has varying degrees of setup and scalability. At the beginners level you can create an account for free, install the software on a computer and within minutes be calling someone (that also has a Skype account). With Skype's free account you are limited to who you can call but for a small yearly price you can extend that calling group and give yourself a phone number that allows anyone to call you. Skype offers a wide array of options with hardware, software and calling plans.
Take a look at what your needs are and then begin looking at all the options, I have only listed two here but there are many more.
For example, do you just want to make voice calls, or do you want to do video as well? Who will you be calling and where do they live? Will you be asking others to make changes so that you can call them on your new VoIP system and what will that cost them? Do you want lots of extra features, such as chat, computer integration, MS Office integration, desktop sharing, conference calling, etc.
Once you have made a list of options you want then start looking at providers. Some of which only supply a single solution while others have various options. Two main options are Vonage and Skype. At their core both provide a basic VoIP solution but do so in very different ways. Vonage is a pay for service and you get a hardware device that plugs in line with your current phone. It provides a low cost calling plan to the US and many countries around the world.
Skype is a software solution that has varying degrees of setup and scalability. At the beginners level you can create an account for free, install the software on a computer and within minutes be calling someone (that also has a Skype account). With Skype's free account you are limited to who you can call but for a small yearly price you can extend that calling group and give yourself a phone number that allows anyone to call you. Skype offers a wide array of options with hardware, software and calling plans.
Take a look at what your needs are and then begin looking at all the options, I have only listed two here but there are many more.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Home Solar System?
After my last post on solar I did some more research into different manufactures, types, levels of systems and electric companies. I found a poleathera of information with some key things to consider.
The first thing to consider when deciding on a solar system for your home is, how long do you plan to live there? If the answer is less than ten years you might want to hold off. Most comprehensive home systems will cost between $15,000 to $30,000 so unless you have a lot of cash just sitting in a bank account you will need to finance the project over at least five years.
Then if you live in newer home and have an association or CC&R (codes covenants and regulations) will they allow a system on your roof and if so what considerations will you need to make.
The next process you will need to do is to inquire about what are the rules or regulations imposed by you electric provider. Some may have programs to allow only a certain amount of customers introduced to their program and the progarm is full for the year.
Once you have gone through this list and still have a green light, then it would be a good time to call a professional to get a quote. Even if you are going to DIY the project it is always helpful to get a professional's view, also you will then know how much you could save by DIY the project.
So good luck and may the sun always be to your back and not in your eyes.
The first thing to consider when deciding on a solar system for your home is, how long do you plan to live there? If the answer is less than ten years you might want to hold off. Most comprehensive home systems will cost between $15,000 to $30,000 so unless you have a lot of cash just sitting in a bank account you will need to finance the project over at least five years.
Then if you live in newer home and have an association or CC&R (codes covenants and regulations) will they allow a system on your roof and if so what considerations will you need to make.
The next process you will need to do is to inquire about what are the rules or regulations imposed by you electric provider. Some may have programs to allow only a certain amount of customers introduced to their program and the progarm is full for the year.
Once you have gone through this list and still have a green light, then it would be a good time to call a professional to get a quote. Even if you are going to DIY the project it is always helpful to get a professional's view, also you will then know how much you could save by DIY the project.
So good luck and may the sun always be to your back and not in your eyes.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Looking To The Sun
A new technology gaining ground is solar panels. It seems that every where you look, either a business or a subdivision is putting them in. Small companies are starting up and ones that have been around a while are all benefiting from this interest.
Installing most systems appear to be expensive up front and while the savings to your electric bill may not be large. The bigger impact is to the environment and to future generations. Because for all the talk about not wanting to burden our children with debt or global warming this is the first time in generations that a major impact is actually occurring.
I think the bigger picture is who is it that is installing these systems, I don't mean who are the installing companies but is are the people paying to have these systems installed? They are the ones which are helping our children and future generations.
Just my thoughts.
Installing most systems appear to be expensive up front and while the savings to your electric bill may not be large. The bigger impact is to the environment and to future generations. Because for all the talk about not wanting to burden our children with debt or global warming this is the first time in generations that a major impact is actually occurring.
I think the bigger picture is who is it that is installing these systems, I don't mean who are the installing companies but is are the people paying to have these systems installed? They are the ones which are helping our children and future generations.
Just my thoughts.
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