IT Standardization is a strategy for minimizing IT costs within an organization by keeping hardware and software as consistent as possible and reducing the number of tools you have that address the same basic need.

When someone refers to a server, what are they talking about? Put most simply, a server is a piece of software or hardware that provides resources to one or more computers on a network. The word “server” causes some confusion because it’s used as a catch-all term for several distinct things.

In a peer-to-peer network there are no dedicated servers or hierarchy among the computers. All of the computers on the network handle security and administration for themselves.

In the simplest terms, a network consists of two or more computers that are connected together to share information. All networking, no matter how complex, builds off this simple system. Though this may seem like a basic idea, the concept was a major achievement in communications.

Your small nonprofit organization is growing. You have more staff, more computers, more printers, and more documents to save. It might be time for a server to help unify and manage the information technology in your office.

Before turning to a high-priced technician or asking a consultant to take a look, follow our steps to solve the problem yourself -- or at the very least, narrow down its causes.

Pensate di dovervi aggiornare a Windows 7? Quattro domande da farsi prima di acquistare Windows 7 e disporne presso la propria organizzazione

Just as locks, alarms, and watchdogs protect your home from intruders and thieves, security software helps guard your computer against threats like hackers, viruses, and harmful software.

Vista's launch has already generated some questions about upgrading, new features, tech support, and whether now is a good time to migrate your computers to this new OS.  To help you make an informed decision about Vista, we've answered a handful of questions that we think nonprofits will be most concerned with. You may want to use our answers to assess the potential pros and cons of upgrading to Vista at your nonprofit.

If your nonprofit relies on Microsoft Office for crucial day-to-day tasks, you may be wondering about the recently released Office 2007 suite's new features, potential impact on your budget, and whether upgrading now makes sense. To help you decide whether moving to Office 2007 is right for your organization, we've answered a handful of frequently asked questions. You may want to use our answers to assess the potential pros and cons of upgrading to Vista at your own organization.