Commmunity IT Academy

You can install Microsoft Backup on a Vista or Windows 7 system, but it doesn’t work properly when attempting to backup mapped, external drives such as NAS. Most free or online backing up packages do not allow the backing up of mapped drives, are limited in the capacity they allocate and/or don’t work with Vista or Windows 7.

CITA have identified a low cost product that will allow reliable backing up from Windows 7 or Vista pcs.

Acronis True Image, costs around £30 (charity discounts may be available)
 
As a result of our research we have also identified online backing up and collaboration tools that make remote working  a real possibility.

Are you with TalkTalk? Have you checked the speed of your connection (http://speedcheck.ispconnect.co.uk/)

Does each telephone (including the router) have a fully functioning microfilter attached?

Is the MTU set correctly on your router? The MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) is a critical setting and if your provider did not set up your router can easily be incorrectly set.

Check your user manual and ISP for instructions on how to change this setting.

Clients who applied this fix noticed a huge increase in performance.

Changing the MTU may also work for other providers – check on their websites for specific settings.

CITA presented a further ½ day course at NCVS, looking at how Web 2.0 technologies can help VCS organisations. The course looked at Social Media (Facebook and Twitter) and contained practical tips and hints of how to set up and promote a presence.

The session also included tips on RSS, Youtube, Flickr, content managed websites and a wider strategic look at planning campaigns using Web 2.0 technologies.

In partnership with NCVS, CITA presented a ½ day session around compliance and best practice, not the most of exciting topics we know but invaluable to address vulnerabilities.

The course covered aspects of law such as Health & Safety, the Data Protection Act and the DDA, copyright and licensing (Microsoft, anti-virus solutions, images and other web based content), and best practice (backing up, acceptable use, policy).

The “how to” section of our website contains all the supporting material to help your organisation become fully compliant in terms of ICT or contact us to arrange specific training sessions for your organisation. www.communityitacademy.org/vcs-toolkit

We are keen for our customers, friends and fans to contribute and help us to identify and develop further ICT services for the VCS.

If you have a Facebook page or are on Twitter let us know – why not become a part of a wider North East VCS network?

Visit CITA on Facebook.

Since launching the web design service in 2007 CITA have completed approaching 50 websites for voluntary sector organisations.

VODA, Moving On and Hadrian Trust have all launched websites in the last few months and we have a healthy order book.

With prices as keen as ever and new products and services being developed all the time, who will be the 50th?

 For more about our web design service see Web Design.

CITA is running a 6 month pilot project aiming to offer the VCS (Voluntary Community Sector) a wide ranging and practical telephone support line for IT issues.

Initially it is targeted at H2R groups but will be made available to the wider VCS from April 2010.

The service goes beyond the traditional support offered to our membership and offers fully remote services, support and training as a part of the package.

See www.communityitacademy.org/telephoneplus, or call CITA on 0191 256 5015 for more details.