Managing IT Archives - Page 10 of 10

Who’s In Charge Of Your Website?

By Jonathan Smith | April 11, 2005

The advent of the website and the technology it involves has forced most organizations to react quickly to get something “up and running.” As is true with most new technologies, best practice strategies follow their introduction based on lessons learned. An issue we’re just beginning to put our finger on that can cost or save an organization tens— or even hundreds— of thousands is: Who is in charge of your website?

New Building Strategies

By Jonathan Smith | December 12, 2004

Growing churches and ministries often find themselves in the building / up-sizing process. While such business essentials as telephones are usually factored into the planning process, computer systems are often forgotten. Yet today’s ministries are dependent on the digital storage and movement of information we affectionately call data. What needs to be considered when designing new buildings?

Evaluating Technology’s Costs & Benefits

By Jonathan Smith | September 20, 2004

Bill Gates once said, “Why would anyone want more than 640k of RAM memory?” That was a couple of decades ago, and a lot has changed since then. Today’s PCs process more information faster than anything imagined in the early days of computing. The software is demanding, however, and needs a lot of resources to work well. The question is, “When is it good stewardship to upgrade computers?” At what point does it cost more to work with older computer technology than it costs to upgrade?

How To Avoid a Bad Church Network

By Jonathan Smith | June 17, 2004

Many disagree about the best way to design church computer networks. Someone once said that if you ask three network engineers how to build a network you’ll get four answers! But is there a way to tell if a design strategy makes sense? I think so.

Training– A Simple Strategy That Really Works!

By Jonathan Smith | February 21, 2004

Many ministries ask our firm to evaluate their use of computer technology and make recommendations. Part of our process includes interviewing team members and asking a wide range of questions. One of the needs they consistently express is the need to learn more about how to use the tools they already have. They want to be efficient and effective, and they’re sure that training would help. We call training the most neglected component of ministry computer systems. There is a simple strategy we saw in place at one client that costs little, is easy to accomplish, and produces great results. And doing it will help your ministry accomplish more, in less time, and for less!

9 Ways for IT to Bless Your Ministry

By Jonathan Smith | January 14, 2004

We’re learning to change our game face as IT professionals, finding new ways to serve our teams and reduce our intimidation factor. With that in mind, here are some ideas that can help.

The Latest in Evangelistic Trends: International Arms Trafficking!

By Jonathan Smith | October 13, 2003

Some time ago an article caught my eye about folks going to jail because they took computers outside of the U.S. The problem was that, because of computer processor capabilities and the built-in cryptographic capabilities of common off-the-shelf software, it violated Export Administration Regulations. The article went on to describe the maximum fines and penalties associated with the export of these items: $1,000,000 plus 10 years in jail for each criminal violation, or $500,000 plus a 3-year export ban for each civil violation. A few days later a colleague who works for an international ministry told me he had just sent software updates to their overseas field offices. Click— the light went on. I told him about the article I had just read which applied to the software technology he just sent overseas. We were both shocked as we discussed the impact these regulations could have on similar international ministries.

IT Needs A Facelift!

By Jonathan Smith | August 13, 2003

Technology touches every aspect of ministry today. It’s also a major portion of ministry budgets. In fact, it enables those in ministry to do more and to do it more effectively. The surprising thing, though, is that most ministry teams are kind of scared of us! Can we talk here?

Handling IT Emergencies

By Jonathan Smith | June 5, 2003

Some networks live in a constant state of panic. They go from one emergency to another, sometimes with little time to catch one’s breath. Other networks seem to run without error, needing only to be restarted because of scheduled maintenance. Regardless of where you are in the network stability continuum, emergencies can hit and you need to have a plan… just in case.