Digital Media Buzz > NGOs Get Into Cloud Computing

NGOs Get Into Cloud Computing

By Linda Broughton

Non-profit governmental organizations (NGOs) are discovering cloud computing. Cloud computing is a cheap and lightweight Software as a Service (SaaS) option for economically limited and geographically stretched NGOs. Cloud computing removes the cost of purchasing and maintaining hardware and software while nullifying deployment costs and reducing the overall TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). Centralizing software and data greatly simplifies inter-organization collaboration.

The current collaboration between SaaS/PaaS cloud computing company WOLF and the India-based sustainable development NGO, Social Education and Development Society (SEDs) is a perfect example of this trend. According to Aditya Tandon of WOLF, “the Web openness of the cloud allows NGOs to selectively expose operational data/statistics to the public, subscribers or to a private audience (such as donors) in the form of emails, RSS feeds, blogs and website content.” And all this for a price that the NGO can afford and justify - to both its rural stakeholders and more urban resource base.

For example, just like a for-profit business, NGOs get funded for results. It’s essential to have consistent and accurate data that the fundraiser can use to brag and bag more cash. Real-time data can also be used to identify issues and patterns in how money is being spent and which projects need more resources and additional attention from the central office - something best done via a central database that tracks who enters which data when and from where. On top of this, Tandon highlights that online tools like blogging and RSS feeds attract public attention and can even be used to build up an online community that supports (emotionally and financially) the NGO. These marketing capabilities are just one cloud in a very big sky.

Most of these tools exist in the self-sustaining Internet infrastructure that is cloud computing. The trick is selecting the tools and customizing them to meet the NGO’s needs and capabilities.

WOLF provides SEDs, the second largest NGO in India, with customized SaaS and PaaS solutions. WOLF noted that the secret to success with SEDs - as with any NGO - is collaboration. WOLF consulted and provided access to the cloud infrastructure that met the economic, information, communication and altruistic needs of SEDs.

The story of SEDs and WOLF Framework is part of a growing trend. The skill set required for an NGO like SEDs is rarely technical. NGO workers are often social engineers and entrepreneurs seeking long-term community development despite limited resources. For the average NGO field office, the Internet can be a luxury and SaaS can seem out of bounds. But reality demands that NGOs, often at the mercy of public and private donors far away from the field, are at least visible online, and increasingly reality requires that NGOs are capable of collecting and communicating their work and ambitions to these far away funders via the net.

The only limitation to the cloud is the experience and Internet accessibility of an NGO’s staff. Companies like WOLF are addressing this problem through collaborative customization, training, and through exploring remote accessibility options for NGO field staff far from an access center.