We are Calderdale's ONLY dedicated, not-for-profit provider of computer support services and solutions to local community, voluntary and faith sector organisations as well as local not-for-profit social and community enterprises.
Formed in 2001, the friendly people at DOT-COMmunications continue to supply a wide variety of reliable and cost-effective computer support services including technical solutions, web hosting, web and graphic design and a range of IT services specifically designed to benefit local community groups and not-for-profit organisations.
It's our aim to assist people and communities to get the best from their computers and ICT (Information and Communications Technology ) equipment.
What do we provide?
In a sentence, a friendly, common sense approach to your computer problems.
We can help with:
For more information visit our Services section.
The DOT-COMmunications team consists of a small, crack task force of dedicated computer technicians, web designers, graphic artists and database engineers...
We were set up to aid local not-for-profit organisations in getting the most from their IT equipment and to improve their computer skills. We have continually expanded our services since because as a not-for-profit community-based scheme ourselves, we value long term customer relationships over profit.
Our most recent achievement was becoming a Community Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher which allows us to supply high quality, refurbished computers to local charities and community groups at extremely low cost with a Microsoft Operating System installed .
Working our way and with our experience of the voluntary and community sector, our customers trust us to get on and deal with their IT problems. Our approach is about using plain language and keeping customers informed. It's our aim to work alongside, support and advise your own staff and volunteers rather than just sell you our products and services.
For further information, send us an email or telephone 01422-845003
We were amongst the first ICT support organisations in the country to sign up to the following Principles from the National ICT Hub:
The ICT Hub is a partnership of national voluntary & community organisations
providing a range of services to help voluntary and community sector organisations benefit from ICT.
As signatories we are committed to…
1. Recognise and respect the characteristics (vision, values, culture, funding, mission, beneficiaries and services) of the particular Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations we work with and adapt our approach appropriately.
2. Work honestly and transparently, declaring any conflicts of interest (including reselling activities) and be prepared to say when a non-ICT solution is the best course of action.
3. Use non-technical language and examples to help organisations understand ICT and their choices.
4. Understand the limitations of our ICT skills and knowledge and help to connect VCS organisations we work with to other ICT providers and development workers if we are not able to meet the organisation’s needs.
5. Ensure legal and best practice requirements are made explicit to the organisations we work with (e.g. health and safety, data protection, environmental, accessibility, inclusion, confidentiality and licensing).
6. Engage in continuous learning to maintain the necessary skills and level of knowledge to understand ICT, the VCS in general and any sub-sectors (e.g. health, environment, etc.) we work with.
7. Participate in and share our knowledge with the VCS ICT community and the organisations we work with.
8. Help organisations understand the impact ICT can have on staff, volunteers and beneficiaries, taking responsibility to highlight and assist with change management.
9. Equip organisations with tools, knowledge and processes to enable them to make informed decisions and take full advantage of ICT and how to make ongoing strategic decisions with or without external support.
10. Enable organisations to understand the total cost of ownership (TCO) needed to maintain and improve their ICT commitments, offering choice and refraining from prescribing dependency-based ICT solutions.
Eligible charities in Calderdale can now benefit from a wide range of donated software from companies such as Microsoft and Symantec as well as Cisco hardware products. The CTX Programme is overseen by the Charity Technology Trust and in order to participate, organisations are required to meet specific Eligibility Criteria.
The products include Microsoft operating systems, productivity software such as Microsoft Office and Microsoft Publisher and server software as well as a range of Cisco hardware products such as routers, ethernet switches and wireless adapters. Charities are required to pay a small administrative fee to cover the costs of the programme. Whilst the administrative fees vary, charities will still make savings of between 92-96% on typical retail prices.
For more information and to register, contact the CTX Programme.
OpenCD used to provide a well-known collection of high quality Free and Open Source Software. That project has now closed but a new one has opened at theopendisc.com offering a similar selection of programs providing word processing, presentations, e-mail, web browsing, web design, and image manipulation, all of which run under Windows. The CD includes only the highest quality programs which have been carefully tested for stability and are appropriate for use by a wide audience. You can download the .ISO file directly from here. These are quality programs and compare well with commercial software costing hundreds of pounds.
If you're unsure, how to burn the .ISO file onto a CD then visit here first or, if you are a Voluntary Organisation based in Calderdale, contact us and we will run a copy off for only £1 including P&P.
