IGEL thin clients will be used to help the homeless across London this Christmas

Reading, UK. December 13, 2010: IGEL is donating 240 thin clients for use in the Crisis at Christmas initiative running in London from December 19th. The IGEL thin clients will be used as information stations and internet telephones at 10 centres across the capital during the festive season, enabling thousands of CRISIS charity volunteers to make the greatest possible difference for more than 2,000 homeless guests.

The thin clients are part of a total IT solution being provided to Crisis at Christmas by the Aimar Foundation, a charity founded to provide IT support to other charities. For the third year running, the Aimar Foundation is funding and setting up the information systems network, with help from global IT companies and the support of volunteers, principally from Morgan Stanley.

The technology will allow CRISIS volunteers to communicate and identify shelter for homeless people over the Christmas period as well as allow homeless visitors to get in touch with friends and family or use the technology to help improve their situation.

“We are providing IT expertise, through our volunteers and equipment to enable CRISIS to home, feed, clothe and advise those who, often through no fault of their own, have lost everything,” explained Terry Knott, CEO of Aimar. “It is essential that the CRISIS staff can communicate effectively to provide this lifeline at this very important time of the year, when so many have nowhere else to go. Those in need can also access the IT network, for additional advice and support. We are very happy to help Crisis and indeed any other small charity that needs our practical and expert support, at any time of the year.”

Simon Richards, IGEL’s UK General Manager, added: “IGEL has been very successful in providing thin client solutions to the charitable sector over many years and we were delighted to support the Aimar Foundation because of its great work and its association on this project with our reseller partners Intercept IT and SCC together with volunteers from our customer Morgan Stanley. The IGEL thin clients are ideal for Crisis at Christmas because they are simple and fast to set-up using our centralised management software, secure because all data is held on central servers and reliable because they have no fan or moving parts.”

For further information about Crisis at Christmas visit: http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/christmas.html

For further information about the Aimar Foundation visit: www.theaimarfoundation.org