2015's Top 10 Products at TechSoup

It's time! You've been waiting all fiscal year to find out what the top 10 TechSoup products are for 2015. Are you on #TeamMicrosoft or #TeamSymantec? Get your final bets in now.

10. Microsoft Exchange Server User CAL — Enterprise

A CAL — or client access license — is a license that you need for each user or device that will connect to a server application. Microsoft Exchange is one of the most popular options for running your organization's email, scheduling, to-do lists, and more, so it's not surprising that Microsoft Exchange CALs are always a popular item at TechSoup.

The Enterprise CAL for Exchange works in conjunction with a Standard CAL. Enterprise CALs add functionality that's not accessible with the Standard CAL only, including unified messaging, custom retention policies, and more.

9. Intuit QuickBooks

What does managing your nonprofit's accounting have in common with "The Wire"? It's great once you get Intuit.

QuickBooks is always a favorite among our members. It's the industry standard for accounting packages, but it also packs features specifically designed for nonprofits.

When we asked one organization how it uses QuickBooks, its staff said that it's kind of like asking a fish how it uses water.

8. Microsoft Exchange Server User CAL — Standard

If you're using Exchange Server to manage your nonprofit's email, every user or device that accesses Exchange needs a Standard CAL.

Figure 1: A standard CAL.

7. Symantec Protection Suite Small Business Edition

More like Symantec Protection SWEET!

Symantec Protection Suite is a package of three products — Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition, Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange, and Symantec System Recovery Desktop Edition — giving your organization a strong line of defense against viruses, worms, spyware, and more.

Note: Symantec discontinued this product shortly after this post was published.

6. Acrobat XI Pro for Windows

If there's one thing nonprofits love even more than grant deadline extensions, it's PDFs. Acrobat lets you create and convert PDF documents, complete with links, editable fields, and even videos.

5. Windows Remote Desktop Services User CAL

Have a CAL, man. Windows Remote Desktop Services is a function in Windows Server that lets you remotely run applications from a separate computer or other device.

4. Microsoft Windows Operating System Upgrades

Microsoft Windows is a little-known operating system that only the really cool organizations use. You probably haven't heard of it.

3. Windows Server User CAL and Windows Server External Connector License

Coming in at #3 are the licenses for each user or computer accessing your copy of Windows Server. Starting to notice a pattern?

2. Microsoft Office Suite

It's never a surprise to see Microsoft Office near the top of the list. Whether you need it for writing a fundraising letter in Word, working out a project budget on Excel, or creating a PowerPoint to present to your board, almost all of the TechSoup members who request Microsoft product donations have gotten at least one copy of Microsoft Office.

1. Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition

But wait: #TeamSymantec pulls ahead! The most popular product on TechSoup this year was Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition. TechSoup members have requested more than 200,000 donated subscriptions to the service. For many organizations looking for an inexpensive way to protect their computers against viruses and security threats, Symantec Endpoint Protection is a must-have.

Remember: it's not too late to get in your donation requests for this fiscal year! For many TechSoup donation programs, the donation limits reset on July 1. That means that if you act now, you can request a donation, and then be eligible for another donation on or after July 1.

Check out the list of donation programs affected by the fiscal year-end, and be sure to request everything on your wish list by June 30.

This post was written by Elliot Harmon, a writer and open web activist. He lives in San Francisco.

Image 1: Celia Looney / CC BY-SA

Image 2: Keith Allison / CC BY-SA

Image 3: Jason Eppink / CC BY

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