Following our announcement in May 2008 that Z/Yen would be running the Charities Consortium IT Directors Group (CCitDG) benchmarking for the next three years, the venture between Z/Yen and CCitDG is really starting to take shape.

Ian Harris and Leo Fishman presented the latest quarterly findings to the CCitDG Annual Conference in Stratford-Upon-Avon in October. Over 40 of the largest charities are already participating - 60% more than ever before. Feedback at the conference was very positive: participants are finding the exercise increasingly user friendly, flexible and dynamic. Feedback from the members is also allowing Z/Yen further to improve the benchmark and to come up with ideas to encourage even more members to participate. Organisations other than charities can buy in to this valuable source of information - please contact Ian Harris at ian_harris@zyen.com for more details.

Meanwhile Leo seems to be entering the spirit of “IT geek-hood” with gusto. On the way to the conference she was busy playing Jefferson Airplane, Neil Young and Van Morrison on Ian’s iPod. She also entered into the Z/Yen spirit by issuing Z/Yen gimcrack, both as prizes for those who have submitted the most data and as gifts for those who registered at the conference to participate in the benchmark for the first time.