Suffolk tech giant pledges $10m to give charities free software for life
Halo, one of the UK's biggest tech firms based in Stowmarket, has launched a $10m (£7.4m) scheme offering charities free software for life, aiming to stop millions being diverted from frontline services to licence fees.
Why it matters: The Halo Impact scheme addresses a problem where major charities spend millions annually on enterprise software subscriptions, taking funds away from the causes they support.
The details: The initiative covers lifetime licence fees and consultancy costs for charities moving to Halo's service management platform.
Halo is also launching a disaster relief programme, deploying teams to regions hit by natural disasters and humanitarian crises. The goal is helping relief organisations coordinate aid delivery more effectively through rapid implementation of service management systems.
What they're saying: "Technology should never be a barrier to doing good," said Paul Hamilton, Halo's founder and chief executive. "Our vision is to make sure that efficient management solutions are readily available for every organisation trying to make the world a better place."
For context: Hamilton started Halo from a spare bedroom in Stowmarket over 20 years ago, gradually building it into a company now worth more than £1bn. The firm employs more than 150 people at its Gipping Way headquarters and serves clients including Microsoft and Red Bull.
Hamilton has pioneered what the company calls 'The Halo Way' – a self-managed workplace culture that has seen revenue double annually for eight consecutive years.
The bottom line: Stowmarket-based Halo, a provider of service management solutions, is channelling its growth into supporting charities and disaster relief, offering permanent free access to software that typically costs organisations millions.
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