A new report has drawn a clear link between the performance of small and medium-sized businesses and their understanding of, and confidence with, Information Technology.
The key finding of the 2013 Global SMB IT Confidence Index from Symantec, which surveyed 2,500 small companies around the world, was that companies who are more confident in their use of IT experience “stronger, better business outcomes as a result”.
Other notable findings were:
- 83% of the best performing SMEs use technology as a business enabler, compared to just 44% of the worst.
- 81% of top tier companies are “using computing strategically to drive our business forward”; just 35% of the poorest performers made a similar claim.
- Top tier businesses are more likely to invest in high quality technologies such as Cloud computing, balancing risk against potential reward.
- The best performing businesses experience fewer cyber-attacks and 51% lower associated financial losses than their weaker counterparts. This is because 81% of top performers aggressively apply security measures to protect their data and computer systems.
Summing up the findings, the report’s authors suggest investing in IT for value, not cost alone. IT needs to be used strategically to meet business goals if the full value of the investment is to be recognised.
For more help and advice on using Cloud technologies to give your SME a competitive advantage, or how to use Cloud technologies strategically, give the Broadband Cloud Solutions team a call today on 0141 585 6363.
Leave a Reply
