Cloud services such as Office 365 give SMBs the opportunity to access advanced IT solutions on a budget.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly aware of the need to equip employees with the latest IT solutions, tools and applications.
In an increasingly digital world, they can either embrace technology or continue to fall further behind their rivals - those who are using ecommerce, the cloud and social media.
But for many SMBs, the lack of available finance for major IT investment has traditionally proven to be a major constraint.
Firms have simply not had the funds available to keep on the pulse where technology is concerned, making it difficult to compete with larger and better-resourced rivals.
However, all this has been changed by the cloud.
There is no longer any need to make major capital purchases in order to upgrade your technology infrastructure, since most services are available in the cloud.
SMBs can sign up for cloud-based software - such as in the Office 365 productivity suite - and pay for it as they use it.
Rather than spending money they do not have on new hardware and the latest software, small companies can simply subscribe for online updates.
This allows them to move to an investment model based on operational expenditure, which offers greater flexibility according to current cashflow.
SMBs can access the same IT solutions as larger rivals, putting them on more of an even keel and giving them the time to grow.
Posted by Sarah Parish
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