SMBs to emphasise SaaS and managed IT services

Date: 19 Feb 2008

Plotting its top IT predictions for the global small and medium sized business (SMB) market, research firm Access Markets International Partners (AMI-Partners) has suggested that technology in the sector will come to be dominated by software-as-a-service (SaaS) and managed services.

The analyst noted that growing supply-side trend to offer SMBs with remote services would decrease channel partner risk cost while increasing their ability to provide more clients with IT services.

The research indicated that companies offering SMBs managed IT services reported an average profit margin of 44 per cent, double that of those made from product-based reselling.

It also predicted that telecoms companies and broadband internet service providers (ISPs) would increasingly look to leverage SaaS solutions as a way to increase their revenue. AMI-Partners explained that SaaS allow vendors to act as a "virtual CIO" (chief information officer) for smaller companies, serving all of their technology related needs.

Among the company's other predictions, it was suggested that the evolution of mobile devices to open platforms in 2008 would push unified communications to the top of the agenda at many SMBs as they look to pursue new mobility-based business models.

It was also predicted that SMBs would follow the example of larger enterprises and look to tap into the social networking environment to grow their business and expand their potential customer base.

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