As a provider of cloud telephony and hosted unified communications services, Fonality (News - Alert) makes a point of staying on top of the latest developments from the cloud-based sectors, most importantly when it comes to the SMB. To this end, the company conducts active research to figure out how the market is progressing, who is benefitting, and which areas need the most attention.
In one of its most recent studies, titled “2012 Small and Medium-Sized Business Communications Plans and Priorities State-of-the-Market Report,” Fonality conducted a comprehensive survey measuring communications goals and challenges for the small and medium-sized businesses of the developing cloud sector.
One of the most important results of the report was the statistic that there has been a 14 percent increase in the SMB’s understanding of cloud-based service options from 2011. Unsurprisingly, the survey also revealed that cost is still the biggest concern for the SMB, with optimizing the total cost of operations at the forefront of most smaller organizations.
Fonality’s new CEO, David Scult, remarked, “As awareness about the benefits of cloud solutions gains momentum, these findings suggest that SMBs are beginning to connect the cost-saving potential of these services to their overall mission of reducing expenditures and minimizing TCO.”
The study also reported that education about the capabilities of cloud-based technology has significantly increased and is perceived as a “great equalizer” against larger competitors, in addition to the notion that flexibility and mobility with communications solutions are gaining importance. Nearly one-quarter of respondents made that distinction.
Additionally, 85 percent of respondents noted the important need to provide access to communications solutions for remote employees.
Scult continued, “While controlling costs by investing in new technology seems contradictory, cloud-based communications tools, in particular, can be leveraged to drive competitive differentiation and maximize operational expenses. As a result, this technology can help spur growth through enhanced productivity and efficiency.”
Steve Taylor, editor-in-chief and publisher for Webtorials, Fonality’s portal for these studies, remarked, “It is encouraging to see that SMBs are taking the initiative to learn more about cloud-based services,” said. “This is a needed first step for SMBs to realize the tools and solutions available to achieve the goals they stated as unattainable.”
Fonality’s Aron Aicard (News - Alert) will be speaking at ITEXPO East 2012 in Miami next week. To find out more about Aicard and Fonality, check out the sessions here and at the show! Don’t wait. Register now.
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Juliana Kenny graduated from the University of Connecticut with a double degree in English and French. After managing a small company for two years, she joined TMC (News - Alert) as a Web Editor for TMCnet. Juliana currently focuses on the call center and CRM industries, but she also writes about cloud telephony and network gear including softswitches.
Edited by Chris DiMarco