The measurable business benefits of unified communications (UC) and cloud computing are reason enough for many organizations to push through the barriers to implementation. However, in the past, adequate experience and education in implementation procedures remains a stumbling block. Yet that may be starting to change. Fonality (News - Alert), a business communications company, recently reported that small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) recognize the importance of education when it comes to new computing trends.
The Fonality study, "2012 Small and Medium-Sized Business Communications Plans and Priorities State-of-the-Market Report," shows that while reducing TCO and increasing ROI are key parameters for SMBs, education in cloud-based technology is now perceived as pivotal when competing against larger companies. Nearly half the survey respondents (52 percent) felt they had the IT staff and resources to implement cloud computing and related technology. For SMBs, the fact that an organization can fulfill its computing requirements on an as-needed basis by simply purchasing services is a key attractor to the cloud. Essentially, cloud computing consists of a ‘pay for use’ model similar to what a utility company offers. A company’s size and its computing prerequisites dictate the scale of services it will require.
In the case of SMBs, increasing numbers are identifying the cloud and UC as important differentiators. According to Fonality CEO David Scult, "As awareness about the benefits of cloud solutions gains momentum, [the report] 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 found that in general, small and medium enterprises face common obstacles when trying to adopt a new communications platform or update an existing infrastructure. More specifically, the report identified UC as an important means for eliminating productivity shortfalls. By saving several hours a day in productivity due to UC implementation, SMBs achieved significant yearly gains.
Even so, the barriers remain. The Fonality report indicated that 28 percent of respondents reported that insufficient staff kept them from implementing UC. In another finding, 28 percent said that just keeping up with the pace of technology changes hampered them from instituting company-wide tech changes. Cloud features, such as scalability and on-demand resource allocation, are fundamental to why an increasing number of small companies and large enterprises are incorporating the cloud into their business. As SMBs recognize the importance of technology education for keeping pace with innovation, their capabilities for undertaking new technology initiatives should correspondingly increase.
Want to learn more about cloud communications? Then be sure to attend the Cloud Communications Expo, collocated with TMC’s ITEXPO East 2012 taking place Jan. 31-Feb. 3 2012, in Miami, FL. The Cloud Communications Expo will address a growing need of businesses to integrate and leverage cloud based communications applications, process enhancement techniques, and network based communications interfaces and architectures. To register, click here.
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Kerry Doyle has written extensively on high tech issues for over 15 years. He specializes in computing trends vital to SMBs and enterprises alike, from virtualization and cloud computing, to disaster recovery and network storage.