Access Markets International (AMI) Partners, Inc. is a market consulting firm based in New York. AMI’s market intelligence of SMB trends and strategies specifically in the realms of IT, Internet, telecom, and managed services has them leading their industry.
Every SMB that relies on information communication technologies (ICT) is obviously aware of the following 2010 trends such as the increase in the use of software as a service (SaaS), managed services (MS), virtualization, and mobile applications.
Well here are 6 more trends for 2010 that AMI has identified while analyzing the global SMB arena.
1. SMBs will finally loosen up their ICT budgets
The fourth quarter of 2009 showed that SMBs were finally allocating room in their budgets for ICT purchases, and so in 2010 we will see a rise in this trend as SMBs switch from survival mode to business expansion. ICT technologies obviously facilitate this shift as they all around enhance business efficiency, making it easier to strengthen existing customer relationships as well as generate new ones through referrals and an impeccable image. ICT tools that will assist in employee collaboration, improved customer and prospect networking, and ICT tools for data backup and disaster recovery will become more important to SMBs in 2010.
2. All SMB ICT purchases will have tangible value in 2010
Due to the economic recession, business decision makers are now completely hands on with regards to their ICT purchases, and now in 2010 these decision makers will need complete justification for all ICT purchases that will guarantee tangible, measurable results. SMBs will be doing business with ICT vendors and managed service providers (MSPs) that have established themselves as trusted advisors in their field, professionals that can prove with quantifiable data the ROI attached to their products and services. Brand familiarity will also be key in 2010, as SMBs will make ICT purchases from well established leaders in the industry.
3. Cloud Computing Solutions will struggle to fully capitalize on the ICT industry potential in 2010
This third trend goes hand in hand with the aforementioned trend # 2. SMBs need stronger justification for all ICT purchases nowadays. They need tangible, measurable, guaranteed results from all of their investments. And with ICT that still appears somewhat ambiguous in the eyes of SMB decision makers, such as Cloud Computing Solutions, SMB decision makers are not only going to require justification for their purchases, but clarification on what these products and solutions entail. There is still much confusion for business decision makers who are not IT savvy on how exactly Cloud Computing Solutions will benefit their companies. ICT vendors and MSPs need to be perceived by SMBs as trusted advisors now more than ever, as these Cloud Computing Solutions deliver a tremendous ROI. They are cost effective, improve all business efficiencies, and now there are data backup and disaster recovery plans as well in case of emergencies.
4. Social Media’s popularity with SMBs will continue to grow in 2010, increasing its scope from just a promotional and networking tool to a source of business intelligence
Social Media obviously has become quite popular over the past few years, first with individuals, and now with businesses. As of 2009, the primary use of such sites as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn were for brand promotion and business networking. 2010 will see an increase in these prior trends as well as usher in a new era of Social Media for business, where businesses will be monitoring, measuring, and managing their brands, products, and services.
5. The number of “Total IT Providers” will increase in 2010, putting pressure on IT Specialists
Two factors are responsible for this trend. 1) The consolidation and convergence happening in the IT industry. The consolidation of leading vendors in the industry in the form of mergers and acquisitions and the convergence between hardware, software, and services translates into traditional value added resellers transitioning into full service, end-to-end managed technology providers. 2) With the economic climate the way it is, SMB are making fewer IT purchases, forcing traditional VARs to seek new outlets of revenue. What does this mean for the SMB looking for a MSP? It means that they will be adding even more value to their services in the way of product training and constantly available support.
6. There will be a “capabilities chasm” between MSPs in 2010
Now that the MS industry has matured, those MSPs who are seasoned will pull away from the pack as they will continue to adapt to meet the latest needs and goals of SMBs and a large imbalance of abilities and competence in the MSP realm will ensue. Not to mention, the more seasoned MSPs are more likely to be Partners with the big leaders in the industry, such as Microsoft, HP, and Cisco, and in 2010 AMI predicts that there will be more co-branding to the tune of “our product their service,” again putting the seasoned vets ahead of the pack. AMI has also noted that SMBs in general prefer one MSP that will provide full, end-to-end IT solutions as opposed to out-tasking different IT needs to different providers. And so once again, the more seasoned MSPs will be victorious in 2010 as they have been the ones to adapt their business model into one that is “total solutions” to meet their client’s needs.
Want to learn more about SMB business technology trends? You can visit the AMI Partner website and learn all about the company and their methods of analysis.
www.ami-partners.com
Want to learn more about managed services and how they can benefit your SMB? Call Bryley today at 888.280.5799 or Email us at Info@Bryley.com with any and all questions.
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