The UK small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market is extremely diverse, comprising 1.2 million businesses, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.
SMEs employ 56 per cent of the UK workforce and account for half of the £2.4tn sales of all companies in the country. As such, they are an increasingly important user of technology.
In this special online report, Computing examines the IT issues facing SMEs, looking at the latest research and talking to IT managers in the sector about the challenges they face. We have gathered all our recent news, analysis, features and web seminars into this unique resource for SME IT managers.
We have also published a special digital e-book examinining the issues around meeting customer needs with IT for SMEs, which can be downloaded here: Computing SME e-book
SME news from Computing
SMEs have little
protection against phishing
Nearly two thirds (62 per cent) of SMEs have no system in place to
protect against phishing attacks, according to a survey by vendor Network Box.
The survey also found that thirty-eight per cent of SMEs have no protection
against spyware.
UK SMEs set to spend on
security and storage
Research from AMI has claimed that UK SMEs will spend $2.2bn this year on
security and storage, an increase of 15 per cent, with $1.47bn on data storage
and $730m on security.
Ecommerce on the rise
among small businesses
The number of small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) offering full ecommerce
facilities has grown considerably in recent years, according to new research.
Although the Actinic survey found that just 11 per cent of SMEs boast a full
ecommerce presence, this was almost double the figure reported in recent years.
Small business IT spending on
the rise
IT budgets for small businesses are expected to increase by over 12 per cent in
the coming year, but innovation is being pushed to the side, according to
research.
Small businesses look for
service over price in telecoms
Three-quarters of UK small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) choose telecoms
suppliers on the basis of customer service rather than price, according to
research by analyst Yankee Group.
SAP digs deeper into small
business market
Business software vendors are increasingly turning their focus to SMEs as the
market in larger organisations becomes increasingly saturated.
SME features from Computing
The great leap
forward
A Computing web seminar looked at how small firms can capitalise on
their ability to innovate.
A
creative environment
Entrepreneurs’ talent for recognising and exploiting the business opportunity
must be encouraged.
Case
study: Napp Pharmaceutical
How one SME is using innovative technologies to transform its business
processes
Keep the customer satisfied
A Computing web seminar looked at how small firms can attract and build
custom
Technology is bearing fruit
Does anyone know anyone rich? That email signalled the start of the
Innocent success story.
Public relations
The onus is on businesses to make technology a viable option for consumers, says
Paul Cooper of the Institute of Customer Services
Case study: Netstore
Netstore, a provider of managed IT services, decided to invest in a customer
relationship management (CRM) system to help grow the business.
Small firms thinking big
What essential applications can small and medium-sized firms introduce to allow
them to compete with larger, more powerful organisations?
A winning combination
Matching IT strategy to business needs can help smaller firms attract good
candidates.
Meeting the challenge
When time and resources are tight, how can smaller business best invest in
technology to improve their competitiveness?
How are small businesses
spending their IT budgets?
We look at the issues facing UK small and medium-sized businesses
Small expectations
According to exclusive Computing research, conducted in association
with Oracle, compliance and regulatory requirements top the list of factors
influencing IT strategy and planning for SMEs.
Systems strategy
A Computing web seminar, in association with Oracle, looked at the role
played by IT systems in helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to
develop.
Making systems fit
We talk to two companies about the challenges for IT managers in the sector
Shared headaches
Smaller budgets and restricted resources are typically cited as unique pressures
faced by SME IT managers. But the technology priorities for small businesses ar
e actually very similar to those of their bigger counterparts, according to
Computing’s exclusive research.
Computing web seminars
How
IT innovation can accelerate your growth
In this Computing SME debate, our panel of experts examined three key
aspects of IT innovation and answered your questions on how to grow through
technology.
Going
for growth: How SMEs can meet customer demand
In this Computing SME debate, our panel of experts examined three key aspects of
meeting customer demands with IT, and answered SMEs' questions on how to apply
technology to improve their business.
The
SME IT priorities debate
This Computing web seminar gathered a panel of experts to debate the
key questions facing SME IT managers, and to answer questions on successful IT
strategies for SMEs.
SMEs
& The Future of IT
This web seminar discussed how IT can improve the performance of SMEs in order
to assist them in achieving their objective. The event examined current
trends/attitudes in UK plc, and looked forward to how technology and business
will further adapt.
Using
IT to grow
We looked at the role of IT in the smaller, mid-size and growing business –
typically speaking, those organisations with up to 1,000 employees. We also
revealed exclusive research that will examine trends in the deployment and
development of application systems.
Business First from The Independent
For more information on how business issues affect SMEs, please visit the Business First online resource provided by our partners The Independent.
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