SMEs miss out on cloud computing

Most SMEs have no plans to formalise a cloud computing strategy, according to a survey of owners and senior management by Close Brothers.

Of the 906 respondents, 464 (51 per cent) answered ‘no’ to the question ‘is your organisation formalising a cloud computing strategy?’, with only 266 (29 per cent) responding positively. The remaining 176 (19 per cent) were ‘unsure’.

When asked to rate the importance of having a formal cloud computing strategy, only 9 per cent of businesses said it was ‘very important’, with 24 per cent agreeing it was ‘important’. 14 per cent of SMEs were of the opinion that it was not essential at all.

“Cloud computing is one the key digital developments of the last few years,” said Ian McVicar, CEO, Close Brothers Technology Services. “It’s very important businesses don’t get left behind because it can be used as a competitive advantage.”