SMBs are embracing developments in expertise to attain extra with a leaner workers, allow distant work, automate handbook processes, and cut back errors. When applied thoughtfully, expertise might help smaller companies higher compete with their enterprise counterparts, save on growing labor prices, and generate a sturdy ROI.
IDC’s knowledge clearly illustrates this development. In response to IDC’s Worldwide Small and Medium Enterprise Survey (February 2025), 81.8% of all SMBs will enhance their tech budgets over the following 12 months. Moreover, a smaller share of SMBs plan to chop expertise spending this 12 months (1.7%, in comparison with 4% in 2024 and eight% in 2023), reflecting SMBs’ rising confidence in applied sciences like AI/automation as extra use instances emerge. It additionally highlights the efforts of distributors providing extra SMB-specific applied sciences and bundles which might be inexpensive and straightforward to deploy and handle. Simple set up, upkeep, and use are paramount for small and medium companies, as 36% of SMBs do not need any full-time, in-house IT staff. A major 85.5% of small companies (these with 1-99 staff) with a full-time IT worker solely have one, in comparison with 40.9% final 12 months.
A high expertise space experiencing vital funding progress amongst SMBs is AI. Certainly, 47.5% of all SMBs say that conventional AI is a high funding precedence for them within the subsequent 12 months – a greater than 12 share level enhance from 35.1% a 12 months earlier. Moreover, 45% listing GenAI as a high precedence, in comparison with 32.8% a 12 months earlier. SMBs are additionally investing steadily in cellular employee help, a development that has continued for the reason that pandemic-era transformation of workplace tradition. In 2025, 52.8% of small companies report prioritizing investments in communications by way of video collaboration or video conferencing, versus 43.7% final 12 months. Small companies are in search of to improve to the newest video and collaboration instruments that increase safety and incorporate new applied sciences, resembling AI, to boost effectivity. Many SMBs need to enable their staff to work remotely, as they usually can not afford to pay as a lot as bigger organizations. Consequently, they’re creating inventive methods to retain high staff by providing versatile working hours and the power to work remotely or in a hybrid method.
Nonetheless, IDC’s knowledge strongly illustrates that SMBs are taking a security-first strategy to expertise investments. Earlier than investing in a brand new system or resolution, they guarantee it’s safe. As SMBs have few, if any, IT staff to handle cybersecurity threats, they rely on expertise suppliers to implement strong safety measures. Rising safety is each a high funding precedence and a high problem for SMBs; 51.3% of SMBs stated that growing safety is a high funding precedence for them within the coming 12 months. Concurrently, 46.4% listing implementing new expertise securely as a high problem to attaining their enterprise priorities – the primary response from an inventory of ten completely different choices.
There are a number of contributors to this intense deal with safety. One is the shift to the cloud from on-premises options. Whereas the cloud presents nice advantages, resembling accessibility from wherever, pay-as-you-go pricing, and limitless storage capability, it additionally implies that SMBs’ distant or hybrid staff are accessing business-critical networks from private gadgets utilizing public Wi-Fi – suppose eating places, espresso outlets, airports, and extra. One other shift is the rise in AI investments. AI depends on a steady circulation of information to operate. SMBs are demanding readability on the supply of the info used to coach giant language fashions. Is it the seller’s knowledge, the SMB’s knowledge, or artificial knowledge? How is that knowledge getting used, and what protocols are in place to make sure safety? Many SMBs are simply starting to construct model consciousness, client belief, and income. A knowledge breach that tarnishes their picture could possibly be catastrophic.
With nice technological developments come nice duties. Whereas expertise is quickly evolving to assist SMBs sustain with their swift tempo of progress, automate processes, allow distant work, and extra, its main position is to be safe.
Message from the Sponsor
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