A new study, released by University of Manchester, shows the high value that businesses of all sizes, from SME up to large corporations, are placing on cloud technologies and the benefits they are enjoying from using hosted services.
Lower costs and higher returns
The University surveyed 1,300 businesses, of varying sizes, to see the impact cloud computing and hosting had on their ability to compete in their sector. The key findings were:
- 64% of SMEs had reduced their IT costs through cloud deployment
- More than one-fifth of SMEs said their business saved between 25% and 50% by moving to the cloud
- 60% of companies now have more time to focus on strategy and innovation
- 70% of large enterprises and 59% of SMEs have reinvested more money back into their business thanks to savings from cloud deployment
- 58% of SMEs agreed the cloud helps small businesses compete with bigger companies
Cloud technologies, such as hosted email or online storage, allow SMEs to access technologies and infrastructure that would otherwise be outside of their IT budgets. As well cost savings, using the cloud provides advanced communication features such as mobile email and remote working. This brings additional benefits as companies can operate with lower office space overheads and reduced IT running costs.
