How Cloud-Based OS and Device Management Help SMBs Modernize and Secure Workforce Tech
Over a third of small businesses have not upgraded their systems for four or more years.
- With growing levels of economic stress and the rapid evolution of technology, it is difficult for small businesses to keep up with productivity needs while balancing them with cost and security constraints.
- Successful modernization by small businesses can be carried out with the help of cloud-based operating systems and device management platforms for technology infrastructure.
Considering the high levels of competition, the threats of recession, and frequently changing tech trends, it is very challenging for small-scale enterprises to keep up with production without compromising security and costs.
According to Aberdeen Strategy and Research, only 22% of small businesses have invested in upgrading their systems in the last year. Furthermore, over 30% have not done any upgrades for four or more years.
This can be largely attributed to common challenges for small and medium businesses, such as integrating old and new systems, meeting regulation changes, and managing inflation. Threats of poor funding, deterioration of device performance, and data security remain critical issues for such organizations.
Consequently, with a demand for agile setups and modernization, cloud-based solutions are becoming popular. Using cloud computing solutions can support workers to improve productivity, efficiency, security, and sustainability objectives while cutting downtime. Let’s look at how this can be achieved.
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Why SMBs Invest in Modernizing Workforce Technology Through Cloud Solutions
Almost every organization in today’s world has several challenges impacting everyday operations, the setup of new technologies, and managing resources. The problems are largely exacerbated when it comes to small and medium businesses. This is because they lack adequate resources such as funding and a large enough workforce.
As a result, small businesses often have to rely on third-party cloud-based services, which can help them meet challenges arising from their legacy systems. The scalability of these solutions also makes them a popular choice.
According to Aberdeen Strategy and Research, over half of all small enterprises are investing in modernizing their systems and tech. The remaining organizations struggle to do this due to several factors, including security, funding, the transition to remote and hybrid workforces, the deteriorating performance of legacy systems, and the high costs of buying new tech.
How Businesses Prioritize Workforce Tech
Source: Aberdeen Strategy & Research
Security and funding challenges have been prominent issues for SMBs for years due to a frequent lack of resources and the growing sophistication of external threats. The lack of funding is also a factor that makes the cost of ownership a bigger problem.
What SMBs Prioritize for Tech Solutions
Furthermore, following the pandemic, these businesses have also had to contend with the challenges arising from remote and hybrid workforces, which forces businesses to invest in new tech solutions while giving up on older infrastructure to meet the needs of their workers.
Infrastructure built on older technologies is rarely cloud-centric and does not provide the flexibility needed for modern workforces. Consequently, using cloud-based operating systems in personal computing has become a popular option to scale operations at lower costs.
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Take a look at what the most common priorities are for small businesses when they look to modernize their infrastructure:
How Businesses Prioritize Workforce Tech
Source: Aberdeen Strategy & Research
According to a survey conducted by Aberdeen Strategy & Research, leading businesses primarily focus on security and ease of use and maintenance for optimized infrastructure, which is critical to reducing the burden of IT teams. They also need to ensure that all new systems are compliant and meet regulations.
Other primary concerns of SMBs include integrating new technology with existing infrastructure and the cost of purchasing the new technologies. Cloud-based systems are emerging as a popular option for sustainability, efficiency, and cost concerns.
As per the data by Aberdeen Strategy and Research, businesses that choose cloud-based infrastructure are significantly more likely to see benefits in reduced hardware costs and minimal operational complexity while meeting sustainability objectives.
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These are the primary benefits of adopting a cloud-based OS, with optimized productivity from hardware, without increasing the complexity of operations. Aberdeen Strategy and Research has found that businesses adopting these technologies are expected to have a 25% reduction in downtime, a 22% increase in security standards, and a 75% reduction in IT spending.
In conclusion, small and medium-scale enterprises must keep modernization initiatives essential to their strategies. Preemptively pushing for a foundation to improve infrastructure and performance minimizes the risk of derailed projects and improves adaptability.
Choosing cutting-edge technologies helps SMBs be flexible according to cost and security constraints; considering a cloud-centric business model, any modernization initiative should aim to leverage cloud solutions in infrastructure.
What are a few more ways small organizations can optimize workforce performance? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you!
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