Smaller players get wireless savvy

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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are more tuned into the benefits of wireless than they were two years ago, with a 20 per cent surge in adoption, according to research published today.

More than three quarters (77 per cent) of this community are actively embracing this type of technology compared to just 57 per cent in 2004, claims the survey of 500 SMEs conducted by the Institute of Directors (IoD) and computer giant Dell.

The definition of what constitutes an SME differs greatly from company to company. In the Dell's case, it encompasses organisations with up to 3,500 employees.

Given that there are more than 20 million SMEs in Europe, as a collective they represent a significant market force with substantial spending power.

There has also been a surge in the appetite for wirelessly accessing email with almost all (94 per cent) of the total wireless advocate group making use of this application. This figure overshadows the small usage base of just six per cent two years ago.

"This increase in the use of wireless and mobile technology demonstrates how businesses have recognised the benefits of deploying flexible solutions to enhance productivity," said Jim Norton, senior policy advisor, e-business and e-government at the Iod.

"To remain competitive there is a need to deploy solutions more deeply integrated with the business. This can add a competitive advantage not only in terms of product delivery, but the flexibility offered through mobile solutions is appealing to all employees and can help attract and retain staff."

It would seem that SMEs are not immune to the current BlackBerry fever sweeping the country. Although implementation of the devices has had more impact at the larger end of the scale, with just 28 per cent take up for companies with less than 25 employees.

"This is a massive swing from what we saw a few years ago," said Martin Boyce, director of medium business for Dell in the UK.

"In organisations of more than 201 employees, more than 85 per are using BlackBerry technology today. Lots of SMEs now look at implementing solutions, not just implementing products."

The research also found that SMEs particularly favour mobile working, which has resulted in them leading the charge away from legacy desktops towards notebook computers.

"The assumption always was that SMEs were, at best, fast followers but very much laggards in implementing IT and IT solutions," added Boyce.

"The survey shows that these businesses are investing in the latest and greatest technology and deploying some pretty interesting applications. They continue to use IT to drive competitive advantage."

The research was carried out by UK-based company GfK NOP.

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