Business Link: SMEs taking up IT will benefit more quickly

16:32 1st June 2009

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that adopt IT systems sooner will be in a better long-term position, according to Business Link.

The government-funded organisation that provides business advice and support said older business owners who pursue computer training and install IT systems could find they can use it more efficiently.

Younger entrepreneurs and business owners may be more in tune with developments in the industry and so may choose to get hold of the latest systems more quickly.

Ganesh Selvarajah, adviser at Business Link, said: "In the context of SMEs they'll be using some fairly advanced technology to carry out business."

The early adoption of advanced business software could lead to SMEs developing a competitive advantage that allows them to overtake firms that take longer to install the same systems.

More SMEs are choosing cloud computing systems as a better alternative to on-premise solutions, according to Steve Garnett, chairman for Europe, Middle East and Africa, at salesforce.com.