Microsoft and TechAisle release new study on SMB growth

Microsoft has revealed a study in partnership with global SMB IT market research and analyst organization TechAisle, which polled almost 2,000 SMBs across Asia Pacific.

In the latest study, it is revealed that more than a third of SMBs (36%) still own PCs that are more than four years old and running older operating systems, which not only affect work efficiencies, but expose organizations to security vulnerabilities and IT threats. Just in the last year alone, 62% of SMBs surveyed said they had experienced a security breach. To top it off, the majority of SMBs (86%) lacked an organization-wide mobility strategy.

Narrowing the adoption gap

According to the study, the continued delay in SMBs' adoption of newer technological infrastructure across business functions was due to factors such as perceived app incompatibility and high costs associated with acquiring and maintaining new IT hardware and software. Slightly more than half of SMBs surveyed (54%) said they did not have a PC refresh policy nor were they actively pursuing it.

However, the reality is that the lack of a strategic PC refresh policy can result in greater repercussions in the long-run. There is a 3.1 times higher chance of old PCs requiring repairs, which can amount to economic costs of at least US$2,657 per PC per year, and result in at least 157 hours' worth of productivity time lost.

One way to narrow the technology adoption gap is with cloud adoption. More than half (54%) of SMBs said they are aware of PC-as-a-Service offerings, with 40% planning to adopt them within the next year. Key motivators for this include having the option to acquire the latest technology faster (57%) and reducing IT support workload across their business functions (55%).

Windows-as-a-Service was also cited as another way SMBs can refresh their older PCs as it provides security patches and regular OS updates for optimized use. Concerns over app compatibility are addressed with Windows 10, the most app-compatible version of Windows-to-date with best practices including app telemetry, ISV partnerships for diagnostic data and troubleshooting as well as looping feedback cycles. With the upcoming Windows 7 End of Support, SMBs have to make their shift towards newer PCs and operating systems as users will no longer receive security updates or support for PCs running on Windows 7. This includes new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, and online technical content updates.