Most SMEs are not formalising cloud strategies

The majority of the UK’s small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) have no plans to formalise a cloud computing strategy, according to findings from Close Brothers’ quarterly survey of UK SME owners and senior management.

Of the 906 businesses that took part in the survey, 464 (51 percent) answered “no” to the question: “is your organisation formalising a cloud computing strategy?”, with only 266 (29 percent) responding positively. The remaining 176 (19 percent) were “unsure”.

Companies in the North East (62 percent) and Wales (65 percent) were the least likely to have a cloud computing strategy, while 50 percent of businesses in London were clear about the requirement for a strategy.

When asked to rate the importance of having a formal cloud computing strategy, only 9 percent of businesses said it was “very important”, with 24 percent agreeing it was “important”. And 14 percent of SMEs were of the opinion that it was “not essential at all”.

Ian McVicar, CEO, Close Brothers Technology Services, said: “It’s very important businesses don’t get left behind because cloud can be used as a competitive advantage.

“But results of the survey are quite sobering and make it clear that there is some way to go before business owners fully appreciate the importance of the cloud. Fundamentally, cloud computing means companies can avoid, for example, purchasing and hosting servers, along with other infrastructure costs.”

@AntonySavvas