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Small businesses will 'go global' with technology
23 Apr '08
4 min read
Poulley described how the evolution of technologies such as Web conferencing, instant messaging, software appliances, portals offered as software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications will increasingly allow local businesses to transform into global trading partners.
Keys to SMBs Going Global:
In a recent IBM study of more than 1,200 companies, more than 60 percent of mid-sized businesses indicated that collaboration tools were vital to their business success and growth.
"SMB owners should ask themselves: 'can I access my teams in real-time and work with them as if we were in the same room?' If the answer is 'no,' then it's almost certain your employees are not as productive as they could be," said Poulley.
Due to current technology advances, Poulley predicted three keys that will propel US businesses into global markets in the next decade.
1) Small businesses will gain real-time access to work with all their employees, regardless of location, as if they were in the same room.
2) SMBs will use technology to collaborate more easily beyond their four walls and firewalls with outside partners, suppliers and customers. Extended communities will be built on the Web for small businesses that will allow them to function as "secure virtual enterprises" or large companies.
3) Simplified, self-sustaining Web 2.0 technologies will free SMBs' time and money currently spent using and maintaining IT. New tools will put the power and control of IT in the hands of the business owner without the need for specialized skills.
While the cost of professional-grade software may have hindered SMB investment in technology previously, more SaaS collaboration tools are breaking down that barrier.
There is no software or hardware to buy, install, maintain or upgrade. By running programs from subscription-based Websites, SMBs can focus on their core competencies without incurring the IT maintenance costs.
For example, by using Web conferencing to conduct meetings online, companies save thousands of dollars in operating costs by eliminating hotels and travel fees associated with training and sales operations.
Using portals, which are customized Web dashboards with built-in messaging, businesses can help geographically dispersed workgroups share documents and vital information regardless of time or geographical boundaries.
The Hillman Group, for instance, has reported saving more than $70,000 a year in travel and hotel costs by conducting training and sales meetings online via Web conferencing.
"We believe collaborative technology is critical to any global trade strategy," said Poulley, "because it delivers the ability to grow, while tightly managing the operational cost increases associated with expansion.
Keys to SMBs Going Global:
In a recent IBM study of more than 1,200 companies, more than 60 percent of mid-sized businesses indicated that collaboration tools were vital to their business success and growth.
"SMB owners should ask themselves: 'can I access my teams in real-time and work with them as if we were in the same room?' If the answer is 'no,' then it's almost certain your employees are not as productive as they could be," said Poulley.
Due to current technology advances, Poulley predicted three keys that will propel US businesses into global markets in the next decade.
1) Small businesses will gain real-time access to work with all their employees, regardless of location, as if they were in the same room.
2) SMBs will use technology to collaborate more easily beyond their four walls and firewalls with outside partners, suppliers and customers. Extended communities will be built on the Web for small businesses that will allow them to function as "secure virtual enterprises" or large companies.
3) Simplified, self-sustaining Web 2.0 technologies will free SMBs' time and money currently spent using and maintaining IT. New tools will put the power and control of IT in the hands of the business owner without the need for specialized skills.
While the cost of professional-grade software may have hindered SMB investment in technology previously, more SaaS collaboration tools are breaking down that barrier.
There is no software or hardware to buy, install, maintain or upgrade. By running programs from subscription-based Websites, SMBs can focus on their core competencies without incurring the IT maintenance costs.
For example, by using Web conferencing to conduct meetings online, companies save thousands of dollars in operating costs by eliminating hotels and travel fees associated with training and sales operations.
Using portals, which are customized Web dashboards with built-in messaging, businesses can help geographically dispersed workgroups share documents and vital information regardless of time or geographical boundaries.
The Hillman Group, for instance, has reported saving more than $70,000 a year in travel and hotel costs by conducting training and sales meetings online via Web conferencing.
"We believe collaborative technology is critical to any global trade strategy," said Poulley, "because it delivers the ability to grow, while tightly managing the operational cost increases associated with expansion.
IBM
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