IT has evolved from automating business processes to serving the entire value chain of the business: From sales and marketing to customer service, the right IT solutions can bring enduring value. For the SMB marketplace, it’s more crucial than ever to grasp how to select and implement IT to be able to compete effectively. And it’s never been easier, as the cost of entry has never been lower.
The internet has created a ripple effect, recurring seismic shifts in how businesses use technology.
From the internet’s broader use, we got email and websites. Search engines evolved as more companies were successful at being a virtual firm – think Amazon, Salesforce. As more and more people got online, firms like LinkedIn and Facebook were able to take advantage of network effects.
From days not that long ago when most firms had to buy servers and have a server room built (if not a data center), cloud offerings from Amazon, Google, Microsoft and others have negated the need for a local data center. While large corporations tend to use a hybrid approach thus far, smaller companies have found great savings in operating expense by outsourcing IT operations around the data center to the cloud.
While SMBs can enjoy savings via the cloud, even the Fortune 1000 utilize SaaS offerings – from Salesforce to NetSuite. And the race is on as every tech software company repurposes their products for the cloud.
Cloud storage offers the opportunity for broader adoption of sensor technologies, bringing about the internet of things (IoT). This creates new opportunities for firms wanting deeper insights into their market – creating needs for big data mining tools and analysts.
Every facet of the business, the entire value chain, is impacted by whether the company is using technology well.