SMBs Embrace the Cloud as a Path to Business Agility and a Gateway to New Technologies

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are hastening to the cloud. Similar to their large counterparts, they are transforming to a digital-first business, with the cloud as a foundation. According to Frost & Sullivan's 2022 global cloud user survey, 78% of SMBs use public cloud for at least some of their business applications and data. This represents a 56% increase from the 2019 survey, taken just before the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic. SMBs consider the cloud an essential technology to deliver greater business agility, app performance, and security than they could achieve on their own. Nearly 40% of respondents consider the cloud a gateway to advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT). However, SMBs have only a few technical experts on staff; nearly half say they struggle to keep up with new technologies, with more than a third saying they have insufficient expertise on staff to support digitalization. 73% of SMBs say they have engaged a third-party partner to assist with their digital strategies. In this research service, Frost & Sullivan presents perspectives from SMB cloud decision-makers, based on results from the company's 2022 global cloud user survey. Author: Lynda Stadtmueller