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Day-to-day IT is biggest gripe of SMEs

Asavin Wattanajantra silicon.com

Published: 30 Aug 2007 12:46 BST

Everyday tech problems, and not hot technology such as Web 2.0 and mobile working, prove the biggest headache for small businesses.

IT support company Connect polled 200 IT managers and directors from companies and found that 37 percent of respondents believe day-to-day IT issues cause the most trouble for them. Security is the second most important worry for management.

Smaller businesses — with fewer than 50 employees — considered security a bigger headache than larger businesses, with 35 percent of those surveyed making it their biggest issue, compared to 27 percent of companies with 50 to 250 employees.

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Other tech gripes listed include lack of understanding of IT by staff, and cost.

Connect chief executive Mark McGregor said the results of the poll show that instead of high-profile advances such as mobile working the issues small businesses have are simpler.

He said in a statement: "They just want robust cost-effective systems that actually work. One of the issues we need to address as an industry is how we can deliver more of that type of IT to this vital part of UK plc."