Small and medium enterprises are recognised the world over as being the backbone of the economy. Not only do they provide job opportunities, they also serve as an engine for growth and innovation. In a world that is rapidly digitally transforming, it is vital for SMEs to evolve, too, or risk being left behind, something that would likely be fatal in the modern, highly competitive business landscape.

In such an “adapt or die” environment, the value that cloud solutions, in particular, can add to an SME is significant. After all, for any SME seeking to grow and modernise, it is critical to use the right services, tools and infrastructure. Cloud solutions can ensure that the organisation not only has everything required to support its current requirements but will also assist with offering it the ability to scale as it grows.

Willie Jansen van Rensburg, executive at Axiz Cloud Technologies, points out that in the current environment, there are many challenges facing SMEs. For one thing, in a struggling economy, every cent counts, which makes the cloud’s pay-as-you-use model ideal, especially for businesses that are unlikely to have the same levels of cash flow as a large enterprise.

“SMEs today also face increasing demands from customers who are undoubtedly aware of their importance to a small organisation, and thus leverage this knowledge to claim deeper levels of customer service. Embracing cloud technologies, organisations now have more flexibility to deal with such challenges. However, because it drives a significant increase in efficiency, too, it means the organisation can also adapt to the high levels of service demanded, even with a limited number of staff members,” he says.

Constantly changing

Of course, the modern world is also characterised by constantly changing business dynamics, he says, so SMEs need to be able to evolve as their business demands evolve — something that may involve changing their cloud adoption and modernisation strategies.

“The scalability of the cloud is critical, as it not only enables the company to grow at its own pace, but also provides it with the opportunity to compete with much larger organisations. This is because the cloud eliminates many of the traditional barriers to entry for SMEs, essentially levelling the playing field.”

This comes on top of a range of other benefits Jansen van Rensburg highlights, including easier access to the latest software solutions, remote working capabilities, improved collaboration, and big data and analytics. “Of course, modernisation and moving to the cloud means choosing the right platform. To this end, the Axiz Digital Platform is one of the leading digital platforms available and there are a number of aspects and reasons for SMEs to investigate such an engagement with Axiz Cloud Technologies and Axiz Digital.”

It is also vital, he says, to choose a platform that provides access to artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, as this will allow your company to redefine business intelligence and make smarter decisions. This, in turn, leads to improved customer service and allows you to uncover new business possibilities, based on deep analysis of your structured and unstructured data.

“As a certified indirect provider of Microsoft Azure, Axiz Cloud Technologies with the Axiz Digital Platform is highly experienced in this space and has already helped many businesses on their cloud journeys. We recommend Microsoft Azure as it integrates with your existing IT environment seamlessly and securely, eliminating the need for a full IT overhaul or refresh, once again saving you money. Furthermore, SMEs have access to a maintenance-free cloud-hosted e-mail server and built-in anti-spam and anti-malware protection, as well as backup and security.”

“However — and I cannot stress this enough — regardless of the cloud platform you ultimately choose, the fact is that as an SME, you should not waste any time in beginning your cloud journey. It will save you money, allow you to keep your infrastructure well organised and will provide the ideal platform for future growth. There can be little doubt that the key to future success lies in undertaking a cloud journey, thereby ensuring the high availability and security of your infrastructure assets, while significantly reducing your IT costs and improving your customer service,” says Jansen van Rensburg.

For more information, please visit www.axiz.com/microsoft-csp.