According to new research from Compass Intelligence, big ICT vendors are
starting to "get" Small and Mid-Sized Business customers online. Compass’ latest
rankings of ICT vendors’ capability to build relationships with Small and
Mid-sized (SMB) customers online shows this. From Microsoft to Dell, the top
vendors are using multimedia and interactive learning experiences to build
relationships with these highly sought-after customers. Compass Intelligence’s
primary research shows that SMBs rely on the Internet to guide their technology
purchasing decisions (for home and office) – thus Web channels are a MUST have.
Additionally, Compass Intelligence research shows that SMB decision-makers
expect their businesses to grow in 2010 and believe in the value of investing in
high-tech now.
"We estimate that SMBs represent more than $300 Billion in ICT spending –
including telecom, computer systems and personnel. This BIG number is expected
to grow between 5% and 8% over the next five years, making the SMB market one of
the last, best growth opportunities for ICT vendors in the long-term," says
Kneko Burney, Chief Strategist of Compass Intelligence. Mrs. Burney adds, "With
a surge in ICT spending expected from this market and others in 1Q 2010,
building effective web channels now means garnering profitable and potentially
fast-growing revenue from this segment in the not-so-distant future."
Compass Intelligence’s research endeavors to shed light on the best practices
used to reach and engage SMB customers online. Published twice yearly, this
research evaluates and scores the non-sales/service experience that vendors
provide to these unique customers online. For more about this topic:
- Free Video and Summary (registration required)
- Our latest SMB Online Experience report
- Top ranked vendors: Microsoft, AT&T, Cisco, HP, IBM and Dell.
- Microsoft rises to the challenge – Offering one of the most powerful
and tailored suites of online capabilities for BOTH small and mid-sized
businesses, Microsoft leads with multimedia learning experiences, vertical
industry segmentation and solution-oriented content, among other things. - "Upping the Ante" – More companies invested in and redesigned their
online presence for one or both of these two segments in 2009 than in previous
years we’ve done this research.
