IT upgrades 'proving popular' for SMBs

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are investing heavily in IT, with a new survey showing that spending is on the up.

Access Markets International (AMI) research found that British-based SMBs increased their IT spend by eight per cent between 2006 and 2007.

Splashing out on network support, new software and computing services pushed the total sum for last year to £6.07 billion, according to the research.

"In a way, this is not surprising, as companies need to support business operations and manage their IT infrastructures with an ever-increasing range of IT products and services," said AMI analyst Jacqueline Atkinson.

"But it confirms that IT capabilities are expanding, particularly in the realms of security, storage and networking."

She advised that more SMBs should consider forging an outsourcing agreement so that they can make greater use of the newest technology solutions.

A breakdown of the IT spending for SMBs showed that storage services leapt by some 20 per cent last year to £196 million, while managed security solutions attracted investment of £21.27 million.