IT take-up to benefit SMEs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could do better if they choose to adopt IT and broadband technology sooner rather than later, according to a new study.

Support and advice service Business Link said that SMEs managed by younger people are likely to adopt new technology more quickly, while older managers could find they grow accustomed to new systems more rapidly if they take it up in the near future.

Adopting new technology and pursuing faster broadband speeds could help businesses gain a more competitive edge through the use of VoIP hardware and other modern applications.

Ganesh Selvarajah, adviser at Business Link, said: "[Those of] the older generation who are early adopters in the main will take to technology a lot easier and probably use it much more efficiently and effectively as a tool."

He added that SMEs could find they are using advanced software in a bid to get ahead of their competitors in the current economic climate.

In related news, the BBC has reported that free computer schemes could encourage more people to adopt broadband technology and embrace the advantages of the internet.