SMBs should consider managed services as challenges mount, says Gartner

A confluence of trends will drive SMBs (small and midsize businesses) to make some of the most important IT decisions they’ve ever made, said analyst firm Gartner in a report published today.

IT departments in SMBs don't have it easy. According to a Gartner report (client reg. req.), the growth of mobile computing and increase in spyware has made desktop security a major challenge for cash-strapped SMBs during the last two years. At the same time, many CEOs and CFOs are asking their CIOs and IT directors to sign compliance statements, and to make matters more difficult, customers and business partners are increasingly demanding that SMBs improve business processes, says the research firm. 

"To support these new initiatives and maintain the required service levels of their established infrastructures, SMBs must consider using more managed services to complement their scarce resources," according to Gartner.

For 2006, the analyst firm advises SMBs to:

• Watch the impact that Microsoft has on the desktop security market.
• Adopt a philosophy that any spending for compliance also can contribute to improved overall performance of the organization.
• Plan to migrate to a service-oriented architecture (SOA).
• Evaluate maturing, managed and remote services to help improve infrastructure management.

Great, but prudent CIOs and IT managers will have these issues already in the back of their minds by Christmas dinner with or without the blessing of analysts....right? ;)