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Clarity for SMEs moving to the cloud

By Allyson Towle
Johannesburg, 08 Dec 2016

ITWeb Cloud Summit 2017

Meet Andre Schoeman from Neotel at the ITWeb Cloud Summit 2017 as he shares his thoughts on security in the cloud. Registration is already open. Click here to view the agenda.

SMEs are arguably the biggest driver of our economy. Be it a small medical practice, fast food outlet, hairdressing salon or engineering firm - these businesses often host legacy systems on their premises maintained by small IT firms or channel suppliers.

"Herein lies the rub. As technology moves forward, smaller businesses, often without dedicated IT departments, need to take a hard look they way they work to remain competitive in a connected world. Their systems could be isolating them from a broader IT ecosystem, making it difficult to meet their business objectives," says Andre Schoeman, head product domains, Neotel, who will address the topic at the ITWeb Cloud Summit 2017.

The key is the relationship between the IT supplier and business owner. These relationships are often longstanding and have become set in their ways. This may have led to a significant investment in infrastructure that no longer serves the business objective.

The IT supplier or channel partner needs a full understanding of their client's business. This means the ability to clearly communicate the upside of moving to cloud-based technologies and possibly ditching legacy systems, and importantly, having the interpersonal skills for the change management involved in smoothing the transition to a new system interface.

"Equally, says Schoeman, "we need to empower non-IT business owners with an understanding of what new technology can do to keep their businesses nimble and the important considerations that will help them make the right choices and safeguard their businesses.

Schoeman advises small business owners to equip themselves with a checklist of considerations relating to cloud-based technology so they are no longer at the mercy of what their channel partners recommend. "Although a tough decision, businesses do need to assess if their IT partners are equipped to handle their needs going forward. And, in establishing new partnerships, a well thought out 'pre-nup' will smooth any divorce down the road."

Andre Schoeman, head of product domains Neotel.
Andre Schoeman, head of product domains Neotel.

He believes that the key aspect is not to lose focus on your business needs. Be able to articulate what needs to be solved through your systems and ask the right questions. Doing this will save time and money later on.

"This includes understanding the regulations that apply to the business. Often SMEs face a less complex set of legal considerations but to future-proof your business find out what applies to your interactions to get 'a ticket through the gate'.

"Cloud providers focus on the security of data as a primary concern of their clients. Small businesses owners often underestimate the risk of data theft, and can benefit from moving data from the premises and benefit from advanced encryption and security measures. By asking the right questions, business owners can choose a supplier that has no vested interest in managing or keeping the company database, and won't be 'held to ransom'.

"Emerging cloud-based technology has bought fantastic opportunities to market businesses and can be a great equaliser. With the falling cost of data and improved bandwidth, SMEs can use and develop cloud-based apps on par with the corporates and compete in their markets'" he says.

Schoeman gives the example of a small pizza outlets using cloud to develop an app to offer customised pizzas to customers in their markets. Companies make use of tremendous new tools to display their wares in a digital format and greatly increase their competitive advantage.

"I aim to give clarity to SMEs moving to cloud - taking both systems and people into account to future-proof their businesses," he concludes.

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