How can technology work better for SMEs?

Intel South Africa, in conjunction with Absa Business Banking Services and Dell Computers, will be presenting a series of seminars designed to educate small business owners on the business value of technology deployment and the internet as a critical business tool. The seminars will be held in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Bloemfontein and attendees will have an opportunity not only to learn how to make the most of technology and the internet for their businesses but also stand in line to win a Dell PC equipped with an Intel Pentium 4 processor.

"The reality in South Africa is that very few small businesses use computers as business tools. Our objective is to help businesspeople to recognise the value that PCs and the Internet can bring to their companies." Steven Nossel, country manager at Intel South Africa, explains that while major corporations utilise information technology in almost every facet of their operations, many smaller companies still perform a number of tasks such as accounting, communications and even database management manually. PCs have evolved to the point where they combine both user-friendliness and high-performance to make these and many other tasks far more efficient. By enhancing their productivity through IT and the internet, small businesses will be able to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively, two factors which are important if they are to maintain an edge over their competitors.

Gavin Clark, general manager, Business Banking Services at Absa comments, "The seminar is an opportunity for owners of small businesses to benefit from the IT wave. Absa has established a range of banking products and client-centric solutions that take advantage of the internet to deliver faster and more efficient services straight to the desktop. The involvement of technology leaders such as Intel and Dell will ensure the success of this initiative. As identified by the government, SME`s are going to provide the required boost to our economy. Absa is committed to developing SME`s and offering assistance and expert financial advise to this growing segment."

Explaining Dell`s involvement, Leigh Hancock product marketing and communications manager, Dell SA adds, "Dell recognises the needs of the small and medium businesses. We maintain a dedicated SME team at Dell South Africa focused on the needs of the small business which, when combined with our direct sales model, provides a unique blend of technology and expertise at an excellent price point."

Nossel adds, "Internationally Intel maintains about 85% market segment share of the SME IT market, a figure which is also reflected in the South African SME market. While larger corporate customers look at the total cost of ownership, smaller companies look at the upfront cost of IT equipment. I believe the value proposition offered by the new Pentium 4 processors will make it very attractive to the IT needs of small businesses."

The stable Intel Pentium 4 processor platform provides high performance to the SME market. Its new architecture has been optimised to handle tasks such as data encryption, video compression, 3-D graphics and peer-to-peer networking and the processor also incorporates performance enhancements for technologies such as Java and XML, making the concept of e-business a reality even for the smaller business environment. Additionally it provides more than enough headroom to handle new operating systems such as Windows XP and OS upgrades, productivity applications, data base management, accounting and financial analysis, multimedia employee training and e-learning, as well as background processes such as anti-virus scanning and e-mail encryption. At the same time the new processor has been designed to protect the customer`s technology investment by extending the system`s lifecycle - reducing the time between upgrades.