SMEs embrace virtualisation

While the worldwide market for virtual servers has been growing rapidly, it has only been in the past year or two that virtualisation has moved beyond the enterprise to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and beyond servers to storage and network virtualisation, according to IT Channel Planet.

Despite the soft economy, the SME space is showing a stronger-than-average commitment to IT as a strategic investment.

Market researcher IDC expects the overall IT market to grow by just 0.5% worldwide, while it expects the SME packaged software market to grow by 6.7%.

Canon Middle East has released the Canon Security and Cost Control Pack, a software solution specifically designed for SMEs and small departments, according to Zawya.

Users can securely print and retrieve jobs at networked devices with this application installed, regardless of the original print destination.

For the first time, organisations can achieve this flexibility of print without a print server.

Nearly half of SMEs have delayed, cancelled or halted IT projects because of the economic uncertainty, reports ITBusinessEdge.

This includes programs for security, disaster recovery, regulatory compliance and problem response.

Another one in four received a failing grade (a D or an F) in IT, while just over a third barely scraped by with a C grade, as a conclusion of the IT Effectiveness Index mid-year report.