SMEs need consultancy to cope

The challenges faced by SMEs are often the result of complex servicing by IT service providers, according to a recent market survey, reports Eye of Dubai.

The dipstick survey revealed that SMEs struggle to find an IT service provider who understands their challenges and delivers affordable solutions.

Altaf Alimohamed, MD of Media Solutions, the company behind the findings, says the standard IT products and services available in the market do not work well for organisations with between five and 35 employees.

Against a background of increasing corporate fraud, Compleat Software warns that a lack of e-procurement and spend control is a major contributor to business fraud, according to PRNewswire.

Better spend control and the use of simple e-procurement processes can provide significantly better control over cash flow, enabling full commitment accounting and guarding against unmanaged purchasing which may be at the root of much corporate fraud in the SME marketplace.

Commenting on the lack of spend control and e-procurement in most SME businesses, Neil Robertson, CEO of Compleat Software says, "A major cause for concern should be the lack of basic controls over the spending of corporate cash through the purchasing process in most SME businesses”.

IBM is extending its outsourced IT management services to appeal to a broader range of business customers, reports vnunet.

The new portfolio includes a set of standard services that will make outsourcing more affordable for SME customers as well as large organisations.

Available immediately, the additions to IBM's remote managed infrastructure services are more modular and standardised than was previously the case, enabling customers to choose which functions they wish to outsource to IBM.