Manufacturing SMEs need to embrace cloud computing

That's the word from managed services provider Advanced 365, which draws attention to a recent PeoplePerHour survey that suggests SMEs remain sceptical about cloud benefits. That survey reveals that, of 1300 UK SMEs, nearly three-quarters (74%) do not currently use cloud computing and 43% are unsure what cloud computing is. "Cloud computing technologies are evolving rapidly and, with an increasing number of options to choose from, it's hardly surprising that SMEs are struggling to understand the cloud and how it could work for them," agrees Neil Cross, managing director of Advanced 365. "This is exacerbated by the fact that some IT service providers and value added resellers are failing to promote the benefits of cloud computing, due to a lack of understanding themselves," he adds. Cross cites web-based email services, such as Microsoft BPOS or Google Mail, which are now being used by businesses to collaborate and communicate more effectively – but suggests that signing up is not quite so trivial when it comes to business applications. "SMEs cannot make informed decisions about cloud computing for their business, if they are receiving ambiguous advice from their existing suppliers," he insists. "If they feel that is the case, then they should speak with a specialist cloud partner, who can advise how they can take advantage of the cloud to gain maximum business benefits and minimise risk."