Microsoft Releases Blog with SMB Predictions for 2015

2015. Hansen affirmed that, much like the enterprise sector, SMBs will see the growth of IoT and big data. However, SMBs will also see a big increase in the use of mobile technologies and mobile applications developed specifically for the SMB sector.

To open his blog, Hansen said: “I love hearing stories of small companies that, despite a lack of capital, used technology to push the limits of what can be done. These conversations have made it very clear that technology absolutely has an impact on SMBs’ bottom line – in fact, a recent study from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) revealed that tech-savvy SMBs increase their annual revenues 15 percentage points faster and create jobs two times faster than SMBs using little technology.”

On the Internet of Things side (IoT), Hansen stated that 2015 is the year that this trend will really take off in the SMB sector. Hansen also said that, although the IoT trend may scare some SMBs to start, the key is to change small things, and incorporate IoT into existing technologies. The other piece of this trend is the rise of the mobile digital assistant for online commerce. Technologies like Cortana will enable SMBs to leave the small ordering to their MDA, while they focus on the bigger aspects of their business.

When it comes to big data, Hansen predicts that SMBs will utilize analytics more than ever before, and in turn, will be able to compete with their larger colleagues. Though traditionally a tool of the larger enterprises, 2015 appears to be the year that SMBs start to use big data to proactively identify business opportunities and better understand their customers. Hansen made an interesting point tying big data to the IoT trend. Specifically, he said that IoT will bring a large influx of data into SMBs, and that these smaller organizations must identify the key data points they need, and avoid getting lost in the extra data.

Hansen’s final point centered around mobility and SMB in 2015. The key takeaway here is that SMBs will start using more Mobile Applications specifically developed for their organization. These applications will be put in use to increase worker efficiency and communication. The final point centers around mobile payment applications, such as Square and PayPal. Hansen and his team expect this type of application to gain a foothold in the SMB sector, but that this type of application will require SMBs to develop mobile-friendly websites and PoS systems.

You can read Hansen's full article here.