Off-the-shelf SMB managed hosting services can help companies make the most of cloud computing, it has been claimed.
According to National Computing Centre, managed IT outsourcing is becoming increasingly popular with smaller firms.
Michael Dean, head of marketing at the group, commented: "Cloud computing is in its early days and not suitable for all, but this situation will change. Small and medium enterprises [SMEs] that typically have 'off the shelf' IT requirements will see a lot of benefit in the cloud."
Earlier this month, consultancy Ardent Solutions stated that for SMEs to keep up with the pace of technology change and gain competitive status within their industry, investment in IT must continue alongside effective management and planning.
The group went on to say that 23 per cent of SMEs admitted that limitations on IT budgets run the risk of having a negative impact on the business through loss of competitive advantage.