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Small businesses are faced with demands to modernize and adopt new technologies while struggling to manage costs and reduce security risks. These organizations are also often trying to manage remote or hybrid workforces, looking to leverage new technologies like AI, and dealing with aging personal computing devices for their workforce.
Aberdeen Strategy & Research recently looked into how small businesses are managing and deploying personal computing technology in today's challenging environments. We found that the top challenges for these organizations include maintaining high levels of cybersecurity, working with reduced budgets, and figuring out how to upgrade legacy and aging client computing devices. More than a third (36%) of these small organizations are trying to overcome these issues while dealing with a remote or hybrid workforce.
How are small businesses working to surmount these hurdles and achieve their goals? Our research shows that their top criteria include solutions that reduce complexity for IT and that help them manage everything from laptops to mobile devices to connectivity.
These organizations also need to ensure high levels of uptime (as even the briefest downtime can be catastrophic for smaller businesses). In fact, the number one reason small businesses switch technology providers is client hardware failures.
Also: Why WFH isn't dead and how digital-first companies have a big AI advantage
Unfortunately, downtime and hardware failures are common when relying on older solutions. Our research shows that end-of-life client hardware is a top driver pushing small businesses to update and modernize client computing for their remote and hybrid workforce.
But modernizing client laptops and mobile devices isn't as simple as buying off-the-shelf products. Successful small businesses understand the unique needs of their changing workforce and work with providers experienced in meeting these needs with innovative and reliable solutions.
To better understand these successful small businesses, Aberdeen analyzed those in the top 30% of success metrics (uptime, cost optimization, productivity, etc.) to identify their key characteristics. We found that these leaders are twice as likely as their peers to have recently upgraded personal devices for their remote and hybrid workforce and to have done so while working with partners experienced in laptops, mobile devices, security, and device management.
Also: Why remote work is still the secret sauce behind small business success
Leaders are also focused on reducing complexity for IT and remote and hybrid workers. In fact, the top two criteria when choosing technology partners were ease of IT management and ease of use for employees. Leading small businesses also put a high priority on solutions that are ready to handle critical emerging technologies such as AI.
Our recommendations for modernizing
To ready your small business for personal and mobile computing success while managing changing workforces, consider these three recommendations:
1. Understand how employees work now. Even in today's remote and hybrid work environments, employees expect and deserve the same levels of IT support and technologies they would get in an office. Provide modernized and reliable mobile computing solutions that keep employees secure, connected, and productive.
2. Stop wasting resources on legacy hardware. With older, legacy client computing, small businesses waste time and resources keeping these devices secure and running. But with updated hardware, a small business can free IT for more strategic tasks while putting innovative and powerful new technologies at the disposal of their often remote and hybrid workforce.
3. Modernize legacy technology. As small businesses work to improve IT capabilities and increase value for their organizations, they quickly find that legacy laptops, mobile devices, and connectivity are hurdles to innovation. By working with experienced partners to implement next-generation client computing designed for today's hybrid workforce, small businesses can succeed and innovate.
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