SMB tablet, cloud computing use on the rise, study finds

Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are responding to the rapid changes of today's IT environment, as many are embracing new technologies that once would have been inaccessible without bigger budgets, according to a study from Spiceworks™ the IT social business network.

Tablet computers are at the forefront of SMB tech investments. In a survey of more than 1,200 SMB IT professionals, 50 percent indicate they have deployed a tablet initiative or plan to do so within the next six weeks. Tablets, many SMB owners say, improve flexibility in the workplace and increase employees' mobile capabilities by giving them constant access to the web and applications.

Similarly, SMBs are responding to the rise of cloud computing for many of the same reasons. According to the study, 46 percent of SMBs are now using the cloud, up from 28 percent in the first half of 2011. Like tablets, the cloud can expand the mobile workforce, providing around-the-clock access to company networks from any computer.

Experts across the board predict both the cloud and tablet computers will be among the biggest IT trends of 2012. Separately, the technologies can boost efficiency and productivity. When paired with one another, they can take mobility even further, allowing employees to conduct work-related tasks from virtually anywhere.