SMB Tech Roll-up: Microsoft, IBM Compete for the Cloud, Is SharePoint 2010 Right?

By David Roe (@druadh20) Apr 1, 2010

A lot has been said over recent months as to whether SMBs are taking to cloud computing or not. Whether they like it or not though, it seems both Microsoft and IBM are going to take them there anyway. There is also much still to be said about SMBs and SharePoint 2010.

Microsoft Is Interested In SMBs

You might think that after Microsoft (news, site) decided to shelve its Enterprise Business Server (EBS) it had lost interest in SMBS. Well that’s not the case according to a recent interview with Briger Steen, Microsoft’s VP for SMBs.

In fact, he identifies the SMB sector as one of the great, unexploited areas of cloud computing in the market at the moment, and one that they are looking to call their own.

Steen estimates that there are up to 150 million SMBs across the world — and by that he means companies with up to 500 employees — only 10% of whom use nothing except very basic IT despite the advantages that the cloud can offer.

"A lot of these businesses really are under-served," says Steen who adds that SMBs are looking for less cost and easy-to-maintain options. "We want to bring [Microsoft software] to them in an affordable way by using cloud computing."

Typically he said, SMBs have had to settle for stripped-down versions of enterprise software from the large vendors, or software from lesser-known smaller providers that can be more troublesome to use than cloud-based full scale software.

And Microsoft is out to trap that market by increasing their cloud offerings. Steiner says in the interview with Computer World that they aim to offer a cloud component to every product on offer.

IBM Points SMBs To The Clouds Too

And if you think Microsoft is the only one interested in SMBs then think again. IBM (news, site) has just announced that its newly created IBM Global Entrepreneur initiative will provide start-ups with no-charge access to industry-specific technologies in a cloud computing environment.

With the new program, IBM will provide access to its research community as well as sales, marketing and technical skills.

The new initiative entitled IBM Global Entrepreneur means start-ups can:

Use IBM software in a cloud environment
Use IBM project managers for product development
Attend IBM SmartCamp mentoring and networking workshops
Connect with other companies in the program through a social networking community

Two things here are striking. The first is that this is a cloud-focused program and, secondly it’s targeting SMBs — actually very small businesses in that only companies that are privately owned and less than three years old need apply.

Sounds a lot like Microsoft’s strategy. Interesting — and profitable — times ahead for the SMB sector as the two heavy-weights slug it out for this very lucrative prize.

Is SharePoint 2010 For SMBs?

For SMBs wondering whether SharePoint 2010 (news, site) is for them, Forrester’s (news, site) Rob Koplowitz, in a podcast with SearchCIO-Midmarket.com site editor Kristen Caretta, says that while it will offer enhanced social networking and improved search and application features, it just might be too much to handle.