Editor's note
Tech's main attraction

If you say it often enough, at some point, they will start paying attention.

Technology proponents have for years criticized small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) for turning a deaf ear to IT, but the latter seem to be listening, finally.

The findings from ZDNet Asia's recent SMB IT priorities 2006/07 survey reveal that more SMBs are not just using IT to unclog bottlenecks; they are addressing critical issues that could seriously threaten their business.

IT security, data storage and recovery, and infrastructure upgrades are the top 3 IT priorities of Singapore SMBs polled, followed by application software, business process improvement and server upgrades.

Considering the growing number of security incident reports making the headlines these past two years, it is no small wonder that more SMBs are paying heed to warnings to protect their information assets.

One survey respondent cited this as a reason for increasing the company's security budget: Prevention is better than being in the news for the wrong reasons.

More than half of the survey's respondents plan to increase their IT security budgets over the next 12 months. This is good news, not so much for the money that will be allocated but the motivations behind it. "Data is crucial and has to be protected", noted one respondent. Others recognize "current/present threats in the Internet world"; another noted that "while the overall quality of services have improved, security continues to pose a major threat to business systems continuity".

According to storage vendor EMC, a typical SMB is looking at between 5 percent and 10 percent information growth every month. Thankfully, managing this data growth, another bane for SMBs, is getting the attention it deserves. Data storage initiatives including backup and recovery is the second most important IT priority among the SMBs, according to the ZDNet Asia survey. Respondents also intend to formulate business continuity and disaster recovery plans.

The theme of this special report, "Setting the agenda", throws the spotlight on where SMBs are channeling their money and efforts. I hope this report offers a good insight on how your SMB peers are prioritizing their tech budgets. In addition, check out our buying guides to getting the right power protection, the right desktop computer, the right printer, and the right wireless technology that meets your office requirements.

Tech vendors can also learn something valuable as we asked SMBs what matters most, in deciding which technology provider to choose. Quality products topped the list, while proof of the vendor's expertise was ranked less important than the vendor's financial status.

Finally, read why one SMB chief Thomas Fernandez, believes that IT, if viewed as an investment, adds value to the business.

If you've got a story to tell or comments on the stories published here, drop me an e-mail. Share your thoughts with us.