The Hindu Business Line : ‘SMBs may spend over $1 b on Net-related products this year’

Kolkata, Aug 15 Indian small and medium businesses (SMBs) are on track to spend $1.26 billion on Internet-related products and services this year. This will mark an increase of 35 per cent over similar spend in 2007, according to a recent study conducted by the New York-headquartered Access Markets International (AMI) Partners, Inc.

The study states that the while the Internet has become “a way of life” for medium businesses, barely 25 per cent of small businesses currently have an Internet connection. However, small businesses are embracing the Internet by “leaps and bounds”.

The study states that the penetration of Internet-enabled small businesses is anticipated to rise by more than four percentage points in the current year.

More than 50 per cent of the SMBs said they were in favour of an improvement in Internet speed. Thirty-seven per cent of the respondents said they would like to opt for a total revamp of their Internet access infrastructure such as replacing or upgrading their Internet access routers. Affordability and availability have increased broadband usage with BSNL/MTNL enjoying an SMB penetration of 44 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively. They are followed by VSNL, Tata Teleservices and Reliance.

The study states that SMBs are also heavily dependent on information sources such as vendor Web sites and search engines for gaining awareness about IT products and services.

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