71% SMEs Still Doubt Cloud Services’ Data Protection Capability

Web Desk – For SMEs data protection is still a barrier to adopting cloud services despite 71% believing that it will be a central part of their businesses in the next five years.

European web provider IONOS research has found many SMEs digitally transformed themselves during and after the Pandemic and are more willing to continue driving further benefits.

According to the survey, nearly seven in ten SMEs (68%) said they are using more cloud services than pre-pandemic, and 42% revealed they have invested in the cloud since March 2020.

61% of SMEs, despite eagerness to digitally transform, still view their business as lagging behind when it comes to adopting cloud services whereas less than 10% perceive their business as having optimized cloud usage.

Data Protection Still a Concern

The current gap in terms of adoption and future investment has been an issue but results revealed that SMEs investing in the cloud post-pandemic have reaped its fruit such as increasing productivity (30%), making their business more flexible and agile (26%) and improving internal processes (24%).

SMEs, When asked what the cloud has enabled them to do that they couldn’t previously, reported it helped them deliver better customer experiences (35%), improved procurement processes (35%), and be better prepared to manage IT infrastructure as the business grows by (33%).

It is however surprising that despite believing the cloud is central to their future business plans, data protection and security measures remain a matter of serious concern for SME IT leaders.

According to research, 44% are still worried that cloud services are a serious threat to their protection. On the other hand, over half (54%) are concerned that security threats are increased by cloud services.

“It’s positive to see that small businesses have not only invested in the cloud in recent years but now feel it is central to the future of their business,” said Peter Prahl, SVP of International and Digital Cloud at IONOS.

“However, there is still clearly a gap between adopting the cloud and that future investment. This is vital to address to ensure the cloud is implemented across whole businesses, integrated properly, and used effectively.”

“One specific barrier to future adoption highlighted is the lack of knowledge around how the cloud can support protection,” Prahl added. “While it can feel like a leap of faith to put all the businesses’ trust in a cloud service provider, working closely with a cloud provider is one way to minimize risk. Cloud service providers can help to monitor and mitigate DDoS attacks, ensure a safe and secure backup, and support with up-to-date expert knowledge on legislation.”