Intelligent office devices offer lower cost solution to SMBs

AC Ganesh

KOLKATA: An article by AMI-Partners says that Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are getting smarter by accelerating adoption of PDAs, portable computers and other pervasive devices by the fast-growing Indian SMB segment.

SMBs (1-999 employees) in India are on track to spend USD 70 million on PDAs by this year-end, up some 16% over last year, following the need for portability and the remote access.

Accordingly, spending on portable computers such as notebooks and tablet PCs is also expected to jump over the next couple of years. This comes from a recent study by New York-based Access Markets International (AMI) Partners Inc.

“The main advantage of having an intelligent office is that it adds connectivity, without sacrificing the portability,” says Avimanyu Datta, Kolkata-based analyst at AMI-Partners. Intelligent office is a concept that encompasses miniaturization and portability. It is like carrying a portable office with moving employees. Examples could be PDAs, Intelligent Phones, and other multifunctional devices which free the employees from being physically present in an office in order to complete their daily tasks.

“Robust economic development in Tier-II cities in India brings greater market opportunities that need to be explored to maximize profits. Since setting up an office from scratch would mean excessive capital and infrastructure investments, intelligent office devices offer a lower cost solution. Using this technology gives a sense of a moving office. The employees can carry their office with them by wireless connected devices.”

Approximately 7 out of 10 medium businesses (100-999 employees) and 14% of small businesses (1-99 employees) have multiple branches. “Pervasive devices with wireless connectivity provide a cost-effective communication link between firms, which frees them from setting up their own telecom infrastructure,” says Datta. “In the future, given an increase in business volume, the number of branches will rise and firms which currently don’t have multiple sites will expand operations. This will further boost the demand for building intelligent office infrastructures.”

The other factor is the rise of a mobile workforce among SMBs. About 50% of all medium businesses and 20% of small businesses have a mobile workforce. These numbers across both segments are set to increase and will boost demand for intelligent office devices. “The most important reason for intelligent office adoption is reduced decision cycle time,” Datta said.

“India’s economic development and the increased business opportunities have resulted in intense competition where fast decision-making is often the key to success. Clients cannot wait for suppliers to respond via email; they want an immediate response. A decision on product purchase or on business partnerships often requires that people interact across various locations. Intelligent devices with wireless connectivity allow this to happen seamlessly," he added.

© CIOL Bureau