New research released this week indicates that cloud technology implementation among companies in Ireland has more than doubled in the past year with small businesses embracing home working much more than larger ones.
This is according to the second annual Regional Business Barometer Study, commissioned by telecoms and cloud services provider, Magnet Networks.
The research was carried out among 540 businesses across eight regional authority areas in January 2016. There was a broad representation of businesses in the survey, ranging from micro businesses, with 1-9 people employed, right up to businesses with 250 people or more.
The research shows that over half (58%) of the 540 business surveyed said they have introduced a cloud system for either their staff, their clients or for both, representing a significant jump on 2015, when 23% stated this.
Micro businesses are very supportive of home working with two-thirds of staff, on average, working from home on a regular basis. For large companies of more than 250 employees, the figure is only 15%. Small companies also provide the most staff with smartphones (48%), tablets (28%) and laptops (42%).
The study shows that the primary benefits of cloud services are reduced costs (58%), mobility (55%), allowing staff to work from home (46%) and greater productivity (37%).
CEO of Magnet, Mark Kellett says, "Work culture is changing, with today’s workforce more dispersed than ever before. This is borne out by our survey with the number of remote and mobile workers increasing significantly since last year, and similar increases for cloud adoption."
He added, "Ubiquitous connectivity and mobility is the new norm, and this is where cloud really comes into play. Many services that were once only accessible from the company office can now be accessed from anywhere in the world, allowing for greater productivity, collaboration and communication."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
