peshkova - stock.adobe.com
Babble: SMEs are struggling with tech confidence
Firm shares research that indicates significant portions of the channel’s customer base are struggling as Cisco reveals AI confidence is also dipping among CEOs
If the channel has one ultimate purpose in life, it is to work with customers to devise, deploy and maintain the technology that will improve business.
The majority of customers understand the value of technology, but significant numbers remain unable to utilise it effectively due to a lack of confidence, which is where partners continue to play a pivotal role.
Babble’s inaugural Technology performance index painted a clear picture of that situation, discovering that 88% of customers quizzed acknowledged the critical importance of technology, but only 47% felt confident enough in their ability to deploy it effectively.
Babble carved the market into thirds, with tech vanguards representing a quarter of the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) base, emerging adopters (41%) and bystanders (34%).
There were opportunities for the channel to work with all three groups, catering the support pitch to the level of confidence and expertise the users had in-house.
“SMB leaders know technology improves performance, but too many lack the confidence, board-level buy-in, skills and time to actually find the right technology for their business,” said Mark Braund, executive chair at Babble.
Confidence is the key commodity dividing the SME base and keeping more from embracing technology that could make a positive impact. Babble warned that the risks of failing to change that situation was the prospect of falling behind to more capable competitors.
Identifying the right technology
The research indicated that the gap between the different levels of SMEs was at risk of worsening and leaving bystanders behind. Those leading the charge are able to identify the right technology, and enjoy strong leadership and governance.
“However, we are at a critical juncture,” said Braund. “The businesses that fail to build technology confidence now risk becoming trapped in a cycle of inefficiency, missed opportunities and declining competitiveness. Many of these businesses are well positioned to adopt new technology, unencumbered from legacy infrastructure and siloed data. Those that act now can create stronger foundations for innovation, accelerate growth and play a vital role in powering the future UK economy.”
One of the key areas that customers could lose out on is artificial intelligence (AI), and adding to Babble’s picture of a market suffering from confidence and capability conflicts were findings from Cisco, which showed that the appetite for AI continues to rise, but many are not able to deploy the technology.
The supplier found that 65% of business leaders felt they could be underinvesting in AI, but many were dealing with challenges around building the infrastructure, establishing data foundations and ensuring the security was robust enough to support a deployment.
European leaders were keen to ensure they made the right investments in AI and prioritised trust and transparency.
One European CEO told Cisco: “Avoid rushing AI into decisions without transparency. Trust is harder to regain than efficiency.”
The Cisco research also revealed a declining level of confidence in CEOs around AI. The number that felt they had a firm grip on the technology fell to 47% from 74% in the past year, largely as a result of the speed of innovation making it harder to keep on top of events.
