Parallels gives SMBs cloud consideration
Vendor highlights cloud opportunities within SMB market
Parallels has urged the channel to make the most of the SMB market's growing appetite for cloud computing or risk being left behind.
The vendor, which calls itself a cloud services enabler, said SMBs are swayed by the financial benefits of cloud.
John Zanni, vice president of service provider marketing and alliances at Parallels, said: "We have seen a number of SMBs become switched on to the benefits of cloud over the past 18 months.
"What we are finding is that once they have moved one type of application to the cloud, they become more willing to move others."
Zanni warned that VARs that lack the skills necessary to lead SMB customers to the cloud could find themselves cast aside in favour of those that do have the skills.
"SMBs are moving to the cloud faster. VARs that cannot help them will find that their customers will soon go elsewhere," he explained.
Andrew Coop, managing director of cloud specialist VAR CMS Group, said reducing staffing levels is one way in which cloud computing can help SMBs save money.
"SMBs need to make savings to balance the cost of moving to the cloud and they reduce the size of the IT department to accomplish this, leaving a smaller, more focused team behind," he said.