Microsoft Cloud Solutions to help smaller companies move to the cloud

According to a Deloitte survey, small to medium businesses who use cloud technology experienced a 26 percent faster growth rate and 21 percent higher profit than companies that don’t utilise the cloud. And two-thirds of all SMBs surveyed believe that the cloud allows them to beat their competitors.

But despite knowing the advantages, many SMBs have not yet moved to the cloud.

“In the age of cloud and mobile, many small to medium businesses find themselves in a catch-22 situation. They know they have to leverage these technologies, but with so many options, how do they know which exact solutions are best for their business?” says Robin Njiru, The Regional Manager, Channel and Midmarket for Microsoft East and Southern Africa

Many SMBs know they’ll benefit from moving to the cloud – the ‘why’ is clear. To answer the ‘how’, finding the right partner is important.

“Cloud solution partners are vital in helping SMEs choose the right tools for specific business goals. First, SMEs need to define what their exact goals are – too often they jump into the cloud without a clear understanding of what it is they want cloud computing to help them achieve,” says Mohsin Sumar, CEO of Extreme Web Technologies Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Partner in Tanzania. “With a partner managing these tools, business owners can focus on tasks that really matter, like acquiring new customers and increasing profit margins.” He adds

Extreme Web Technologies are the first fully functioning Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) in Tanzania.

With cloud computing on the rise, more and more businesses are “moving to the cloud” for many reasons: to lower costs, enhance collaboration, and have the ability to work anytime anywhere on any device to name a few. For Example, Office 365 is a cloud-based service hosted by Microsoft that provides email, shared calendars, document sharing, instant messaging, and video conferencing. You don’t need to install software. There are no networks or servers to set up. You are up and running immediately with world-class security, global 24/7 support, high-scalability and high-availability built in. With your complete Office in the cloud, you can use any device (from PCs to smartphones and tablets) from any location to access your email, collaborate on documents with your colleagues, join community discussions or approve requests from a SharePoint workflow.

Get clear guidance on how to support mobile workers 
 Supporting mobile workers is also a fast-growing priority for SMB’s in the Middle East and Africa region. According to the IDC, SMBs that experience revenue growth are 54% more likely than average to have made supporting mobile workers a priority.

Mobile devices and mobile management services untether people from their desks, freeing them to work on the go — whether that’s en-route to a customer meeting, during a daily commute or even just from the balcony or a different room in the office.

SMBs may understand the concept, but need help with the practical steps to support this new way of working.

Being a small business is no longer a disadvantage. Tanzanian SMBs of all shapes and sizes have access to leading technology and best practices thanks to Microsoft and partners like Extreme Web Technologies