The analyst, Chetan Sharma, has released a research paper, The ABCs of SMB Transformation: Apps, Broadband, and the Cloud.

The analyst surveyed 80 SMBs (small-and-medium businesses) of various dimensions and shapes around the US, serving different verticals, so one can understand the impact of mobile broadband, devices, and cloud applications. The study also checked out the info from over 12,000 companies within the SMB segment, and from over 20,000 larger enterprises.

Additionally, it conducted a sequence of interviews to raised understand the motivations, requirements, and feedback of those companies. These companies were in business for twenty years on average, with over two years of expertise with mobile data solutions.

The backdrop to the study is the undeniable fact that america is the largest marketplace for mobile data solutions and services, with revenues in 2013 thanks to exceed $90bn, representing growth of over 165 per cent within the last five years. US Smartphone penetration passed 50 per cent in mid-2012, and the variety of apps available to consumers has quadrupled in only the last two years. While growth inside the smartphone segment was impressive, the tablet adoption rate was the best within the consumer electronics history. The appearance of mobile broadband, powerful computing devices, reliable cloud services and applications have changed the computing landscape forever, the analyst notes.

At an analogous time, the Consumerization of it’s changing the face of the enterprise architecture, and this is often felt more acutely within the SMB segment. The u. s. is likewise the largest enterprise market on earth and the SMB segment represents the more agile and technology-savvy of the ecosystem. As a matter of fact, Chetan Sharma believes this can be a leading indicator of ways technologies are going to be adopted within the enterprise ecosystem, what trends will prove to be disruptive, which vertical segments will embrace efficiency, and most significantly, how should we expect concerning the ever-changing landscape as we glance towards remainder of the last decade.

The analyst notes also that small businesses are on the heart of the U.S. economic engine, representing  roughly 45 per cent of non-farm GDP. Given the significance of small businesses to the economy, it’s therefore worthwhile to have a look at how their technology needs are changing. Additionally, it is very important know the way they’re adopting technology and the impact it’s having on their productivity, competitiveness, and efficiency.

The study reveals that small and medium businesses are leading indicators of technology adoption. As referenced within the paper, SMB smartphone and tablet penetration is greater than 90 and 65 per cent respectively; whereas national smartphone and tablet penetration is roughly 55 and 22 per cent. 

The study also identifies a shift from ‘Mobile First’ to ‘Mobile Only’. Chetan Sharma forecast the sort of shift last year, and says it’s miles now seeing strong evidence of that shift. In its survey, roughly 30 per of SMBs are transitioning from desktops and notebooks to smartphones and tablets, and this shift is leading to the emergence of a generation of app developers focusing totally on the mobile app platform.

Finally, the study finds that mobile broadband, cloud, and apps are providing real and tangible ROI. The SMBs inside the survey saw average savings of 40 minutes per worker per day, which translates into significant impact on profits over the process the year.

There’s additional info in regards to the study here.