Small, Mid-sized Businesses Looking for Greater Flexibility and Mobility in Communications Systems, CompTIA Survey Finds

Laptops, wireless LANs, telephony solutions are top spending priorities

Oakbrook Terrace, IL, October 3, 2006 Communications solutions that free employees from the tethers of their desks and offices top the technology spending priorities for small and medium-sized businesses, according to a new survey commissioned by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

The survey of more than 350 small and medium-sized businesses across North America found that upgrades to laptop computers are the top spending priority over the next 12 months. Investment in wireless local area networks (LANs) is the number two spending priority for these businesses. Replacement or upgrade of existing phone systems ranked third on their list of technology investments for the next year.

Among companies with less than 100 employees, phone system upgrades are the number two buying priority, ahead of wireless LANs and behind laptop upgrades.

When asked what factors are driving their investment in new communications solutions, 46 percent of the organizations surveyed said savings generated through streamlining business processes. Another 30 percent said cost-cutting within their information technology and communications spending; while 23 percent said initiatives to launch new services or capabilities are the driving factor

"While the majority of businesses surveyed said their current communications system are easy to use and can be operated and maintained at a relatively low cost, these systems are not viewed as a competitive advantage," said John Venator, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA. "Businesses reported that with their existing systems, they find it hard to manage multiple sources of communications; hard to find people when you need them; and they are relying on devices that perform insufficiently to do their jobs well. Their spending priorities center on solutions that will make their employees more productive and mobile."

The purpose of the fourth annual survey was to find out what communications applications and systems small and medium-sizes businesses are using today; and what they plan to use in the future. CompTIA commissioned IDC, a global provider of market intelligence, advisory services and events for the technology market, to survey individuals involved in purchasing voice and data communications systems for companies with 20 to 500 employees.

The survey included responses from many different industries, with professional and personal services, discreet manufacturing and healthcare combining to account for 38 percent of the respondents. Other industries represented included financial and real estate services; process manufacturing; construction; education; technical services providers; retail trade; banking and credit Tags: Mobility, unified communications, SMBinstitutions; government; wholesale trade; insurance; and transportation and transportation services.

More information on the study is available at http://www.comptia.org/sections/research/default.aspx.

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) represents the business interests of the information technology (IT) industry. For 24 years CompTIA has provided research, networking and partnering opportunities to its 20,000 member organizations in more than 100 countries worldwide. CompTIA initiatives extend to areas such as convergence technologies, electronic commerce, information security, IT services, public policy, skills development, and software. CompTIA helps organization maximize the benefits they receive from their investments in technology; and assists IT workers to obtain the skills they need for productive careers in technology. For more information, please visit: www.comptia.org.