Microsoft shows safer options to SMEs

Vijayawada: Small and medium sized firms, SMEs in India are still on older versions of Windows today, according to a survey. Upgrading to a Windows 10 modern device will offer experiences that are more safe, secure, productive and familiar, said Farhana Haque, group director, devices, Microsoft India at a programme held here on Thursday.

Addressing the media, Farhana said that SMEs play an important role in employment generation and economic growth in local communities. Microsoft was committed to helping SMEs with the right set of tools and technologies to drive their operational efficiency and business growth.

In addition, SMEs are looking at the options for digitising their businesses, and Microsoft was working with its partner ecosystem, which includes HP, Dell, Lenovo and Acer among others, to bring to SMEs PCs across price points that cater to their business and operational needs. With Windows 10, Microsoft was ensuring that the businesses and their employees get the latest technology that also seamlessly supports the business applications they are currently using.

She said that the survey has also found that key barriers among SMEs in migrating to new devices were concerns of legacy applications not being able to work on a newer operating system and lack of budgets. SME owners tend to focus often on short term costs, which in most cases are right, but at times it can lead to situations that cost more.

The choice between using older PCs and replacing them with newer PCs was one such area. The cost of maintaining older PCs affects the budget more than purchasing new PCs with latest technology, she added.