Connectivity Is Key for Helping SMBs Go the Distance

SMBs had to swiftly adapt to the rapid shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many SMBs had not prioritized remote work capabilities or security in the past and opted instead to focus on investments that made an immediate impact on their bottom lines. Highly regulated industries such as healthcare, government, and financial services are still working on enabling remote workers to securely do their jobs. According to IDC's February 2023 Worldwide Small and Medium Business Survey 2023, 39% of financial services and 30% of healthcare SMBs indicate enabling remote workers to securely connect to business systems is a top technology challenge in achieving their business priorities. To that end, 14% of financial services SMBs are making the enablement of remote/mobile workers a business priority over the next 12 months—a figure that is nearly double the 8% average for all industries.