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is increasing as it means that companies don’t need to set up their own data centre and resources can be scaled according to the demand. “SMBs tend to turn to web services that are hosted by a single provider, benefiting from economies of scale, as well as the ability to size their capacities quickly, easily and dynamically,” she says. Ben Voce, cloud presales lead at Exertis, says the surge in interest in cloud storage stems from the increased use of AI tools, such as Microsoft's Copilot. “This has led to an unprecedented amount of content creation,” he says. “Consequently, storage requirements have grown significantly.” All-cloud options Some SMBs are looking for cloud-only storage options. For instance, Chanel says that for SMB users, establishing an IT infrastructure would be costly and requires continuous support and maintenance from dedicated staff, which is often out of the picture for SMBs. “Since this is traditionally difficult to achieve, companies tend to buy new hardware in set cycles based on an estimate of their future needs, which often leads to more resources being purchased than are needed – hence why a cloud-based solution would be appropriate for SMBs,” she says. “It also allows companies to access data remotely, with the only requirement being access to the internet. This means SMB employees and owners can work and build their businesses from any location, knowing their data with be stored securely.” Becky adds that fully cloud-based solutions aren’t always appropriate for every SMB. “Businesses with complex compliance requirements or those that need ultra-low latency for certain operations may find that a hybrid model works better for them,” she says. “Resellers should carefully assess each client’s needs to ensure the solution aligns with their business objectives.” Hybrid favoured So while some SMBs are considering fully cloud-based solutions, a significant number are favouring a hybrid approach, blending cloud and on-premise solutions. “The decision largely depends on the nature of the business, its existing IT infrastructure and specific requirements such as regulatory compliance or the need for low-latency applications,” says Becky. “Some businesses prefer to keep certain
sensitive data on-premise, particularly in industries like finance or healthcare, while leveraging the cloud for other tasks like backup, collaboration and scalability. Flexibility is key, and the hybrid model provides a balance between retaining control over critical data and benefiting from the cloud's accessibility.” Ian agrees that while cloud-only solutions offer many benefits, such as scalability and flexibility, some SMBs have concerns about aspects like data privacy, security and compliance,” he says. “Some SMBs may also find applications or data they hold require on-premises storage due to performance or latency requirements. “By embracing a hybrid approach, SMBs can control their critical applications and data through on-premises storage while placing their non-critical applications and data into the cloud for improved cost-effectiveness and accessibility. And this approach can be tailored to their specific IT needs.” Chris Shaw, UKI&SA country channel manager at AvePoint, agrees. “A hybrid approach allows SMBs to maintain control over sensitive data while using the cloud for less critical data and applications,” he says. Andy Brown, technical services director, UK & Ireland, TD SYNNEX, adds that for most businesses – large or small – it’s desirable to have some critical data stored on-premises. “That may be due to the sensitive nature of the information, industry regulation, concerns over security, or simply because they feel more comfortable that way,” he says. “With the large volumes of data now being retained and analysed, it makes a lot of sense to have a tiered storage structure, with the data to which you need fast access kept close to the point of delivery and larger volumes of data that may be required less often kept in secondary or tertiary resources. “Exactly where those resources are should not matter to the user. From a reseller perspective, there is an opportunity to provide effective management and orchestration of storage resources, and I think we will see more opportunities emerging.” Chanel says a hybrid cloud structure means data will be spread across more than one service, allowing companies to run certain workloads in different locations, whether across private or public clouds. “This means there is a much lower risk that your company will lose data or be unable to operate in the event of a cyberattack or server outage, as ‘not all of your eggs are in
Ian Stretton presales solution architect
infinitygroup.co.uk
Kobi Hunn solutions engineering manager
distology.com
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Some SMBs may also find applications or data they hold require on-premises storage due to performance or latency requirements.
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