The latest report on the Iimpact of technology on small businesses of the United States Chamber of Commerce reveals that 85% of small businesses believe technology will help them grow. It is therefore not surprising that SMEs decide how best to modernize their technology executives in the new year.
From outsourcing IT staff to getting Windows 10, here are three SMB technology trends to watch in 2025.
1. Increasing IT Staff Will Help Manage IT Environments
The increase in IT staff is an ideal solution for SMEs that struggle to build and maintain robust in-house IT teams and technology environments. And right now, that represents a lot of SMEs.
According to McKinseyAbout half of small business owners report having difficulty filling open positions, and 9 in 10 have few or no qualified candidates. This could become an even bigger challenge for growing businesses, as IT budget reductions could reach 30% for SMEs with more than 25 full-time employees.
Fortunately, staff augmentation can be a more cost- and time-effective way for SMBs to acquire talent to fill key gaps as the business scales, whether for a few weeks or several months .
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There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for increasing IT staffing, nor are SMBs limited to one or two types. Between outsourcing, IT consulting and much more, SMEs can choose types of IT staff augmentation that work best for them and enjoy benefits including reduced IT costs, which can be particularly beneficial for resource-strapped startups.
“Ultimately, given the resource-constrained environment in which most startups operate, a staff augmentation strategy can provide significant benefits for some companies,” writes Andrew Amann, CEO of NineTwoThree Studio, in Forbes. “With the right staff augmentation strategy, startups will have the flexibility and runway they need to remain agile throughout their early operations. »
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2. The AI era will require increased security
Artificial intelligence can be a double-edged sword in security, capable of strengthening cybersecurity even as its use across operations may require additional security. This poses a unique challenge that most SMEs are not ready to tackle, because more than half do not currently have cybersecurity measures in place, according to Verizon. So, with 94% SMEs are now considering cybersecurity To be business-critical, organizations are looking to revamp their approaches to security in the AI era.
Recent Microsoftt Security SME searchh reveals that 81% of SMBs are focused on increasing the security of AI applications. Additionally, more than half of SMBs not yet using AI security tools plan to deploy them in the next six months.
SMBs may also consider implementing advanced automation software, such as security orchestration, automation and response solutions. This can help them respond to threats faster and more robustly.
WATCH: BizTech Editor-in-Chief Bob Keaveney discusses the top technology trends for small businesses in 2025.
According to has Fortinet“With SOAR, an organization can manage, plan and coordinate its response to a security threat. SOAR’s automation feature eliminates the risk of human error. This makes the response more accurate and reduces the time needed to resolve security issues.
There is also three important security assessments every SMB should explore in 2025: penetration testing, incident response testing and rapid maturity assessment. These tests can help SMEs take a more proactive approach to strengthening their cyber resilience — a must, like more than 60% of SMEs are temporarily unable to function after suffering a cyber attack.
3. Windows 11 upgrades will be a top priority
Today, more than twice as many people use Windows 10 as Windows 11the new Microsoft operating system first launched in 2021. But with Windows 10 support ending on October 14, 2025, SMBs will need to focus on upgrading.
And they are due to begin their transitions soon. Since not all end-user devices are equipped to run Windows 11, some SMBs will need to upgrade their devices first, which may take some time.
No matter which path you take, the journey to Windows 11 will be worth it. Among others benefitshe integrates zero trust security templates as well as other security features to better defend against sophisticated security threats. Windows 11 also has built-in AI tools such as Co-pilotan AI personal assistant that can help streamline workflows and improve employee productivity.
Ultimately, SMBs who delay or refuse to upgrade will be doing themselves a great disservice. As CDW experts John Coleman and Sean Woodmansee recently written for BizTech“Those who have not upgraded to Windows 11 operating system will take big risks in terms of security, work experience and the most basic operations. We strongly advise against it.