Over half of UK SMBs to replace IT infrastructure in next 12 months

End of Windows Server 2003 will drive a new wave of opportunity for cloud services.

According to results from the annual Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) report into cloud adoption, 53% of small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) are currently running a Windows Server 2003 operating system. On 14th July 2015, one year today, Microsoft will be ending its extended support period for the operating system, meaning there will be no further patches, updates or fixes.


The report, in its fifth year, polled 250 senior IT and business decision-makers; 153 of which were from businesses with fewer than 200 employees. The research found that for 69% of SMBs, infrastructure refresh is seen as a key consideration in adoption of cloud.


Whilst cloud adoption amongst SMBs has risen to 75%, the research found that a hybrid model of cloud services mixed with on-premise IT has become the preference. 86% of SMB respondents don’t currently use an entirely cloud-based IT strategy and 47% claimed to only be using one cloud based service at present.
“SMBs are clearly already favouring a hybrid approach. Our view is that 9 out of 10 companies will continue to invest in on-premise IT alongside and integrated with remote cloud solutions” said Nick East, CEO of Zynstra, the pioneers in cloud managed server appliances, who champion the need for hybrid cloud for SMBs. “Businesses can use the opportunity of infrastructure refresh to deliver better value from their IT estate. Those with Windows 2003 server still running should act soon to ensure a smooth transition before support ends.”

Keepit's survey highlights the risks of relying solely on native SaaS backups, underscoring the...
Hitachi Vantara offers new storage solutions on Azure for improved management and cost-efficiency.
Nokia is hailed as the leading core network vendor in Omdia's 2025 report, excelling in...
Financial institutions benefit from hosted private cloud solutions, balancing modernisation with...
HANDD Business Solutions teams up with Cloudhouse to modernise legacy systems and protect sensitive...
Node4 launches a partner support program to aid former VMware partners adapt to the changes...
IONOS deploys the latest supercomputing technology for advanced AI and data applications in a...
DE-CIX begins operations in São Paulo, enhancing Brazil's digital connectivity with cutting-edge...