SMB Internet Resource Users: Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, and AOL Customer Profiles

SMB Internet Resource Users: Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, and AOL Customer Profiles and Opportunities

Product Type: Market Research Report
Published by: IDC
Published: March 2008
Product Code: R104-33158

Description

A number of major technology companies as well as specialists have services designed to help growing firms take advantage of the Internet. Beyond establishing a Web presence, the latest generation of Internet services can improve internal efficiency and external reach. This study investigates which companies small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have made the greatest use of as providers of Internet resources in the past, by both company size and vertical industry, and which companies they are most likely to use or continue to use in the next 12 months. Small businesses that use Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and AOL as providers of Internet resources are then compared across a number of dimensions.

"Small firms in particular will be making more and more use of the Internet as a resource, driven by the fact that more than 80% of online small firms now have high-speed Internet access, and also because they are increasingly comfortable in going online to get information," says Merle Sandler, research manager in the SMB Program at IDC. "Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! are the leading companies that small businesses turn to as providers of Internet resources. While some of their capabilities are similar, the profiles of the small businesses that use these three firms are very different regarding company size, IT spending, and online sales and promotion."

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

IDC Opinion

In This Study

Methodology

Situation Overview

Current and Planned Use of Companies as Providers of Internet Resources, by Size and Industry

Table: Companies Used by U.S. Small Businesses as Providers of Internet Resources by Company Size, 2007 (% of Respondents)

Table: Companies Used by U.S. Medium-Sized Businesses as Providers of Internet Resources by Company Size, 2007 (% of Respondents)

Table: Companies Planned to be Used by U.S. Small Businesses as Providers of Internet Resources by Company Size, 2007 (% of Respondents)

Table: Companies Planned to be Used by U.S. Medium-Sized Businesses as Providers of Internet Resources by Company Size, 2007 (% of Respondents)

Table: Companies Used by U.S. SMBs as Providers of Internet Resources by Vertical Industry, 2007 (% of Respondents)

Table: Companies Planned to be Used by U.S. SMBs as Providers of Internet Resources by Vertical Industry, 2007 (% of Respondents)

Use of Different Providers of Internet Resources by SMBs in Different Attitude Clusters

Table: Cluster Allocation of U.S. SMBs by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007 (% of Respondents)

Comparisons Between Small Businesses that Use Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and AOL

Average Number of Employees

Figure: Number of Employees in U.S. Small Businesses by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007

Annual Revenue Growth

Table: Sales Performance in Past 12 Months in U.S. Small Businesses by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007 (% of Respondents)

IT Spending

Figure: Amount Spent on IT in U.S. Small Businesses by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007

Figure: Allocation of IT Spending in U.S. Small Businesses by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007

Table: Expected Increase in IT Spending in U.S. Small Businesses by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007 (% of Respondents)

High-Speed Internet Access

Figure: High-Speed Internet Access in U.S. Small Businesses by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007

Figure: Amount Spent Per Month on High-Speed Internet Access in U.S. Small Businesses by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007

IP Telephony

Table: Use of IP Telephony in U.S. Small Businesses by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007 (% of Respondents)

Online Sales and Promotion

Table: Online Sales and Promotion in U.S. Small Businesses by Internet Resource Provider Used, 2007 (% of Respondents)

Future Outlook

Figure: Small Business Agreement with Key Attitude Statements by Internet Resource Provider Used

Essential Guidance

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Methodology

Synopsis

Ordering and More Information

Price and Delivery Options

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