Cloud services reduce time and money spent managing security and increase protection against cyber threats, Microsoft study shows
Hong Kong – May 24, 2012 — Research released today by Microsoft Corp. shows that small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) in Hong Kong and APAC are gaining significant IT security benefits from using the cloud, according to a new study conducted in five geographies.
The survey, commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by research company comScore, focused on companies with between 100 and 250 PCs in the U.S.A., Singapore, Malaysia, India and Hong Kong.
The study shows that Hong Kong SMBs using the cloud spend 23 hours per week managing security – nearly half of what they used to spend before transitioning to the cloud. Across APAC, 57% of cloud users reported reduced time spent managing security, and on average are also saving 26% on their IT budget due to using the cloud.
At the same time, 51% of Hong Kong companies say they have experienced noticeably higher levels of security since moving to the cloud, compared to 54% in APAC as a whole. In addition, 47% say they spend less time worrying about the cyber threats.
“There’s a perception that security is a barrier to cloud adoption,” said Adrienne Hall, general manager, Microsoft Trustworthy Computing, “Yet when companies embrace and invest in cloud services, they find the benefits far outweigh previous concerns.”
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| Adrienne Hall, general manager, Microsoft Trustworthy Computing (left) and Arunachalam Sam, Group IT/IS manager, Mulitex Group (right) |
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Time and money spent in managing security prior to using cloud services is being re-invested by SMBs to grow their business and stay ahead of the crowd. The survey shows that security benefits of cloud computing now dispel adoption barrier for SMBs, in APAC and Hong Kong:
- More than half of the SMBs said their business was more secure after moving to the cloud in APAC (54%) and Hong Kong (51%).
- Nearly half of the SMBs said they spent less time worrying about their company’s susceptibility to cyber-attacks in APAC (48%) and Hong Kong (47%).
- 43% of Hong Kong SMBs said the cloud made it easier for them to scale their business to explore new markets.
- 54% of Hong Kong SMBs said cloud enables them to increase and decrease IT capacity when needed.
One company that has realized the security benefits of the cloud is Hong Kong-based international manufacturing and trading firm Mulitex Group. With offices in multiple locations across the globe and increasing growth and business complexity, Mulitex faced challenges in IT administration, finding it challenging to support multiple locations and time zones. An efficient, scalable, reliable and unified corporate email system was the need of the hour. After deploying a Microsoft cloud solution – Microsoft Exchange Online in Office 365 – Mulitex no longer has to worry about cyber-attacks and data loss, thanks to Microsoft’s reassurance backed by the latest technology and professional corporate services. This solution aims to provide efficient mobility, robust flexibility, while significantly reducing IT costs.
“Our trust with Microsoft’s security on the cloud is akin to money deposited in our bank – safe, secure and trustworthy.” said Arunachalam Sam, Group IT/IS manager, Mulitex Group. “Migrating to the cloud ensures state of the art technology provided by Microsoft, making us worry-free as far as security and privacy is concerned. We spend 40% less time in managing security as a result. It also saves us time and expense on system maintenance and IT/Infrastructure manpower. Hence, we now can re-deploy our resources to other significant business priorities, while driving business growth with full accessibility and fidelity of data provided by Office 365. This quick and easy deployment with increased scalability also aids our rapid business growth globally.”
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
About Mulitex Group
The Mulitex Group, established in 1969, is headquartered in Hong Kong and has 22 offices worldwide. Sourcing and manufacturing from/in various Asian countries and exporting to Europe, USA, South and Latin American countries constitutes the main business of the Mulitex group. The group deals in (among others) Clothing, Consumer Electronics, Household Appliances, Bags, Footwear, Bicycles, Toys and sundries. For more details, visit www.mulitexgroup.com .
About United Technologies
United Technologies (Int’l) Ltd., established in 1994, is Microsoft Cloud Accelerate Partner. United Technologies deploys Microsoft Office365 Online Services for HK SMBs, including all related setup and migration services. For details, please email to [email protected] or visit www.united.com.hk.
