Microsoft to Help 200,000 SMBs in Karnataka Use Cloud Computing

Global software major Microsoft said on Thursday it is partnering with Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) to help about 200,000 small and medium businesses (SMBs) across the state use cloud computing to spur their revenue growth.

"Cloud computing will open more avenues for SMBs and connect them with their present and prospective customers across the country, as they play a significant role in the economy," Microsoft's India subsidiary said in a statement in Bengaluru.

Cloud computing is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, instead of a local server or a personal computer.

According to a study by the IT industry representative body Nasscom and growth partnership firm Frost & Sullivan, the Indian SMB market employs about 40 percent of the country's workforce, contributes 17 percent to national GDP and accounts for 45 percent share in manufacturing and 40 percent of exports.

"Among SMBs, primary workloads are productivity, Internet connectivity, mail and messaging, business applications, collaboration, cloud storage and cloud platform. In association with FKCCI, we are able to reach thousands of SMBs and democratize IT for small businesses while providing enterprise-class solutions," Microsoft India general manager Meetul Patel said in the statement.

FKCCI president Tallam R. Dwarakanath said: "Technology lies at the heart of any business and the right mix of IT adoption helps businesses accelerate their growth at a minimum cost. We are excited to partner with Microsoft to drive the next wave of growth for our member organizations."

While findings from Greyhound Research highlighted Bengaluru based organisations to be ahead of the national average in terms of IT maturity and deployment, another study by consulting giant Boston Consulting Group (BCG) observed SMBs which embraced IT solutions grew faster than ones which didn't.

SMBs actively adopting IT tools will create an opportunity for the sector to grow revenues by $56 billion (roughly Rs. 3,74,618 crores) and create 1.1 million new jobs, said Microsoft.