The NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index dropped to 91.3 in August, reflecting a decline in optimism among small business owners. Inflation and rising prices are major concerns, with 23% of owners naming it their primary business hurdle. Other challenges include difficulties in hiring, declining sales, and concerns about labor quality and costs.
According to a Forrester survey commissioned by Cloudflare, lack of cloud connectivity undermines enterprise IT and security management, with nearly 40% of respondents losing control over their tech estates. Cloud complexity has made managing and securing public cloud and data in SaaS environments more challenging, and the growing number of enterprise applications and app decentralization are contributing factors. Observability across cloud platforms and interoperability between multiple clouds and on-prem systems remain elusive goals, with integration not being a priority for hyperscalers.
According to claims data from cyber insurance firms, businesses using Google Workspace are less likely to experience cyberattacks than those using Microsoft 365. The data suggests that Microsoft 365 users are more than twice as likely to make an insurance claim. While the exact reasons for the disparity are unclear, it is theorized that default protections offered by the platforms and the inclusion of additional email security features in Google Workspace may contribute to the difference. Both companies emphasize the importance of using cloud-based email platforms and implementing email security technologies to mitigate risks.
Cisco evaluated their internal fleet, and per a year-long internal review by Cisco, MacBooks are more secure and offer more value over time than PCs. Mac users were found to be five times less likely to be targeted by cyber threats and had nine times fewer viruses. Additionally, Mac devices yielded projected savings compared to PCs and required fewer IT admins. Cisco’s analysis comes at a volatile period for the PC market, which has experienced a decline in shipments, including a 6% decline in the second quarter of 2023, per Canalys. However, Apple may gain market share as employee preference for Mac devices increases.
Why do we care?
That Small business optimism index was up in July, so let’s look at the trend… it’s wobbly. Remember, the power of the cloud can also be the power of subscription revenue — scalable, flexible solutions to address rising costs and labor challenges. Don’t forget to factor in that it doesn’t always go up and down to the right.
I’m sure I’ll get myself into trouble here, but consider that tool selection for the customer matters in the total cost of ownership. I don’t believe that Google Workplace being half as likely to have an insurance claim is a market share issue because, at that scale, hackers are just looking for opportunities in an automated way. Or how about that Mac data? That’s Cisco looking at their fleet – and frankly, they care about selling you network gear, which works the same for PC or Mac.
Those Mac plus Google shops aren’t looking so crazy. And remember, it’s not necessarily an OR. I much prefer this being an AND.
