Weekly SMB Market Roundup

The week ending October 31, 2003 saw fewer high-tech product and service introductions targeted toward SMBs than the previous week. Yet there was still a push to capture SMB market dollars in the United States, Europe and Asia. Some of the highlights:

- BellSouth introduces a packaged communications solution that includes a migration path to voiceover Internet protocol (VoIP). The number-three local phone company (behind Verizon and SBC Communications) is targeting small and midsize business (SMB) customers with as few as 12 users. More.

- IBM launches its latest packages of software and services for small and medium-sized businesses, including a bundle for suppliers looking to synchronize product information with retailers through the UCCnet registry. IBM's Express portfolio bundles, which total more than 40, target businesses with between 100 and 1,000 employees. According to a Gartner spokesperson, "IBM's experience in the SMB market...is another strength....They have worked through some of the challenges of reducing cost and offering solutions with a value proposition attractive to small and midsize enterprises, which is very different than large enterprises." More.

- While this next one isn't exactly a case of big business chasing small business, it is still worth noting: Linux followed up Microsoft's launch last week of its Office 2003 with its own series of new launches. Red Hat releases Enterprise Linux 3, which improves its performance when running apps with multiple threads operating at once. SuSE releases a new 64-bit operating system for PCs, and a new version of its Openexchange server with enhanced support for Outlook 2003. More.

- Panda Software launches BusinesSecure, which includes a new antivirus solution providing protection specifically targeting networks of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). More.

- VIA NET.WORKS, a provider of business communication solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe and the United States, launches Internet Protocol-based Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) solutions designed to meet the networking needs of SMEs across Europe. More.