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SMB respondents were asked their plans for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their IT infrastructure. For the majority in Figure 3-1, their strategy was best described as either incremental improvement (75 percent of respondents) or transformational (59 percent). Gartner has long observed that the majority of SMBs make infrastructure improvements incrementally, without any type of sourcing strategy to guide them; this also applies to their infrastructure outsourcing habits. Furthermore, while selective outsourcing of different elements of IT infrastructure to "best of breed" vendors may seem a logical choice, it can be very difficult to master among smaller companies. Many are consequently unable to successfully manage a handful of competing vendors in a strategic, coordinated manner. In infrastructure outsourcing, vendor interoperability will be an important consideration for SMBs and vendors hoping to win their business. Despite SMB assertions that infrastructure initiatives will be transformational, vendors must realize that the contracting of such services is ad hoc among SMBs and services need to be positioned accordingly.
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