SMBs Are Ready To Invest In Tech, But Lag Behind In Cybersecurity: GTIA Research

‘It’s not just about what SMBs are doing with tech. It’s about what MSPs can do with them to help them succeed,’ says Carolyn April, GTIA’s vice president of research and market intelligence.

SMBs across the U.S. are increasingly aligning technology investments with business outcomes but still fall short when it comes to cybersecurity, according to new research released by the Global Technology Industry Association.

The survey, which was released during GTIA’s ChannelCon event in Nashville, Tenn., last week, focused on B2B trends among SMBs and shows strong momentum in areas like AI, operational efficiency and customer experience.

The research highlighted that 65 percent of SMBs now identify technology as a primary factor in achieving business goals, with 80 percent acknowledging they have room for improvement.

When it comes to AI, more than six in 10 businesses said they plan to significantly increase AI spending this year, with about two-thirds of SMBs budgeting between $25,000 and $1 million for technology investments in 2025.

[Related: IT Execs On AI In Cybersecurity: ‘Unfortunately, The People Who Are Getting It Right Are The Threat Actors’]

“If you understand that a customer wants to grow revenue or launch a new campaign and you can connect those business goals to specific technology solutions, you’re in a position to become a strategic partner,” said Carolyn April, GTIA’s vice president of research and market intelligence.

However, the research showed a lack of urgency around cybersecurity, with only four in 10 SMBs considering cybersecurity a strategic tech priority in 2025.

“Yes, they understand it’s important, but what are they doing about it? Not nearly enough,” April said. “It’s hard to understand why these small companies don’t consider it a high priority, especially when breaches can be devastating at their scale.”

MJ Shoer, the association’s chief community officer, sees this gap as both a challenge and an opportunity for MSPs.

“MSPs must understand their customer’s business goals, not just their IT needs, to create revenue-driving engagements,” he said.

Global collaboration and localized support mirror the findings in GTIA’s research. While technology is driving innovation across the SMB space, the opportunity lies in helping businesses apply those tools strategically through a combination of IT expertise, business alignment and community support.

Ninety-nine percent of U.S. businesses employ fewer than 500 people but represent 45 percent of the nation’s workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. GTIA’s SMB survey shows that the small-business market is not only ready to invest in technology but is depending on the IT channel to help harness it.

“It’s not just about what SMBs are doing with tech,” April said. “It’s about what MSPs can do with them to help them succeed.”