查看文章

SMEs operate in competitive markets for business growth and sustainability. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions have the potential to increase SMEs competitiveness thus contributes towards business sustainability. However SMEs mainly use the traditional ICT solutions to stay competitive. This leads to several challenges that they face in implementing ICT solutions, such as lack of capital, skilled staff, and so forth. The eminent challenge is that ICTs are expensive to procure and maintain. Considering these challenges, there is a need for cost-effective alternative ICT solutions that when implemented, can improve SMEs competitiveness. This paper investigates SMEs challenges regarding the adoption and use of traditional (on-premise) ICT solutions, and the potential of cloud computing as an alternative technology. The study adopted qualitative research approach, where case study research designs was used consisting of three SMEs. The data was collected through interviews, expert reviews, literature and questionnaires, where a total of 19 participants were used. The findings reveals that cloud computing happens to be a cost-effective alternative solution compared to traditional (on-premise) ICT solutions.