To begin with, ITBizFocus.com did not happen by chance. A lot of thought went into it and that helped us strengthen our focus. Being yet another tech journal isn’t our agenda. So, we decided to focus on one of the most “talked about” yet challenging segments in business. Yes, we dedicate this portal to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups, which contribute significantly to the growth of a country’s economy. In India alone, this burgeoning segment contributes to 44% of exports, employs over 60 million people, and creates 1.3 million jobs every year. The contribution of the SMEs towards India’s GDP is currently around 18% and is expected to rise to 22% by 2012, according to the SME Chamber of India. With such optimistic figures, one gets to hear the SME buzz everywhere. They apparently feature in every IT vendors’ wish list. However, take a deeper look and you would notice a sharp paradox, especially where it concerns their IT adoption maturity. Surprisingly, only 17% of SMEs in India have access to computers, leave alone deploying high-end IT solutions. We found out from a survey that it is mostly lack of information, guidance and knowledge that keeps them away from deploying a particular technology, product and/or service.

While most technology portals focus either on large enterprises or IT consumers, very few have attempted to become the voice of SMEs. There are few who focus on their challenges, educating them on benefits of using technologies, products and services that suit their budget and requirement. At ITBizFocus.com, we plan to fill the gap. We strive to become a comprehensive knowledge portal for SMEs by providing them information including latest news, interviews, success stories, expert opinions, tech reviews, etc. The information will help them select and use tech solutions that will be aimed at business growth.

On the occasion of launch, I take the opportunity to thank all our friends, associates and colleagues who have helped us in making the venture a success. I sincerely hope this encouragement and support will continue as we traverse through the SME pathway. We invite comments, thoughts, feedbacks and contributions from you.

Editor.