While there are issues that affect all businesses across all sectors, size does matter, and being a small-to-medium-sized enterprise (SME) comes with its own set of unique challenges. When it comes to IT, the market is dominated by the largest players, with smaller organisations frequently not having the resources or budget to innovate as quickly as they would like.
This places a huge amount of stress on IT teams, the backbone of SMEs, who already have to shoulder a broad array of responsibilities to ensure the business operates smoothly in an era of hybrid working environments.
Breaking into the UK
JumpCloud provides a modern, centralised, cloud-based directory platform that connects all IT resources. With the JumpCloud Directory Platform, IT teams and users can manage their IT resources, devices and secure connections with full control, security, and visibility, all through a single-pane-of-glass solution.
Prior to February 2023, JumpCloud had a limited presence in the UK. To increase market share and raise awareness, it partnered with C8 to tell its story in a compelling and memorable way. C8 implemented a full PR programme and utilised JumpCloud’s bi-annual SME IT Trends Report as a main driver to create awareness of JumpCloud in the industry and position its vast expertise.
The objective of JumpCloud’s bi-annual SME IT Trends Report was to illustrate the issues that IT admins are facing and how these can be alleviated – especially in small businesses. This would position JumpCloud as the go-to resource for media and analysts on all aspects of IT trends for SMEs.
Raising awareness
C8 announced the findings from JumpCloud’s Q2 2023 SME IT Trends Report in September 2023. The report revealed that in the immediate wake of the pandemic, when SMEs had just settled into what was deemed the ‘new normal’, new challenges were already on the horizon.
Instead of contending with lockdowns and supply chain shortages, businesses were dealing with increasingly complex regulatory pressures and IT tool sprawl. Additionally, greater macroeconomic pressures led to layoff and recession fears, not to mention the ever-increasing sophistication of cyber threats.
Following close behind in February 2024, C8 launched the next edition of the report, titled “State of IT 2024”, which charted the rise of AI and its impact on identity management against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and evolving security threats.
Building upon the 2023 edition, C8 hosted a round of briefings between media and JumpCloud’s co-founder and CTO – in both the UK and India – to raise further awareness of the business and research’s key findings. It also conducted a series of radio interviews, which were broadcast by over 300 regional radio programmes across the UK.
In the summer of 2024, C8 announced the results of JumpCloud’s latest SME IT Trends Report, “Detours Ahead: How IT Navigates an Evolving World”, which provided new insights into the challenges and opportunities facing IT teams at SMEs, such as the IT professionals’ biggest fears around AI, and the growing threat of shadow IT.
Establishing JumpCloud as an industry leader
The coverage resulting from JumpCloud’s SME IT Trends reports demonstrate the growing momentum it has enjoyed amongst UK top-tier IT and channel media, with coverage increasing with every iteration of the research. JumpCloud’s Q3 2024 report achieved a total media reach of over 16 million readers – an increase of five million potential readers compared to the 2023 report.
Today, JumpCloud’s SME IT Trends report is eagerly anticipated by the industry. Key competitors have tried to mirror it in various guises, but JumpCloud has firmly established itself as the primary source for IT trends for SMEs.
Speak with the communications specialists
With 20 successful years in business, the team at C8 Consulting is perfectly placed to help you address your PR and communications challenges. Whether you’re looking to grow internationally, beach head and rollout across new markets, or seek to champion your next growth stage, C8 Consulting is here to help you. Do get in touch.