IDC's Small and Medium Business Internet service identifies opportunities to provide small and medium businesses (SMBs) with three types of online capabilities: buying, selling, and doing (supporting different internal business activities online). The impact of the Internet on key SMB activities is evaluated, and the opportunities and risks associated with the adoption of new online capabilities are described. This service examines current and planned spending on Internet access and services by SMBs as well as Internet-supported ecommerce.

This service covers the following segments of the SMB Internet market in the United States:

• Web spending - Internet infrastructure and service investment
• Online outsourcing of different services including Web hosting
• eCommerce and online promotion
• Online purchasing

Throughout the year, this service will address the following topics:

• Role of new alliances in reshaping the industry's structure
• Online purchasing by product and service category
• Pace of small business Internet evolution and midmarket adoption of online capabilities
• Interrelationship between broadband Internet access, ecommerce activity, and Internet access to business resources
• Role of the Internet in supporting internal and external communications

Our research addresses the following issues that are critical to your success:

1. How are SMBs using the Internet today, and how will that use change throughout the forecast period?
2. How do SMBs gain access to the Internet, and how are high-speed technology preferences changing?
3. How do SMBs vary by industry in current and expected use of different Internet applications?
4. What capabilities are small and medium firms most interested in sourcing online? Which internal and customer/supplier solutions are generating the most excitement?
5. To what extent are SMBs making use of VoIP? What factors would influence VoIP adoption? What role is unified messaging playing in the appeal of integrated voice/data solutions?
6. What Internet security solutions do SMBs have in place, and what are their future plans?

Throughout the year, this service will offer insight into the latest trends impacting the market. Potential studies include:

This study analyzes the changing use of Internet by company size, including applications, buying and selling activities, and use of broadband access.

This study examines SMB Internet activity and intentions across 14 industries.

This study examines SMB spending on home-page development and use of different tools to establish and manage Web sites. "Do it for me" versus "do it myself" preferences are described along with Web hosting approaches.

IDC offers a complete market intelligence solution customized to meet your business requirements. The array of products and services available to you includes:

• The opportunity to have your specific questions answered through personal interaction with industry experts who cover the topics and markets in your service
• Around-the-clock access to our market intelligence on idc.com, IDC's personalized Web experience
• A view of the market's future with 12 months of continuous intelligence about its direction and the reasons behind it, along with actionable advice for taking advantage of existing and emerging opportunities
• Special client discount pricing on purchases of research from other services
• Complimentary admission to IDC's annual Directions conference, where you'll hear our latest forecasts and network with IDC analysts and other industry professionals
• Complimentary invitations to monthly executive telebriefings, interactive forums designed to provide you with insights about research and strategies directly from IDC analysts

To find out how our flexible packaging options can meet your specific business needs, please contact your IDC sales executive.

As a privately held company, IDC believes that our customers are our primary constituency. A large percentage of every revenue dollar is reinvested back into our products, including more analysts, more geographic coverage, and extensive primary research.

Our steady growth over the past 10 years reflects our commitment to investing in our customers.