Alternate Cloud Providers Like Linode Are Better Suited For Small Businesses

TFIR: Open Source, Cloud Native & AI/ML

I sat down with Philbert Shih, Managing Director at Structure Research, to explore the factors that help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) & Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) select their cloud providers. Structure Research was founded 10 years ago in Toronto Canada as a research firm of analysts focused on the infrastructure services space. Their organization has seen, during the 18-month long pandemic, an acceleration of cloud infrastructure. Such an acceleration has led to faster deployment and the removal of barriers. To that end, Philbert Shih, Managing Director at Structure Research, says, "We follow the results coming from the public markets and not just the hyperscale guys, but also the SMB-oriented providers. Providers targeting SMBs are all showing tremendous growth and, in fact, are positioning for accelerated growth throughout '21 and into '22." This has led analysts, like Shih, to conclude that the cloud has become mainstream and will be a mainstay going forward.