Small Business (SMB) stories - Page 9

Repair shops once formed the backbone of local high streets. Rising costs, sealed devices and shifting consumer habits are now pushing many to close.

Airwallex acquires Korean fintech Paynuri, securing local payment and FX licences as it accelerates its expansion across Asia-Pacific hubs.

Aspire embeds Deel's Employer of Record tools to let startups hire, pay and manage overseas staff from a single cross-border finance platform.

Wise forecasts five shifts to speed up cross-border payments by 2026, as new rules, tech links and customer demands reshape the market.

OpenAI rolls out USD $8-a-month ChatGPT Go across the US and prepares to trial clearly labelled ads for free and Go users.

Elyos AI raises USD $13m to grow its AI agents that answer calls, book jobs and automate admin for trades and field service firms.

India's booming SMBs face rising cyber threats, driving rapid adoption of managed IT and security services to safeguard growth.

Pax8 taps former Microsoft Asia channel leader Sarah Bowden to spearhead APAC sales, marketing and partner growth from 2026.

Executive-level CISO roles now dominate security leadership, but a new report warns widening scope and legacy structures are driving strain.

Xero launches AI analytics across its platform, giving small firms dashboards, forecasts and scorecards once reserved for larger rivals.

Newo.ai and IONOS have launched a plug-and-play AI receptionist, promising SMEs 24/7 call handling, missed lead recovery and quick setup.

AI data management is set to surge to USD $239.15bn by 2034 as cloud, streaming data and governance needs reshape enterprise data strategy.

Acronis launches encrypted archival storage for MSPs and SMEs, promising rapid access, WORM immutability and predictable long-term pricing.

Cybersecurity in 2026 pivots from building higher walls to one core question: how fast can organisations recover when attacks inevitably hit?.

OpenText warns 2026 will bring an AI‑driven identity crisis, deepfake-fuelled scams and decision overload that many firms are not ready for.

Progress predicts 2026 will mark a shift from AI pilots to orchestrated, governed platforms, widening the gap between leaders and laggards.

AI will reshape risk, trust and compliance in 2026 as firms swap hype for embedded tools, tighter controls and higher regulatory scrutiny.

Yealink launches SP92 speakerphone and BH71 Pro headset at Officeworks, targeting hybrid workers needing clearer calls in noisy spaces.

Mitsumi unveils India push with INR ₹700-1,000 crore IT and mobile distribution expansion across metros and smaller cities over 3 years.

Zyxel Networks' USG FLEX 50HP firewall has been crowned Security Hardware of the Year at the 2025 PC Pro Excellence Awards in the UK.