The study titled, "The Small Business Transition to Hosted Technology: vs. Benefits," also underscores significantly less IT spending as a percentage of revenue by SMBs that outsource and at the same time, companies that host suffer fewer security incidents and technical failures.

The report also reveals SMBs that outsource their IT infrastructure are leveraging their technology resources to generate additional top-line revenues while improving bottom-line results and companies that host are also twice as likely to use cutting-edge technologies and approaches such as Software-as-a-Service. In addition, SMB outsourcers are more than twice as likely to expand sales revenues by engaging in e-commerce to expand sales revenues compared with those who manage IT internally.

"These findings illustrate a powerful trend taking place in the SMB technology market," says Steven Kahan, The Planet's VP of marketing. "The growth of the hosted infrastructure model is enabling smaller companies to compete on an equal IT footing with big business, particularly with powerful e-commerce applications that drive top-line revenues. By using hosted technology, SMBs are leveraging IT more cost effectively and strategically than ever before to gain operational and business benefits that contribute directly to bottom line results."

The Planet also recently announced it named Johnny K. Vincent in the newly created role of chief accounting officer.