Internet service providers (ISPs) and small and medium enterprises(SMEs) need to communicate clearly to ensure that both parties benefit from the working relationship, a report has found.

Research carried out by IT analyst Quocirca indicates that SMEs typically do not have time to deal with the complexities of the services they rely on.

The study went on to conclude that in an increasingly competitive internet services market, providers should be clear about the particular benefits of their services.

In a statement the research company said: "As [SMEs] embrace the internet and rely upon it for increasingly sophisticated services, it will become more important to understand the different offers from providers, and look beyond price to added value and support."

The firm went on to say that the onus is on ISPs to clearly demonstrate the business impact of their particular connectivity options.

Research carried out earlier this week by communications giant IBM indicates that individual internet consumers have little brand loyalty when it comes to ISPs but would prefer a wider choice of applications and services made available on their mobile phones.


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