Intelligent SME.tech Issue 46 | Page 7

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Data management expert reveals costly mistakes SMEs are making
UK SMEs are risking fines for serious breaches of GDPR principles .
Research from business intelligence consultancy , Catalyst BI , has found that 18 % of organisations processing personal data struggle to understand ICO regulatory guidance .
The UK Business Data Survey also revealed that a combined 21 % of SMEs found it difficult to understand regulatory guidance published by the ICO .
Becky Stables , Data Management Expert at Catalyst BI , said : “ Some businesses , particularly small ones , may not fully understand the regulations or might mistakenly believe that GDPR does not apply to them because the UK left the EU . However , the UK has its version , known as the UK GDPR , which has similar rules .”
Common mistakes SMEs make : retaining unnecessary data ; failing to renew ICO registration ; not properly complying with Subject Access Request ; emailing sensitive information to the wrong person and opening suspicious links and attachments .
Female-founded UK fashion tech start-up raises £ 2.2 million pre-seed investment
Hey Savi , a new UK fashion search and recommendation platform , has secured £ 2.2 million in investment . The funding round is one of the largest raises at pre-seed stage by an all-female-founded UK technology start-up . Using advanced Artificial Intelligence alongside unique customer and fashion data , Hey Savi will completely reshape the way fashion lovers search and shop online , delivering a highly personalised solution for customers to find and buy their perfect outfit first time , every time .
Founded by Victoria Peppiatt , Angela Vinci and Sarah Daniel , the trio of dynamic , female entrepreneurs each bring a wealth of experience across their combined portfolio , boasting an impressive record of starting , building , scaling and exiting high growth businesses . Previously recognised by Management Today as Tech Entrepreneur of the Year , Peppiatt is a second time tech founder , investor and NED , having exited her previous startup , Phrasee , in 2022 .
IT decision-makers face growing pressure to deliver rapid cost savings from public cloud migrations
New independent research from Six Degrees , a secure , integrated cloud services provider , has revealed that 40 % of UK mid-market IT decision-makers felt rushed while undertaking public cloud migration projects . That rises to 41 % of IT directors , 43 % of cloud architects , 45 % of CIOs , 47 % of heads of IT and 80 % of heads of infrastructure .
Data from Six Degrees ’ UK SME Cloud Intelligence Report 2024 suggests that a significant amount of cloud services adoption strategies is still driven primarily by a desire for cost savings . Indeed , a quarter of IT decisionmakers said their primary reason was to reduce operational costs . Furthermore , many other reasons cited by respondents for cloud services adoption are also closely linked to cost savings . These include flexibility ( 32 %), reduced capital investment ( 28 %) and reduced reliance on onpremises infrastructure ( 24 %).
Six Degrees ’ research also reveals that eight out of 10 UK SMEs have experienced unexpected costs or budget overruns relating to cloud usage .
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