THE PREPAREDNESS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESSES IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC FOR THE USAGE OF CLOUD COMPUTING

Small and medium sized businesses in the Czech Republic and elsewhere have been facing ever growing requirements in respect of digitization. Decrees, acts, directives, along with the requirements for an efficient, user-friendly and simple form of communication while keeping maximum labour safety and effectiveness, constitute an element essential for the development of the society. To choose an appropriate solution in connection with the available sources is the key aspect of the development, not only in terms of financial sources but also human resources. The topic of this article is to analyse cloud computing services and their usage in the Czech Republic as compared to EU countries with the aim to characterise other possibilities of how to expand the usage of these services by small and medium sized businesses. To achieve this aim, we have used the results of surveys targeted at the effectivity of information systems in businesses in the Czech Republic. A sample of approximately 900 businesses was examined. The survey was carried out by using a web questionnaire accessible to the respondents with a verification of the response correctness (to eliminate random responses). Likewise, data available from the Czech Statistical Office was used. Based on the analyses made, the authors state that there is still room to extend the use of cloud computing. In the conclusion, the article characterises the key aspects supporting the development in this area.