The SME 4.0 Competence Center in Stuttgart

For many companies, cloud computing is still an abstract concept. This is true of all sectors of business and companies of all sizes, but it applies especially to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Many of these companies still lack a concrete idea about the basic aspects of cloud computing. When contemplating a migration to cloud computing, they are therefore unsure which cloud-based services make sense for them.

The purpose of the SME 4.0 Cloud Agency is to communicate the practical importance of cloud services to small and medium-sized enterprises throughout Germany. The SME 4.0 Cloud Agency has now been incorporated in the SME 4.0 competence centers in Stuttgart and Lingen, which provide SMEs with practical advice on cloud computing and other digitalization-related topics.

The SME 4.0 Cloud Agency provides the resources for industry associations and chambers of trade and commerce to inform SMEs of the practical benefits of cloud services and show them how to implement, use and integrate cloud applications in their business processes.

In addition, companies can obtain assistance with optimizing their current business processes, capturing new markets and developing new services. The emphasis here is on Industrie 4.0-related topics and issues, which are broken down into the following areas:

• Optimizing business processes; smart products and smart services
• Factors for business success; business procedures
• Cloud technology and migration

The SME 4.0 Cloud Agency/SME 4.0 Competence Center in Stuttgart has developed a wide-ranging package of resources to enable industry associations and chambers of trade and commerce to inform SMEs of the benefits of cloud services. This includes practical assistance with the migration to cloud computing based on real-life examples of successful practice; and guidelines, checklists and video clips providing comprehensive answers to concrete questions. A host of events throughout Germany have helped bodies such as industry associations and chambers of trade and commerce to become advocates for cloud computing.

The SME 4.0 Competence Center in Stuttgart focuses on cloud services and their role in the value-creation process. Whether SMEs are looking for inspiration or already have a concrete vision for their migration to cloud services – we are there to provide help with both technical and practical issues related to implementation.