KUALA LUMPUR: Small and medium enterprises will be able to access business information anywhere and anytime with cloud computing.

This new technology, Microsoft Office 365, was introduced by Microsoft (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd with the collaboration of Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp).

SME Corp chief executive officer Datuk Hafsah Hashim said it is crucial that Malaysian businesses make use of the latest information and communication technology (ICT) solutions to enhance productivity and drive collaboration through cloud computing.

"Through cloud computing, Microsoft Office 365 is giving Malaysian SMEs cost-effective access to the latest high-value ICT solutions to achieve business efficiencies and synergies that were formerly only available to large enterprises," she said.

SME Corp projected that using cloud computing solutions could boost the productivity, market reach, sales and revenues of SMEs by as much as 20 per cent.

Currently, about 99.2 per cent of businesses in Malaysia are SMEs, accounting for 37.1 per cent of the gross domestic product.

Managing director of Microsoft Malaysia Ananth Lazarus said with Office 365, Microsoft has the opportunity to engage in deeper partnerships with Malaysian businesses and to make greater contribution to Malaysia's journey towards becoming an advanced economy.

"It is a game-changer for SMEs, which play a very critical and strategic role in the nation's economy, and thus in its development," he said.

Office 365 is a revolutionary product that brings together Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online and Microsoft Lync Online in an always up-to-date service for a monthly subscription of RM18.