Drivers, Benefits and Challenges of ICT adoption by small and medium sized en-terprises (SMEs): A Literature Review

In the knowledge society, firms need to develop competitive advantages based on an adequate and intensive use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), which is an essential ele- ment of success in today's market. This fact is especially relevant for small and medium sized en- terprises (SMEs), whose survival depends, among other factors, on the use they make of ICTs to develop new organizational models, compete in new markets or enhance their internal and external communication relationships. Given the relevance of this topic, the present work studies the impact of the adoption of ICT among SMEs. To do this, we first analyze the current situation of the use of ICT among SMEs in order to show their increasing penetration into the business environment. Then, we study the ob- jectives as well as the main challenges behind the adoption of ICT among SMEs. Later, we ana- lyse the entrepreneur as well as the innovation orientation as key factors in the ICT adoption proc- ess. Finally, we conclude by reviewing the main benefits that ICT can bring to certain areas of SMEs.