Small businesses in IT have always been "absolutely essential", according to an expert in the industry.

Carrie Hartnell, the head of industry strategy at Intellect, argued that the UK is "seizing the innovative and entrepreneurial environment" as organisations and companies can get access to everything that is needed because it is all on the internet.

The expert underlined how smaller companies are the foundation of the technology sector yet are unable to operate at their full potential without investment from larger organisations.

Ms Hartnell continued: "We in the UK need to make sure we have got support, the ecosystem and the whole network that will allow small companies to develop, grow and then remain sustainable and not just sell to large companies or remain at the size they are."

Intellect represents over 750 companies ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises to multinational conglomerates in its capacity as the information technology, telecommunications and electronics association.

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent).