'You now see SMBs moving away from a white box environment,' he said. 'The do-it-yourself time is over and they (SMBs) are looking for tailored solutions. SMBs have more complex requirements and expect suppliers to have business knowledge.'

Moreover, Koch said smaller companies are looking for solutions while at the same time looking for ways to minimize costs. Thus, he predicted Web-based hosted applications to be the 'wave of the future' for SMBs.

'Overall, these trends are fueling IT spending among users in the region,' he said.

According to HP, the Asia Pacific region contributes about 17 percent to its total global revenues, growing year-on-year by almost 10 percent. About 90 percent of HP's client base in the region belongs to the SMB market.

HP also re-launched its HP Total Care portal (www.hp.com/apac/smb) meant to address requirements of SMBs, including customization and post-sales support. The portal will be supported by call centers although HP official did not mention expansion plans.