“The State of SMB IT for 2026” by EasyVista and the OTRS Group has revealed that small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) in Malaysia are largely aligned with their global peers in terms of IT Service Management (ITSM) maturity. Closely matching the global average (12%), the report shows that 13% of Malaysia’s SMBs have implemented a fully mature, proactive ITSM framework.
“The survey results from Malaysia reflect a broader trend in Southeast Asia: SMBs are recognising the importance of modern ITSM frameworks in supporting business agility, resilience and service quality,” said Daphne Sim, country manager of Singapore at OTRS Group.
Hurdles despite maturity
Over half (53%) of Malaysian organisations report using dedicated ITSM software, surpassing the global average (45%). In terms of IT Asset Management (ITAM), half of Malaysian SMBs report using dedicated software solutions (vs. 38% globally).
However, the study found that 66% still rely on manual work or spreadsheets to bridge ITSM and ITAM processes—only 38% report full integration between their infrastructure monitoring and ITSM or ticketing systems. Besides tool integration (36%), respondents in Malaysia cite budget constraints (49%) and shortages of skilled IT personnel (48%) as top obstacles preventing them from advancing IT operations.
Proactive ITSM
Sim encourages organisations to overcome persistent challenges around integration, workforce skills, and cost management to unlock their full ITIL potential.
Keith Andes, head of Product Marketing at EasyVista, added: “Our data confirms that too many teams are still stuck with fragmented, outdated systems that slow them down and open up risks. What they need are affordable solutions that are easy to integrate and built with automation and AI at the core. That’s how IT can ‘do more with less’ while helping the business grow.”
