Why Does Your Company Need a vCIO?

7 Reason Your Business Need a vCIO

A virtual Chief Information Officer offers IT expertise in a cost-effective way that works for small and medium-sized businesses.  

Preparing your company for the future while keeping IT operations going every day is a tough job. As you’re juggling responsibilities, important issues can fall through the cracks. A virtual Chief Information Officer offers IT expertise in a cost-effective way that works for small and medium-sized businesses.

What Is a vCIO?

A Virtual Chief Information Officer, or vCIO, is a contractor or company with the expertise of a CIO without the cost of a full-time officer. Access to a vCIO gives your organization a technology veteran who also knows the importance of business management. A vCIO provides insight that’s crucial when it comes to implementing the right solutions at the right time.

Who Needs a vCIO, and Why?

Technology is changing faster than ever. You need a savvy technologist who can help your business leverage available tools to increase revenue while keeping expenses in check. A vCIO gives you that power. Let’s look at the reasons companies are turning to a vCIO approach.

• To Optimize Your IT Environment: A vCIO can assess your work environment, making recommendations on hardware and software, and infrastructure and operations. This provides opportunities to stay aligned with industry best practices. A vCIO can perform regular assessments and bring in additional resources as needed. With an annual plan in place, budgeting and leading the internal IT team becomes much more manageable.
• To Think of Technology Strategically: Everyone has their pet project or application they don’t want to part with. A vCIO lends a dispassionate view of which technologies are critical to your business and helps you find or create an IT system that aligns with the unique needs of the business. This requires a deep dive into your technology and a frank look at whether the systems work together effectively.
• To Add Value to Internal and External Clients: Your vCIO can identify ways to increase the value IT systems provide to clients and employees. For instance, an effective file sharing system helps clients access the information they need faster and simplifies the way employees work with files.

How Can a vCIO Help Prepare Your Company for the Future?

A vCIO has typically worked with several companies and has a fee for what’s around the corner — it’s part of their job. This helps your company choose the right technology. It can give you a decisive edge other the competition.

How Can a vCIO Give Staff More Flexibility?

Employees who work remotely from home or while traveling are part of your mobile workforce. You need processes and systems that support them and give them the flexibility needed to balance work and life responsibilities. Virtual CIOs with telephony expertise can help your company develop a cost-effective Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy that saves hundreds of dollars per user per year.

How Do vCIOs Leverage the Latest Technology?

A virtual chief operating officer has the experience to evaluate which “new thing” will produce long-term results for the company. Consummate technologists are always plugged into the latest trends so that you can find solutions that improve your productivity and bottom line. After thoroughly reviewing your corporate vision and goals, they can recommend solutions to help you get there. A vCIO also periodically evaluates the company’s existing systems and puts together a business case to suggest improvements.

How Can a vCIO Help Improve Security?

No matter how big or small your business is, security is essential to protect the business, its employees and clients. A vCIO oversees data protection, risk assessment, training and third-party security to help reduce the risk of a data breach. They also delegate and oversee identity and access management to eliminate unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Virtual CIOs also spearhead business continuity and disaster recovery as well as special projects aimed at reducing costs.