Virtual VCIO: What Is it and How to Hire One?

Technology has become essential for modern businesses, and professional management of that technology, especially post-pandemic, has become increasingly critical.

The speed of change and the rapid adoption of cloud-based products (SaaS) has made it increasingly unviable to retain in-house support. Not only because of the cost, but because it has become far too time-consuming, too difficult for internal IT staff to keep abreast of constantly evolving, new technologies, whilst simultaneously managing their employer’s business network.

In large companies, the IT Director or CIO manages all corporate IT systems and strategies, to ensure optimum performance. They will manage any associated budgeting and ensure that the best possible value is being achieved.

In an ideal world, all businesses would have an expert IT Director/CIO in charge of IT strategy, infrastructure, design, and implementation of the right IT solutions throughout the company.

But the actual cost becomes a real barrier, because experienced IT directors are very expensive, making this option impractical for most SMB type businesses.

Most businesses today take the decision to outsource all IT responsibility to suitably qualified IT Managed Services Providers (MSPs). The obvious benefits are substantial cost savings, but also the MSP is likely to employ a larger team of qualified and experienced technical experts.

In practice, many IT Managed Services Providers (MSPs) today, will include a virtual IT Director/vCIO as a valuable element of their support provision and at no added cost to you, the client.

This helps them to provide a complete, end-to-end service, ensuring expert management and maintenance of your entire IT infrastructure.

In many cases, the vCIO service will be fully supported by advanced back-office systems and delivered through regular Account Management meetings, virtually or in person.

It is designed from the ground up to provide a range of very comprehensive benefits, including:

• Identifying what cloud services would be most beneficial to your business
• Helping you plan your IT spend so that maximum value is achieved
• Ensure effective alignment between your business’ aims and your real IT requirements
• Design and management of any IT projects
  

Advancements in technology, in particular cloud-based products, which have seen a dramatic increase during the pandemic, are helping businesses to grow more quickly than ever before, and at the same time, increase productivity and profitability.

But many of these cloud-based technologies are highly advanced and complex and can present a serious risk to unwary businesses, which in turn drives an increasing need for effective, professional management of these systems, especially when it comes to your mid-to-long-term business plans.

Most MSPs employ larger teams of expert IT engineers, and because they can rotate responsibilities, their technical staff are always able to keep their training up to date with current technologies. As a result, they will typically offer a far wider range of expertise than an in-house team could.

Because of their larger teams, the virtual IT Director/vCIO function might actually be an entire team of expert technologists and industry professionals, with many years of combined experience in all aspects of strategically managing advanced IT systems.

What this means is that your business benefits from the expertise and vast knowledge of a highly skilled and experienced team, helping you optimize your systems and drive you towards your business goals.

Your business can gain all the benefits from many years of experience, gained while operating in diverse IT environments, without having to pay for a full-time board-level executive.

A Virtual IT Director/vCIO will always ask the right questions to help formulate IT recommendations, designed to help your business become more successful.

The Virtual IT Director/vCIO will always have your business foremost in their thought process and make only appropriate recommendations, ensuring you are fully informed and ready to make the right decisions.

The vCIO will oversee your entire IT infrastructure, ensuring everything is operating as it should.

They will guide your business’ digital transformation and help you to remain competitive, whilst at the same time, keeping tight control of your costs.

The virtual IT Director/vCIO role your MSP provides will deliver effective and affordable skills to ensure your IT systems are working for your business and not the other way around.

It is an effective and cost-efficient method of getting the very best out of your technology budget.

Watch the short video below to learn more.