Why do some managed service providers offer a personalized Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO)? Is it essential for your business to partner with a managed service provider (MSP) that offers one? Not every remote IT support company provides a vCIO for their clients, but we find them to be a critical resource for success.
If you want to maximize your information technology strategy to help grow your business and remain competitive within your industry, vCIOs can be your secret weapon.
A vCIO will oversee your entire IT infrastructure and speak to technicians on behalf of your business to ensure day-to-day operations are aligned with big-picture strategy.
Although vCIOs are a game-changing resource for small businesses, there is still confusion over what role they play in IT support. Below, we answer some of the most-asked questions about these professionals and how you could leverage them.
What Does a vCIO do?
A vCIO is a virtual chief information officer, sometimes referred to as a virtual chief information security officer. They oversee and manage all aspects of your IT infrastructure, similarly to how a CIO (chief information officer) would.
The main difference is that a vCIO comes from an outside managed service provider. In contrast, a CIO usually oversees and works alongside your internal IT team helping with your IT strategy and implementation.
A vCIO would be in charge of information technology strategy and implementation, and oversee the hardware, software, and data that help other members of the C-suite do their jobs.
They will also often research new trends and tools to determine what technology can provide value to your business. They will also address any current risks associated with your IT and help develop solutions to mitigate them.
What are the Benefits of a vCIO?
Some of the most prominent benefits include advocacy for your client experience, assistance with IT budgeting, cybersecurity, vendor management, and more.
1. Advocating For Your Business Goals
The vCIO will act as an advocate for your business. From a service perspective, the vCIO will look at the current services you’re provided, how tickets are handled, the response time, and the communication with you as the client.
The vCIO's role is to manage all of these aspects of your MSP support and service to ensure it is successful for both parties. This helps ensure that communication channels between MSP and your business are open and flowing correctly to ensure your needs are being met.
2. Assisting with IT Budget Planning & Costs
The vCIO ensures that clients are satisfied with everything budgeting-related from the IT side. They will review all your IT expenses and expected IT costs to create a strategic budget for the future. This will help you to avoid any unexpected fees. Your vCIO will ensure you have a sound financial plan and can plan any IT investments accordingly.
3. Maintaining & Enhancing Cybersecurity
Regarding security and cybersecurity, the vCIO's job is to understand a client's risk tolerance and what they are willing to put in place to maintain or lower that risk. Your vCIO will evaluate your current network and point out any potential vulnerabilities.
Your vCIO will also ensure employees are trained on cybersecurity best practices to keep your network safe and avoid human error. They will inform you about where your IT should be years in advance to help mitigate any risks.
They will also ensure that your business is always one step ahead regarding cybersecurity. Some common mistakes employees make that can increase network vulnerabilities are clicking on phishing emails or downloading files embedded with spyware.
Having a team that is aware of cyber threats and knows how to avoid them is critical to the security of your business.
4. Managing Your Other IT Vendors
Your vCIO will be involved in any decisions regarding your IT infrastructure. Any vendors you bring on for IT must fit your current environment. Your vCIO will work with your company to ensure the product or solution aligns with their other equipment.
It is essential to look at the bigger picture when implementing any new solution or tool, and your vCIO will help you do this to ensure future success.
An example of this would be if your company was working with a new third-party internet service provider.
Your vCIO would work with you and look at your budget and the service to make the best decision for your IT environment.
5. Defining Clear IT Objectives & Strategies for Your Business
When you have a vCIO in your corner, they will provide you with a roadmap of your IT infrastructure. This roadmap will entail everything in your current infrastructure and any changes you will make in the future.
Typically, your vCIO will meet with your business regularly to make strategic decisions and create an IT plan to keep your goals aligned.
Having a vCIO that can define clear visions of where you want your IT to be in the future is critical to the success of your business. Your vCIO will work with you and your team to ensure you stay on track and hit the goals necessary to maintain an optimized work environment.
This will ensure that you constantly enhance your environment and that everything gets done according to a tailored plan for your business.
Why Would Companies Have a vCIO Instead of a CIO?
Many companies hire a managed services provider, a vCIO, because hiring a CIO can be expensive, especially for small businesses. When you hire a vCIO instead of a CIO employed in-house, your vCIO will be outsourced.
Including a vCIO is a more cost-efficient way to have someone who can provide you with the role of a CIO without hiring in-house. Hiring and retaining a CIO can be a significant expense for a smaller company.
Still, by outsourcing to an MSP, you will receive full IT support and a vCIO to help navigate and strategize your IT infrastructure.
What is a Quarterly Business Review(QBR)?
Typically, you will meet with your vCIO four times a year to discuss your IT infrastructure. The meetings are called quarterly business reviews.
In a quarterly business review, you will go through MSP performance, address any potential vulnerabilities in your network, and create a plan to implement any new technology. These meetings are critical to the success of your business's IT environment and ours as a partner.
Quarterly business reviews will allow your business to address any concerns and ensure that you and your MSP have aligned goals by outsourcing to an MSP.
To learn more about what the quarterly business review entails, check out this article: What to Expect From a Quarterly Business Review With Your MSP.
How to Know if a vCIO is Right for Your Business
At Usherwood, we consider vCIOs an essential aspect of quality IT support. With the help of these experienced service professionals, businesses can better leverage their IT infrastructures and utilize technology to create a more successful work environment.
Simply put, vCIOs will assist your company with better IT management and planning, as well as better overall security.
If you're interested in exploring the ways a vCIO can transform your IT strategy, click the button below to get in touch with an IT expert.
