Worried About IT? With a Virtual CIO, You Don’t Have to Be

For many small or mid-sized businesses (SMBs), having an IT department of their own is something that would be nice to have, but may be out of their league. (Fortunately, managed IT services now allow them to enjoy the benefits of utilizing information technology, such as greater operational efficiencies and better customer support, without the responsibilities and costs of running a full department). However, if a company decides to go down the IT rabbit hole, it can get pretty hairy, pretty fast.

Keeping your firm zeroed in on its growth objectives while adopting new systems and incurring new costs requires a special type of insight and focus. This is where the virtual chief information officer (vCIO) comes in.

Wait, what’s a vCIO?

A chief information officer or CIO is responsible for building, deploying, managing, and upgrading a company’s IT assets and systems so that these serve the firm’s business objectives.

The CIO defines strategic IT goals as they relate to desired business outcomes, develops a forward-looking technology roadmap, and plans the departmental budget. Moreover, he or she implements information systems, continually audits and improves these systems, and always looks for new technologies that will help the firm gain an edge over its competitors.

A virtual chief information officer is just like a conventional CIO, except that, instead of being an employee, a vCIO is a contractor or firm that works for a client. A vCIO allows SMBs to enjoy everything that a regular CIO can do when they don’t have the budget to hire their own full-time CIO.

Affordable expertise

An SMB with a fledgling IT department or plans to build one can save money by consulting with a vCIO for an hourly rate, or a monthly subscription fee that’s less than a full-time salary. Your vCIO will help you pick and install the latest tech tools so your IT is more closely aligned with your business goals.

Firms with wide-scoped or longer-term IT requirements can opt for a monthly subscription to a managed services provider (MSP) that includes vCIO services. These can be offered as Strategic Consulting or Project Implementation, or can be bundled together in comprehensive managed services plans for greater convenience.

Greater focus on your business

By outsourcing CIO tasks to a service provider, a business can focus on its revenue targets without getting tied up in complex IT decisions, such as the deployment of virtual machines or the implementation of Information of Things (IoT) networks. SMBs that grant vCIOs greater control over IT enjoy greater agility or ability to adjust to the business environment, allowing them to respond to challenges faster and take advantage of opportunities sooner. Your vCIO's success will be defined by your success and vice versa — it's truly a win-win.

Not dependent on just one person

Unlike a full-time CIO with off hours and vacation days, an MSP normally has many IT professionals in its stable to make vCIO services available 24/7. This means that emergencies such as natural disasters and cyberattacks can be addressed immediately, reducing costly downtime and ensuring compliance with data security regulations. To illustrate, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that healthcare information is recoverable, as it can mean the life or death of patients. A vCIO will not only work with you to prepare a comprehensive plan for these circumstances, but will also help you execute it flawlessly in the case of an emergency.

At XBASE Technologies, you can enjoy managed IT solutions at the right size, the right configuration, and the right budget. Whether you outsource your IT entirely to us, or you’re looking for professional guidance and services to supplement your IT efforts, we are the right partner for your business.

To learn more about how your business can benefit from vCIO services, contact us today!