The advent of vCIOs: how they can benefit your business
Information technology is what powers your business, removing obstacles, maximizing your capabilities, improving the way you communicate and protecting your confidential data. I know that most business owners and employees aren’t technology experts, and that’s where virtual CIO (vCIO) services come in handy.
vCIOs support all your requirements, including strategy, data protection, infrastructure management, network monitoring, business continuity, maintenance and much more. A vCIO proactively monitors, projects and maintains your company’s IT health and security, with a different understanding of the need to focus on data security and round-the-clock availability.
Think of a vCIO as your long-term IT administrator. Instead of worrying about trivial tasks like running servers and solving small problems, vCIO strategizes and protects the long-term health and efficiency of your enterprise technology. Proactive preparation of your vCIO helps your company to stop wasting time and money, and to react to problems. Instead, when you’re equipped for what comes your way, you’re able to manage problems quickly and appropriately before they lead to downtime and lost revenue.
vCIO services ensure that you are ready to efficiently and adequately develop an IT budget specifically designed for your unique productivity and improvement objectives. You deliver projects on time and within budget, and always work with technology solutions that positively impact your bottom line.
vCIO professionals understand the inner workings of your business and will be able to create and maintain a comprehensive strategy while integrating and leveraging technology to improve decision-making for business productivity.
Here are just some of the benefits of a vCIO and how it can benefit your business.
One of the key functions of a vCIO is to discover and address gaps in your current operations. This will encompass several areas, including regulatory compliance, preparation for government audits, information security and business process management.
Instead of calling in someone from your IT department to find out how to manage the cumbersome documents you have, the vCIO has the knowledge, experience and ability to find the right solutions and take action to serve your company’s future.
Having a vCIO is like having an in-house CIO who understands your vision of winning. A vCIO can do everything an in-house IT manager can do, without having to take on additional responsibilities to burden an overloaded IT department. A vCIO has one job and one job only: the status of a CIO. Going virtual costs a lot less than hiring a high-level employee.
Security is one of the most important roles played by a vCIO in a company. They are responsible for designing and implementing your company’s security infrastructure. They must ensure that the system is updated and strengthened to keep it fully up to date. It must also create security policies that protect your business against cybercrime.
New businesses are working to very tight budgets, and this can be a serious problem when you need the functionality of original equipment without the means to obtain it. It’s important to have the right technology to achieve your business goals, but this needs to be balanced with a budget so that prices are kept under control. Your vCIO is your resource for keeping expenses under budget and delivering the technology your business needs, while keeping an eye on the future.
vCIO can also draw on its years of experience to find the right solution for your company’s needs. The vCIO you hire can make informed decisions about technology, technology application, cost savings and more. They’ll even create strategies to regulate agents’ use of private technology and more.
A disaster recovery program isn’t just about making sure your data can survive an event. You need to plan for the worst – from a long-term power cut to a computer room flood. Your vCIO will be able to produce a tailor-made business continuity plan specific to your needs. When a plan is designed, it’s customized for your business, so you can be sure you have the protection you need without the cost of unnecessary services.
Information develops and moves fast. If it’s retained in a core enterprise application, you can replicate it in other areas of your business. With a vCIO, you have an experienced person who can help you move data around, share relevant information efficiently and manage the risk of data loss, while making plans for data entry and storage. When you have a business, you may have a lawyer, an accountant and other resources at your disposal.
Benefit from the assistance of someone who has successfully brought IT projects to fruition while effectively managing budgets. Because vCIOs have the expertise and knowledge to drive projects to the right results, you can be confident of achieving your business objectives efficiently and safely.
How do you evaluate vCIO candidates?
You need to trust the party you hire to fulfill the role. Here are some features to look for:
- Strategic understanding: the ability to understand the link between IT systems and business objectives
- Technical expertise: understanding the latest technological trends and their impact on your business
- Demonstrate skills in IT project planning and management
- Proven expertise in IT budgeting
Increase your value by investing in a vCIO
With all the technological improvements taking place around the world, the field of IT service management is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Organizations in need of IT management expertise are usually the ones left behind in the race for success.
If you want to facilitate change with IT and achieve your business goals with comfort, you need to hand over IT management controls to an expert who recognizes your goals and challenges, and makes suggestions based on your state of IT maturity.
Opting for vCIO support is a great way to align your business objectives with your IT ecosystem, and get the value you’ve paid for from your IT infrastructure. With a vCIO, you can get the guidance and direction you need to steer your business in the right direction while making IT the foundation of your forward-thinking business.
There’s no reason why your business shouldn’t be performing at its best at all times. With expert advice, support and technology from a team of reliable professionals, vCIO services provide your business with the fuel it needs to start meeting and exceeding its objectives.
