A VCIO, or virtual chief information officer, can be valuable to many organizations. VCIO services are often provided by most IT service providers, who should also be able to help you learn more about the benefits.
Below, learn more about VCIO meaning, VCIO services, and how to determine whether using one would help your organization reach its future goals.
What Is a VCIO?
A virtual chief information officer (VCIO) performs most of the duties of an in-house CIO. In essence, you outsource the job of the CIO to an individual or organization specializing in technological and information innovations that present unique opportunities for your business. This can save a company thousands of dollars every year.
A VCIO is a real person (or sometimes a group of people) committed to helping your business grow by leveraging the best technology available. It’s their job to ensure that you use proven best practices and stay competitive in your market. They just do it for other companies in other industries as well.
What Does a VCIO Do?
Hiring a VCIO or VCIO services can ensure that your business can take advantage of ways to streamline processes, add new services for customers, provide better service, and more. Without the kind of in-depth knowledge of the fields of internet and technology that VCIOs have, your company would miss these opportunities.
The chief duties of a VCIO include managing a company’s technology, protecting its safety and security, making decisions on IT issues, and problem-solving. For a long time, these tasks could be carried out by other executives, such as the chief operating officer. However, as the world of the internet, information, and technology gets increasingly complex and specialized, it’s harder for non-experts to manage. If possible, it’s better to keep these roles separate.
Benefits of a VCIO
The most significant benefit of hiring a VCIO is gaining access to their input and expertise. The longer you work with them, the more familiar they will become with your business’s particular goals and challenges, helping you get there faster.
There are even more benefits when you compare hiring a VCIO with a traditional CIO. You save your company the costs associated with executive search and onboarding practices. You also save the expenses of another executive’s benefits package, salary, and other perks.
Potential Drawbacks to a VCIO
Despite the benefits of hiring a VCIO, there are a few potential drawbacks. One of the most common questions IT companies report is, can a VCIO replace a live CIO? In some ways, they can’t. They won’t be working at your company in person full-time.
However, your company may not be large enough in scope to warrant hiring a full-time executive to perform these tasks. Some people worry that a VCIO won’t have any loyalty to their company and won’t care about its success. While a VCIO isn’t the same as an in-house employee, this isn’t something you need to worry about. Most VCIOs are passionate about what they do and have the kind of extensive knowledge necessary to stay competitive.
Talk to Your IT Service Provider About a VCIO
If you think your business might benefit from hiring a VCIO or want to learn more VCIO services can help your organization, talk to TAG Solutions, your Albany, NY managed service provider. You might be surprised to learn that many traditional IT service providers also offer VCIO solutions. Since they’re already familiar with your company and its culture and goals, you might start seeing benefits sooner than you think.