Managed Services Provider (MSP) which we are throw the term “vCIO” around inherently. So what is “vCIO.” and “What does that mean?”
Well the “v” stands for “virtual,” and CIO stands for “Chief Information Officer” In larger organizations this person is responsible for aligning technology strategy with business strategy and keeping your corporate network working and running smoothly. The general idea is thatby hiring an outside consulting company or “MSP”, your business will have its own virtual CIO. A company that provides someone to provide this specialized strategic technology consulting.
Just because two different MSPs offer a vCIO service, doesn’t actually mean that you can expect the same service each of them. Choosing the right company to provide your vCIO service is extremely important. We provide the service but many other companies locally provide a sales pitch and won’t even provide onsite consulting without an extremely high cost.
So, how can you tell if an MSP is offering you a vCIO service you can actually trust for your organization? We recommend asking your prospective MSP or vCIO company these three questions:
If the person acting as your vCIO doesn’t get in front of the people they services and the equipment they use they are not getting a complete picture to help you plan, strategies and implement good service. True vCIO services should occur at set intervals (quarterly, biannually, etc.). Allowing your company decision makers know when to expect recommendations for IT improvements, strategies, and planning. If an MSPs offer only vCIO services on an unscheduled basis then they are unpredictable and won’t be much help to your organization.
vCIOs should base their recommendations on information and data gleamed from remote systems and onsite assessments taking in to consideration new legislation, new technologies, and industry standards intended to maximize both productivity and improve security. Absolutely any consultant can tell you when your server is out of date and needs to be upgraded or replaced. A true vCIO can give you a recommendation based on the actual impact and the need for your business, helping you prioritize your IT spending.
Our vCIO’s will recommend projects to improve your IT as if he were your companies true CIO. Your IT Pros vCIO will make recommendations with your IT budget in mind, and will help you decide what projects are needed by prioritizing which ones will have the most critical impact on your organization and which will be most cost effective in meeting your companies goals.
Other companies send salespeople to act as the vCIO and they tend to arrive with a list of recommendations that are overpriced and don’t even consider your budget, goals, or priorities.
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