IT Support in San Jose: Benefits of Virtual CIOs

Companies of all sizes are increasing the digitalization of their businesses. However, according to IT support experts in San Jose, these companies struggle with aligning their IT spend with business objectives. In larger companies, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) helps bring IT purchases in sync with key business needs.For smaller companies, hiring a CIO isn't in the budget. That why SMBs are looking at virtual CIOs.

Why Are CIOs Important?

In the recent past, companies classified IT as a cost center. Today, many companies view IT as enabling and differentiating them from the competition.Past successful CIOs came from technical backgrounds. Today, they still need technical skills. However, they also need the know-how to contribute to a company's strategic planning.Effective CIOs bring skills in leadership and communications. They have the ability to influence and partner with key people internally and externally.

CIOs and SMBs

The problem is that most small to medium-sized businesses don't have the budget or need to hire a full-time CIO. However, without that person guiding their IT decisions, they end up with a myriad of problems. According to IT support experts in San Jose, these problems include:Little to no change management, leading to excessive downtime and employee frustrationNon-compliance on government regulations and contract termsVulnerabilities to a variety of security issuesLost or unidentified business opportunitiesAll of these issues can end up costing a company lots of money, time, and resources. What can an SMB do? Hire a virtual CIO.Virtual CIOs are outside business executives with experience leading IT teams and working within the boardroom. A virtual CIO (vCIO) is paid via a retainer or on a negotiated daily rate. This setup offers the business the skills of an in-house CIO without the cost of hiring one.

Obtaining the Services of a vCIO

One of the easiest ways a business can get the services of a virtual CIO is through a managed service provider (MSP). They already provide many of the key services through their existing contracts. An MSP can bring the expertise your company needs in a vCIO.The role of a vCIO starts with understanding your company's business landscape. Who are your top competitors? How is the company's cash flows, marketing, and sales doing? Next, the vCIO needs to understand the business' top priorities. Finally, the vCIO brings IT spending and objectives into alignment with the company's goals.Want to learn more about virtual CIOs and MSPs? Contact us now at Riverfy! We are the experts on IT support San Jose companies rely on for their technology needs.