What is a virtual CIO?
Virtual IT leadership - an emerging trend for SME
A virtual CIO (vCIO) is a dedicated resource who serves as a Chief Information Officer on a flexible basis, often performing their duties remotely, and engaged on a part-time/fractional schedule. Their primary role is to formulate strategic IT goals for your organisation, and then manage an IT strategy and budget that meets those goals.
We strongly suggest hiring a vCIO through a reputable IT consulting firm which specializes in these services, and not a managed service provider (MSP) or other IT services company for which it is a secondary offering.
WHAT DO VIRTUAL CIOs COST?
Part of the power of the virtual CIO contract structure is the flexibility it offers to clients. Whether they are engaged to lead a strategic project, to develop a digital transformation roadmap, or to join the organisation’s leadership team and take the helm of IT, a virtual CIO engagement can be “right-sized” for each client’s need.
Few of the firms in our Virtual CIO Directory publish cost guidance, but those that do generally guide to a range from £10,000-25,000 / $12,000-30,000 per month – making a Virtual CIO a much more affordable option than a full-time CIO.
Why the virtual CIO directory?
Beginning with the increase in virtual CIO engagements during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the increase in support/hosting companies offering services under this label, the need for a directory of this kind became apparent. Since the end of the pandemic the relevance has continued and increased along with the prevalence firms offering Virtual CIO services.
Bringing together a listing of firms which specialize in virtual CIO services hopefully helps organisations in the market for these services to make more informed choices than a simple internet search would enable.