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 of firms offering Virtual CIO services.
Bringing together this 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.