What exactly is a Virtual CTO?

The digital revolution is changing the way business is done. To increase their value and market presence businesses are expected to have a strong digital platform that provides an integrated, seamless, customer experience.

Getting technology to meet specific business needs is crucial. Companies who have the wrong systems, or no systems, will see an impact on productivity. It also creates an undue risk that the business owners will need to management

But finding the right solutions can be a struggle, especially for those companies who don’t have an IT manager who is focussed on building out a future state strategy – as hiring an in-house chief technology officer can be cost-prohibitive for small to medium-size organizations

A Virtual Chief Technology Officer (VCTO) is the perfect way to address this imbalance, with the same expertise being provided from an outsourced technology executive.

The VCTO is an outsourced, off-site IT manager who has the overall objective of advising and guiding an organisation by providing trusted technology advice. They focus on developing a technology strategy for a business that aligns to the overall objective business and then support the delivery of it. All without having the costs of a fulltime IT manager.

Ultimately, a VCTO is a cost-effective, strategic relationship that will handle multiple responsibilities on behalf of the client business. They provide long-term technology planning, including developing strategic goals, that support the business outcome. 

A good VCTO is an experienced professional who fully understands how Technology can enable a business and will provide the client with the best solutions to do so.

If you think your business might benefit from outside help, see if any of these four warning signs apply to your business’ current situation.

1. Your business is having difficulty keeping up with the changing demands of technology.
2. Technology issues in the office are becoming a distraction, and your staff are not productive
3. You have no clear view of on what your annual technology spend is
4. You have systems and software that is more than 3 years old
5. You have any projects or upgrades coming up that need to be managed
6. Your business has no technology strategy in place, simply surviving on emergency quick fixes and tactical solutions
7. Your company can’t justify the resources to hire an in-house staff member to Manage your IT

If your answer was ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions, then bringing in the skills of an external VCTO could be beneficial to your business.

VCTOs have the experience and expertise to handle multiple responsibilities, including:

• Evaluation of the current technology environment, including client/staff needs and business goals, to determine what systems need to be added or replaced and that effective support models exist
• Oversee current technology assets and ensure they are kept up to date and remain fit for purpose
• Develop a technology vision for the business that aligns the overall goal
• Provide vendor management and oversight of all technology relationships.
• Develop policies to support the responsible use of IT in the business
• Implement procedures for activities such as incident management or business continuity planning 
• Keep up-to-date on technology trends, standards and compliance regulations and how they might impact business.

Other tasks include keeping management informed and up-to-date about how resources are being used; manage a businesses technology risk profile and optimise business processes.

Reduced Costs: Employing an in-house CTO is expensive. You must pay their salaries, benefits, bonuses and more. A VCTO, on the other hand, comes at a fraction of the cost.

Strategy Development: If your business has an insufficient IT environment, fear not. A VCTO can develop a comprehensive IT strategy, so your technology thrives.

Expertise: For IT projects of any scope, from cyber security to VoIP installation, a VCTO provides expert guidance. This ensures your IT project stays on budget and is completed on time.

Broad Work: A VCTO comes with a network of highly trained IT support staff. This ensures no IT project is too small or too big for us to tackle. With CTO as a service, our team is at your disposal as well.

Vendor Management: Dealing with IT vendors can be tricky. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s easy to get ripped off. A VCTO has experience in conversations with vendors and will support you accordingly. 

If you would like to take the first step then contact us today!