IT management is crucial for the day-to-day functions of any company. Today's IT management is presented with managing complicated systems, and nearly 100% of their time is devoted to operational concerns. This leaves almost no time for long-term strategic planning, application architecture direction, integration planning, package software selection, and more. This presents a gap between senior management and Information Technology. An analogy might go something like this : the IT manager controls the rudder on the boat to keep it going in a set direction. That's fine until that manager has to navigate around something he or she can't see yet.
What's needed is someone with a map, astrolabe, and charts, and the knowledge to guide the boat to its destination while avoiding hazards. And, not unlike running your boat aground, hazards in an IT organization can spell disaster. Companies need a senior technology professional who understands the company’s business objectives and who can provide direction in how to use technology to support those objectives — essentially, someone who can play the role that a CIO would play in a very large conglomerate.
A Virtual CIO helps you choose which CIO competencies your company needs now — helping with overall Information Technology direction, governance, and planning to support strategic business initiatives. Meeting with management and staff on a weekly basis, a Virtual CIO brings deep Information Technology experience to bear, demystifying complex technology, adding clarity to projects, and helping management make prudent decisions. A Virtual CIO frees owners, CEO's and CFO's from splitting their time between running the business and managing Information Technology issues.