You’ve probably seen them. You may even own a pair. Virtual reality goggles. You strap them on and all of a sudden, you find yourself in a real situation that, well, isn’t actually real at all. You can be anywhere—on the moon, below an iceberg, walking down 5th Avenue in New York, inside a car engine.
It’s become a phenomenon in the gaming world. And this holiday season will likely put more virtual reality goggles, glasses and smartphone holders into our hands and the hands of our children. The truth is, it’s nothing new in IT. Managing systems using a Virtual CIO has been a reality in the IT industry for quite some time.
It makes good economic sense for a number of reasons. Here are four right off the top of our virtual heads:
Current, qualified professionals.
IT training and development can be expensive and time consuming, not to mention the process taking crucial team members away from the tasks at hand. With a Virtual CIO, you’ll always have trained, experienced people working on your systems. This isn’t just in hardware and software procurement. It extends much further to include all of your technologies, from telephone systems, to wireless access points, to enterprise system configurations. All your technologies are managed by a team of professionals, looking daily at your entire infrastructure including:
- Assessing technology needs—now and for the future—to meet your company’s strategic vision.
- Implementing the necessary technology upgrades on a planned and timely basis.
- Insuring proper backup and recovery protocol.
- Periodically reviewing existing and emerging technology.
- Resolving strategic- and tactical-level IT issues.
- Collaborating with you on your IT budget and long-term plan.
More hands on deck when you need them.
Remember all those nights before? You know: the night before you switched out the email server. Or, the night before you had to install new workstations for 1/3 of the office. How about the night before you converted to Cat5. Even the best, most efficient IT staffs can get bogged down when there is a large project. A Virtual CIO management arrangement solves this by providing more hands when needed, but keeps overhead lower when they’re not. Keeping your structure lean and mean is just good business practice.
Specialized expertise.
Everyone can’t know everything. So what happens when you have the need for a one-off piece of equipment, software or cloud-based app and your IT Manager has no familiarity with it? Having a Virtual CIO eliminates that worry. A company like Carolinas Net Care provides a wider range of specialized expertise than a one- or two-person IT department can usually supply. And once again—you have it when you need it, but don’t pay for it when you have no need.
Outsourced logistics.
Last but not least, IT systems management brings with it detail after detail. Whether it is engaging in comprehensive research and analysis for a new installation, or researching the best and most cost-efficient equipment and applications for your needs and budget, logistics can absorb a lot of company resources. With a Virtual CIO, you can work from a detailed plan for each project. Imagine looking far beyond the current or even the next project, creating long-term strategic road maps to guide you through growth and transition over time. Even things as mundane as ensuring licenses are updated and that you’re using all of them, or tracking and updating warranties takes valuable time. Add telephone systems and mobile devices and you can see why getting those logistics out of your way can enhance both profitability and productivity.
That’s four reasons. There are probably more. If you’re not using Carolinas Net Care as your Virtual CIO, give it some thought. We’d be happy to talk with you, and give you a free, no obligation quote for those services. Click here and we’ll start the conversation.
NOV
2016
