5 Things Your vCIO Should Be Talking to You About in 2024
Maintaining the status quo with IT might seem appealing, but if you want to leverage technology for business growth and improvement, it’s a surefire way to fall behind. As technology continues to advance, businesses must evolve in order to remain competitive and capitalize on new opportunities.
While small and medium-sized companies may not have the resources for a full-time Chief Information Officer (CIO), virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) services from managed IT services companies like XPERTECHS offer essential guidance in navigating decisions and investments pertaining to new technology.
In this article, we’re going to share some of the things our vCIOs are talking about with clients in 2024. If your vCIO isn’t talking about these topics (or if you don’t have a vCIO at all) you may be missing out on valuable insights and strategies that could drive your organization forward. First, let’s define the vCIO’s job.
Business Leaders Consult with vCIOs About IT Investments
vCIOs provide IT guidance, bringing executives the information they need to make wise decisions about the right technology investments and how IT can enable business goals. Because they have knowledge of their client’s business and network, as well as knowledge about the latest trends in IT, they help business leaders avoid the costs and frustrations that come from making mistakes when adopting new technology.
Sometimes an executive will bring ideas for technology improvements to their vCIO when they hear about tech developments from industry peers or organizations. But the vCIO should also be bringing ideas to the table.
1. Microsoft Copilot
Copilot is a new product recently launched by Microsoft that leverages AI technology to transform workplace productivity and efficiency. In 2024, your vCIO should be helping you recognize where Copilot can be most beneficial within your organization and guide you in your first steps to explore the capabilities of the technology.
By guiding the integration of Copilot into your business systems, your vCIO can facilitate a smooth transition that harnesses the power of AI for your advantage. A good plan for Copilot adoption includes steps for workers in different roles to trial its functionalities. Then, by proactively engaging with Copilot as early adopters, your organization can uncover its potential benefits and explore its suitability for enhancing workplace efficiency and productivity.
2. Business Process Automation Enhanced by AI and Copilot Studio
In 2024, your vCIO should be helping you explore the capabilities of Copilot Studio and strategizing how your organization can leverage this innovative tool to enhance business process automation. You should be having discussions on Copilot's potential applications and benefits, to guide your organization in app development and data-driven decision-making. By identifying key areas for improvement and customizing Copilot's application to suit your specific needs, your vCIO ensures a strategic approach to adopting this cutting-edge technology.
Additionally, your vCIO should also be talking about Copilot's integration with external services through Microsoft Power Automate connectors, extending its functionality and adaptability. These connectors empower Copilot to interact with various external services and applications, enabling makers to create dynamic copilots tailored to specific business needs.
3. Advanced Cybersecurity and Microsoft Hardening
Managing risk should always be a part of your IT strategy, and in 2024, vCIOs should prioritize discussions around hardening Microsoft 365 environments as a critical component of cybersecurity strategy. Hardening involves a comprehensive review and adjustment of Microsoft 365 settings to align with best practices for security to minimize potential vulnerabilities and enhance the system's resilience against cyber threats. By implementing measures such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), access control policies, and enabling necessary security features while disabling unused ones, vCIOs can significantly fortify an organization's defenses.
Moreover, vCIOs should emphasize the importance of fostering a security-conscious culture within organizations. This includes educating employees on the significance of security practices, such as the correct use of MFA and adherence to data access policies. Training programs that cover cybersecurity awareness, identity management, and the recognition of potential threats are vital. These initiatives reinforce technical safeguards and empower employees to act as an additional layer of defense, contributing to the business' overall security posture.
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4. Ensuring Vendor Security
When managing risk, it's crucial to understand the significance of vendor security and compliance within your organization's cybersecurity strategy. Your vCIO should be initiating discussions about these critical aspects, guiding your understanding of the measures needed to safeguard your network against potential threats that stem from vendor interactions. This involves implementing rigorous security policies dictating how vendors access your network and conducting annual assessments to ensure adherence to SOC compliance standards, including the acquisition of SOC 2 Type 2 audit reports.
Your vCIO's expertise in navigating vendor relationships and assessing their security measures is instrumental in upholding your organization's security posture and maintaining operational efficiency. Together, by emphasizing the importance of vendor security and compliance, you reinforce a culture of cybersecurity awareness and resilience within your organization.
5. Your Technology Toolbox
A vCIO is a blend of business and technology expertise so you can expect them to not just be concerned about overall IT management, but in equipping your people with the right tech tools. Sometimes evaluation of new software is the result of an employee request, but often the idea arises because the vCIO knows your business and has learned how each department and role uses technology.
A vCIO will ask the questions that you might not think to ask about a new tech tool like – How will this new software or equipment integrate with our network and how we use data? How does this impact our data backup? Does this meet our standards for security?
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
As a business leader, you have a lot of competition for your time and the company’s resources. Having a vCIO at your side to consult with on IT strategy and investments will allow you to make good decisions about technology so that you can focus on implementing your strategy and manage risk.
vCIO Services Included in XperCARE Managed IT Services
Every XPERTECHS client receives vCIO consulting as part of XperCARE Managed IT Services. Our shared goal is to build a predictable IT foundation on which you can grow and leverage technology.
ABOUT XPERTECHS
XPERTECHS is a managed IT service company that helps organizations remove the operational hassle of technology, freeing them to focus on their core business strategy. Through our XperCARE framework, we deliver IT services with a proactive approach that is responsive to your support needs today and provides guidance to help you plan for the future. When you have our team of IT professionals supporting your organization, you get a diverse and deep technical skillset at your disposal; you free your staff from the day to day burden of managing IT; and you gain the opportunity to leverage IT to drive your business forward.