While some companies have the means to hire an entire internal team of IT professionals, many other companies are relying on an ad-hoc approach to dealing with their technology needs.
It’s also true that business owners today are being pulled in so many different directions, keeping up with the latest IT developments, software advances, or regulatory changes is not always top of mind.
That’s why a growing number of companies today are turning to managed IT support.
With a managed IT services provider (MSP), you get the expertise and technology resources to handle your everyday tech issues along with comprehensive IT planning and guidance in an all-in-one solution.
At Kelser, we take the responsibility of managing your IT infrastructure seriously. We offer both virtual chief information officer (vCIO) and Technical Alignment Manager (TAM) support as part of our standard managed IT offerings.
Providing both of these professional IT resources as a standard service as part of our fully managed IT package is not a universal practice among managed IT companies.
Based on our proven track record of more than 40 years of experience offering IT services, however, we feel strongly that providing the support and expert guidance of both of these positions is the best way to deliver the highest standard of care in managing your IT infrastructure.
With this dynamic duo, your technology decisions won’t be a stab in the dark.
After reading this article, you’ll learn the individual roles of a vCIO and TAM, and how the pair tag-team to ensure that your business is operating efficiently, securely, and in line with your overall business objectives.
You’ll then be better able to evaluate whether you’re truly getting the biggest bang for your buck with your managed IT services provider (MSP). You’ll also understand the intrinsic value you gain from comprehensive managed IT support versus going it alone.
What Does A vCIO Do?
A vCIO is an executive-level IT professional who uses a broad understanding of technology to provide strategic guidance to businesses tailored to their current IT needs and long-term business goals.
They can provide foresight about advances in technology, changing security regulations, and developments within your industry. With this information, a vCIO can provide strategic IT planning and budgeting to help you prioritize your technology needs.
Many small and medium-sized businesses (SBAs) can maximize their budgets by leveraging the expertise of a vCIO to develop a customized technology blueprint of the IT tools, processes, and personnel needed to turn their business goals into a reality.
Key services provided by a vCIO
1. Strategic IT Planning and Roadmap Development
Your vCIO will collaborate with your executive leadership to understand your IT challenges and create a strategic blueprint that aligns with your business goals.
2. IT Infrastructure Assessment and Optimization
Your vCIO should also have a bird’s-eye view of your existing IT infrastructure, including systems, networks, applications, hardware and software, to effectively manage your network and ensure proper integration of any new systems or equipment.
3. Security Risk Management
Identify security gaps within your IT environment and develop a plan to mitigate your risk to cyber threats including malware, ransomware, or a data breach.
4. Vendor Relationship Management
A vCIO also negotiates with third-party IT vendors to get the best IT solutions at the right price points for your business. They secure software licenses and renewals and establish new vendor agreements to help optimize your business.
5. Regulatory Compliance and Governance
Your vCIO should also ensure that your IT infrastructure follows best practices for your industry and is meeting regulatory requirements.
6. Cost Optimization and IT Budgeting
Assessing your IT priorities and budgetary considerations is another critical function of a vCIO. They can help you develop your annual IT budget to optimize your IT spending in keeping with your business goals.
7. IT Infrastructure Management
Your vCIO will provide oversight for IT-related projects to make sure that all jobs are completed on time and within budget.
8. Staff Development
Your vCIO will also help to make sure you bring in the right talent for your business. They can advise you on staff hiring and training to help give you a competitive advantage in the market.
What Does A TAM Do?
A technical alignment manager (TAM) works hand-in-hand with a vCIO to offer a one-two combination of IT expertise to help quickly identify and fix technology issues affecting your business.
A TAM is responsible for learning everything there is to know about your IT environment and business operations through regular in-person visits and calls.
As the boots-on-the-ground IT expert for your business, the TAM makes sure the vCIO stays in the loop of any changes within your IT infrastructure or problems they’ve come across during in-person visits.
They work together to make recommendations to improve the functionality, speed, and security of your IT systems to help position your business for future growth.
Key services provided by a TAM
1. Client Relationship Building
Foster an open, trusting partnership with each business through regular communication and site visits.
2. Technology Infrastructure Expert
Develop an intimate understanding of your IT environment, such as how employees access your network, the physical layout of your office(s), and whether your staff works fully on site, hybrid, or remotely.
3. Regular Inventory Assessments
The TAM will use information already gathered by the vCIO to take complete inventory of your IT infrastructure.
The inventory will document the number of users you have; the quantity and specific types of devices being used and their end-of-life dates; software licenses and renewals; the apps you’re using, whether you have a physical server room or have migrated to the cloud, among other tech-related aspects of your environment.
4. Regular Vulnerability Assessments
Your TAM will make on-site visits to review your IT landscape to identify any changes, issues, or potential cybersecurity risks within your network and offer remediation recommendations.
5. Troubleshoot Issues
Since a TAM knows your IT infrastructure inside out, they can quickly identify any system glitches, issues, or potential problems.
6. Documentation
A crucial part of the TAM’s role is documenting the processes and procedures used to remediate IT problems. This information is then shared with stakeholders within the organization and the MSP so that if the problem recurs, a quick solution is readily available.
7. Expert Recommendations
The TAM will make recommendations based on knowledge of your business and IT environment to improve the overall performance and health of your network.
What’s The Bottom Line With vCIO and TAM Support In Managed IT?
The combination of vCIO and TAM services within our fully managed IT services plan means you would be turning over the responsibility of managing your IT landscape to experienced, dedicated staff who are uniquely positioned to provide comprehensive, personalized support and recommendations.
With Kelser, you’d also be gaining an entire team of IT professionals included with our managed IT services, including experienced engineers, a service delivery manager (SDM), project managers, a 24/7 help desk, and in-person support.
Hiring all of these professionals for an internal team is cost-prohibitive for many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
After reading this article, you now understand the roles of both a vCIO and TAM and how these resources combine their skills and knowledge to offer proactive solutions to help you meet your present IT needs and achieve your long-term business objectives.
An advantage of using managed IT support is that SMBs gain a deep bench of IT expertise and advanced IT tools, all at a predicable monthly cost.
If you’re not sure if you’d benefit from external IT support, read this article learn how to determine if managed IT services is right for your business.
If you’re interested to see how Kelser stacks up to some of our competitors, read these articles comparing our offerings versus CompassMSP and Cooperative Systems.
Want an idea of how much managed IT services will cost? Use the Kelser pricing calculator to get a no-obligation estimate now.
