Whether they realize it or not, every business needs someone to manage their IT infrastructure. First, there are IT assets that need to be managed. Regardless of size, every business has computers, phones, or other technology that are assigned to employees. But, it also includes managing the software and SaaS platforms that are used. And, the process of managing some of those SaaS platforms is not always obvious.
The complexity of managing SaaS platforms is what causes so many businesses to lose track of the platforms that they are using. The average business is using over 100 SaaS platforms, with many topping 1000, by some estimates. This can lead to a variety of issues. For example, many companies wind up purchasing multiple separate licenses for the same software or platform rather than taking advantage of team discounts. Another major problem that companies face is abandoned platforms, sometimes that are still integrated with other platforms. This results in data being continuously leaked to a platform that isn’t in use and could be breached. And, without central management of these systems, terminated employees often retain access to systems after they leave.
Which leads us to another major problem faced by those businesses that lack IT leadership. This is the consistency of their onboarding and offboarding process. Having a consistent offboarding process is crucial to protect the security of a business’ systems, assets, and intellectual property. But, having a consistent onboarding process is vital to building a strong culture for a business.
Sometimes SMBs feel that they can get away with hiring a junior systems administrator to manage all of this. And, hiring a full-time admin is helpful to handle the physical assets of a business and to ensure that there is a point of contact for questions from non-technical employees. But, it is difficult to find someone that will handle those tasks and is capable of managing all of the SaaS platforms that a business uses. It is even harder to find one that also has the experience of designing and implementing an IT program to address the rest of these problems. And, it is virtually impossible to find one that can do all of these things at a price that makes sense for the business.
That is why CIO as a Service makes so much sense. CIO as a Service, or a Virtual CIO, allows a business of any size, to get the expertise that they need at a cost they can afford. Small businesses need much of the same level of expertise that large businesses need, but don’t need them full time. By taking advantage of an expert CIO for only the time that they need, they are able address the problems that they are facing within their budget.
