Roadmap · budget · advice
vCIO & IT Planning
A virtual CIO without the salary: an IT roadmap, a budget you can plan around, and someone senior to ask before you buy.
vCIO & IT Planning
An IT Plan, Not Just IT Fixes
Most small businesses buy IT when something forces them to. A laptop dies, so one gets ordered. The insurance renewal asks about multi-factor sign-in, so someone scrambles. The server is old, but nobody knows how old. Each decision makes sense on its own; together they cost more than a plan would have.
A vCIO, or virtual chief information officer, is a senior IT advisor who meets with you on a schedule. They look at where your technology is now, where the business is going, and what needs to change and when. You get a written roadmap for the next one to three years, a budget broken into categories, and a quarterly review to keep it current.
It’s part of every outsourced IT plan and available on its own. Call 604-359-5284 to book a first conversation.
What’s included
What vCIO & IT Planning Covers
Technology assessment
An IT audit of hardware age, licences, network, security, backups and documentation, scored in plain red, amber and green.
12–36 month roadmap
What to do, in what order, and why. Security first, then the things most likely to fail, then the improvements.
IT budget
Hardware replacement, licences, services and projects, so the money is set aside before it’s needed.
Quarterly business reviews
What happened, what changed in the business, and whether the plan still fits. Usually one hour.
Vendor and purchase advice
A second opinion on phone systems, software, copier leases and quotes before you sign.
Policies and insurance
Help with cyber insurance questionnaires, an acceptable use policy and a simple plan for what to do if something goes wrong.
In detail
An Example 12-Month Roadmap
For a 20-person office with an ageing server and no multi-factor sign-in. Yours will look different.
Multi-factor sign-in for everyone, test-restore the backup, document the network
Replace six laptops past warranty, enrol all devices in Intune
Move the shared drive to SharePoint and retire the server
Wi-Fi refresh, security awareness training, set next year’s budget
Budget categories we plan for
- Hardware replacement
- Laptops, desktops, network gear, on a four to five year cycle
- Licences and subscriptions
- Microsoft 365, line-of-business software, security tools
- Managed services
- The monthly support agreement
- Projects
- One-time work like migrations, moves and upgrades
- Security and insurance
- Training, testing and cyber insurance premiums
- Contingency
- A small reserve for the thing nobody planned for
How it works
Four Steps to Get Started
- 01
Discovery meeting
Where the business is going, what’s frustrating, what’s coming up.
- 02
Assessment
A technician reviews your systems and a vCIO turns it into findings.
- 03
Roadmap and budget
A written plan with priorities, costs and dates, walked through with you.
- 04
Quarterly reviews
Progress, changes and the next quarter’s priorities.
What it costs
Pricing for vCIO & IT Planning
vCIO & IT Planning is included in every outsourced IT department plan, which typically costs $100–$250 per user per month in Surrey. Businesses that manage their own IT can add it on its own or as part of co-managed IT, quoted after a free review.
Is it right for you?
Who It Suits
Owners and managers who want IT spending to be planned instead of reactive. It’s especially useful before a move, a merger, a new location, a cyber insurance renewal or a big software change.
Even a 10-person office benefits from knowing which laptops are due for replacement next year and what the security gaps are. The roadmap doesn’t have to be long to be useful.
If you’re weighing up an internal hire, read managed IT vs hiring in-house first. A vCIO is often the senior half of an IT department that small businesses can’t justify hiring.
Talk it through
Not sure which service fits? Describe your setup and we’ll tell you honestly.
Book a Free IT ReviewQuestions
vCIO & IT Planning: Common Questions
Do we need a vCIO if we only have 10 staff?
You need the plan more than the title. For a small office that might be one assessment and a short review twice a year. The goal is fewer surprises, not more meetings.
Is the vCIO included in a managed plan?
Planning reviews are part of every outsourced IT department plan. Businesses that manage their own IT can book vCIO services on their own.
What does an IT assessment cover?
Hardware age and warranties, Microsoft 365 setup and licences, network and Wi-Fi, backups, security controls, documentation and who has access to what. You get a written summary with priorities.
Can you help with a cyber insurance questionnaire?
Yes. Most questionnaires ask about multi-factor sign-in, backups, endpoint protection, patching and training. We help you answer accurately and fix the gaps before renewal.
Areas
vCIO & IT Planning Across Surrey
More services
Other Ways We Help
- Outsourced IT DepartmentWe become your IT team: help desk, troubleshooting, onsite visits, installs, security and planning.
- Co-Managed ITKeep your in-house IT person and give them a help desk, tools, security and cover.
- IT Monitoring, Patching & Endpoint SecurityUpdates applied after hours, backups and disks watched, security alerts reviewed by people.
- Device & User ManagementLaptops and phones enrolled and secured with Intune, new staff ready on day one, leavers locked out.
- Azure & SharePoint CloudRetire the old server: files to SharePoint and Teams, apps to Azure, backups off-site.
Free IT review
Ready for IT You Don’t Have to Think About?
Book a free, no-obligation IT review. We’ll look at what you have, tell you what we’d change, and give you a monthly price.
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm · Business IT only