Virtual CIO services for growing businesses
TANET’s virtual CIO services give you senior technology leadership without a full-time executive salary. We plan, budget, and guide your IT so technology supports your goals instead of holding you back.
What a vCIO does
- Technology roadmap
- IT budget and refresh planning
- Security and risk oversight
- Vendor and project guidance
206.501.4337
WA · OR · ID
What are virtual CIO services?
A chief information officer sets technology direction for a business. Most small and mid-size companies need that thinking, but not a full-time executive to do it.
Virtual CIO services fill that gap. You get an experienced technology advisor who learns your business, meets with your leadership on a regular schedule, and turns your goals into a practical IT plan.
Because TANET also runs day-to-day IT for many clients, our advice is grounded in how your systems actually work. The same team that recommends a change can carry it out.
That matters when budgets are tight. Every recommendation comes with a clear reason, a rough cost, and a sense of what happens if you wait, so you can make informed trade-offs instead of guessing.
What our virtual CIO services include
Every engagement is scoped to your business. These are the areas we most often cover.
Technology roadmap
A one- to three-year plan that lines up systems, projects, and upgrades with where your business is heading.
IT budgeting
A realistic budget for hardware refreshes, licenses, and projects, so big costs are planned instead of sudden.
Security oversight
Regular reviews of risk, policies, and controls, tied to our managed cybersecurity program.
Vendor management
Help choosing, negotiating with, and managing software and service vendors, so you are not stuck in the middle.
Project leadership
Office moves, cloud migrations, and new systems planned and managed from start to finish.
Business reviews
Scheduled meetings with your leadership to review what is working, what is changing, and what comes next.
When virtual CIO services make sense
Owners usually reach out when technology decisions start taking too much of their time.
- IT costs feel unpredictable — surprise purchases and emergency fixes keep hitting the budget
- Nobody owns the big picture — decisions are made one problem at a time
- You are growing — new staff, locations, or services are straining your systems
- Security questions pile up — insurers and clients ask for answers you do not have
- Projects stall — upgrades and migrations keep getting pushed back
- Vendors disagree — every provider blames someone else when things break
What a technology roadmap covers
A good roadmap is short enough to read in one sitting and specific enough to act on. Here is what we usually put in one.
Where you are today
An honest summary of your systems, their age, known risks, and what is working well. No jargon, and no blame.
Where you want to go
Your business goals, such as hiring, new locations, remote work, or new services, translated into technology needs.
Priorities by quarter
A short list of projects for each quarter, ranked by business value and risk, with rough effort estimates.
Refresh schedule
When laptops, servers, firewalls, and phones should be replaced, so replacements are planned and spread out.
Security milestones
Clear steps such as MFA everywhere, tested backups, and staff training, tracked over time.
Budget view
Expected spending by category, so leadership can plan cash flow and avoid emergency purchases.
The roadmap is a living document. We revisit it at each business review and adjust as your plans, budget, or risks change.
IT strategy consulting that connects to daily operations
Strategy only matters if it gets done. Our IT strategy consulting is tied to the people who manage your systems every day.
Many consulting firms deliver a plan and walk away. We stay involved. Your virtual CIO works alongside our helpdesk and on-site technicians, so priorities in the roadmap show up in real work.
For Seattle businesses that want project-based advice, our IT consulting Seattle team handles assessments, planning, and one-time projects.
- Cloud decisions — what to move, what to keep, and what it costs. See cloud management services
- Continuity planning — backups and recovery built into the plan. See data backup solutions
- Frameworks — progress measured against recognized standards
- Compliance availability — HIPAA, PCI, SEC, FTC, and NIST requirements
How virtual CIO services work with TANET
A clear, repeatable rhythm keeps technology decisions on track.
Discover
We start with a free assessment of your systems, risks, and goals.
Plan
Your virtual CIO builds a roadmap and budget in plain language.
Execute
Our technicians carry out the plan, in priority order.
Review
Regular business reviews keep the plan current as your business changes.
We often use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to structure security goals. It gives leadership, insurers, and auditors a shared language for progress.
Why businesses choose TANET for virtual CIO services
Leadership-level advice from a team that has supported Pacific Northwest businesses since 2006.
Virtual CIO services on a flat-rate plan
vCIO work can be scoped into a flat-rate managed IT plan during your assessment, so strategy is not an extra surprise bill.
No sales team
You talk directly with the people who plan and do the work. Advice is about fit, not quotas.
Proven partners
We work with Microsoft, Cisco, and WatchGuard to recommend solutions that fit real budgets.
Technology leadership in Seattle, Portland, and Boise
Virtual CIO meetings can be remote or in person. Local technicians in all three markets carry out the plan. Seattle companies that want day-to-day IT handled too can pair vCIO guidance with IT outsourcing Seattle support.
206.501.4337
Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Everett, Bothell and greater Puget Sound.
See managed IT in Seattle, Portland, and Boise. Already a client? Open Remote Support.
Virtual CIO services questions
What is a virtual CIO?
A virtual CIO is an outside technology leader who plans your IT strategy, budget, security, and projects on a part-time or recurring basis, instead of a full-time in-house executive.
How are virtual CIO services different from IT support?
IT support fixes day-to-day issues. Virtual CIO services focus on direction: roadmaps, budgets, risk, and projects. For businesses comparing virtual CIO consulting services, this distinction keeps strategy tied to measurable operating goals. With TANET, both come from the same team, so plans turn into action.
How much do virtual CIO services cost?
We scope vCIO work during a free assessment. It can be part of a flat-rate managed IT plan, so you know the cost up front.
How often will we meet with our virtual CIO?
It depends on your needs. Many businesses prefer regular business reviews, with extra sessions around budgets, projects, or major changes.
Do you offer IT strategy consulting without ongoing services?
Yes. Seattle-area businesses can use our IT consulting services for project-based strategy. Many later move to ongoing virtual CIO services.
Related TANET services
Ready for technology leadership without the executive salary?
Talk with us about virtual CIO services for your business.