Over 40 Years in BusinessISO 27001 compliantPublic sector: GSA contract holder
LA 562-298-5000 · Chicagoland 312-432-5300 · Phoenix 602-733-6807 · Client Support
Over 40 Years in BusinessISO 27001 compliantPublic sector: GSA contract holder
LA 562-298-5000 · Chicagoland 312-432-5300 · Phoenix 602-733-6807 · Client Support
Los Angeles · Chicagoland · Phoenix
Put a senior technology executive at your leadership table a few days a month, so IT spending, vendors and projects follow a plan instead of the next emergency.
Call the IT team: Los Angeles 323-510-8003 · Chicagoland 312-492-2613 · Phoenix 480-272-8728
Free consultation
No cost. Business inquiries only. Already a BTI client? Use the dedicated support number assigned to your organization.
A vCIO (virtual chief information officer), also called a fractional CIO, is a senior technology executive who works for your organization part time under contract. The vCIO owns the IT roadmap and budget, manages vendors and contracts, oversees major projects and represents technology in leadership meetings.
IT consultancy is the broader term for paying an outside expert for technology advice and planning. A vCIO is the ongoing version; vendor reviews, budgets and due diligence are the project versions. BTI sells both, as defined packages.
A vCIO does not replace your help desk or IT manager. Your IT staff or provider keeps systems running; the vCIO decides where technology is going, what it should cost and who is accountable.
vCIO services are built for CEOs, CFOs, COOs, owners and IT directors of organizations with roughly 20 to 500 people. These situations usually start the conversation.
Choose a one-time project or an ongoing retainer. Many clients start with a Vendor and Contract Review or an IT budget and then keep a vCIO on retainer. Every package has a written scope and named deliverables before work starts.
Best for: Ongoing technology leadership without a full-time hire
A named BTI vCIO who acts as your part-time technology executive: owning the roadmap, budget, vendors and major projects.
Deliverables
Typical timeline: Ongoing, starts with a 30-day onboarding review
Delivered by: Named BTI vCIO, backed by BTI engineering, security and project management teams
Cadence: Monthly working session, quarterly business review, annual planning session
Pricing: fixed-fee or monthly, quoted after a free scoping call.
Best for: Cutting waste and ending autopilot renewals
A fixed-scope review of every IT, software, telecom, internet and support contract you pay for.
Deliverables
Typical timeline: 3 to 5 weeks
Delivered by: BTI vCIO with a BTI telecom and licensing specialist
Pricing: fixed-fee or monthly, quoted after a free scoping call.
Best for: A deal with a closing date
A buy-side or sell-side review of the target's IT, security, contracts and people, written for the deal team.
Deliverables
Typical timeline: 2 to 4 weeks, sized to the deal timeline
Delivered by: BTI vCIO with a BTI vCISO and senior engineer
Pricing: fixed-fee or monthly, quoted after a free scoping call.
Best for: Budget season or a new CFO
A one-year IT budget with a multi-year outlook, built bottom-up so finance can defend every line.
Deliverables
Typical timeline: 2 to 4 weeks
Delivered by: BTI vCIO
Pricing: fixed-fee or monthly, quoted after a free scoping call.
| Package | Format | Typical timeline | Main deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional CIO Retainer | Monthly retainer | Ongoing | Budget, roadmap, monthly scorecard, quarterly review |
| Vendor & Contract Review | Fixed-fee project | 3 to 5 weeks | Renewal calendar and vendor scorecards |
| Technology Due Diligence (M&A) | Fixed-fee project | 2 to 4 weeks | Red flag report and integration plan |
| IT Budget & Planning | Fixed-fee project | 2 to 4 weeks | One-year budget and three-year outlook |
Not sure which package fits? The scoping call sorts that out in 30 minutes.
Free, no obligation. You get a written proposal with fixed scope and deliverables.
These roles work together. A vCIO usually sits above your IT manager or provider and sets direction for both.
| Question | BTI vCIO | Full-time CIO | IT manager | MSP account manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Technology strategy, budget and vendors | Technology strategy and team leadership | Day-to-day IT operations | Managing the relationship with that provider |
| Cost structure | Fixed-fee projects or monthly retainer | Executive salary and benefits | Salary and benefits | Usually bundled in the service contract |
| Independent advice on vendors | Yes, compares options side by side | Yes | Varies | Often limited to what that provider sells |
| Board and leadership reporting | Quarterly business reviews | Yes | Rarely | Periodic account reviews |
| Best fit | 20 to 500 people without a CIO | Large organizations | Every organization with in-house IT | Clients of that provider |
Every engagement follows the same six steps, so you know what happens next and what lands on your desk at each one.
30 to 45 minutes with a BTI vCIO about your goals, deadlines and current IT setup.
You get: A recommendation on which package fits.
A written proposal with deliverables, timeline, assigned roles and a fixed fee or monthly retainer.
You get: A document you can review with finance or your deal team.
Leadership interviews, a contract and invoice request list and a review of systems, vendors and spend.
You get: A kickoff agenda, schedule and one point of contact.
A 60 to 90 minute session on spend, risks, vendors and the decisions ahead.
You get: The written findings, scorecards and budget draft.
Priorities sequenced and costed. You decide who carries out each item: your team, your current provider or BTI.
You get: The roadmap, budget and renewal calendar.
Retainer clients get monthly working sessions and quarterly business reviews.
You get: A monthly scorecard and quarterly written decisions.
Sample deliverable outline: Vendor and Contract Review report
You do not need BTI managed IT to hire a BTI vCIO. If you want BTI to carry out projects on the roadmap, see IT strategy consulting or ask for a separate quote.
The Fractional CIO Retainer is a monthly fee. Vendor and Contract Reviews, Technology Due Diligence and IT Budget and Planning are fixed-fee projects. Each is quoted after a free scoping call, based on your size, number of sites and vendors, and the meeting cadence you want.
Projects typically run 2 to 5 weeks. The retainer is ongoing and starts with a 30-day onboarding review. Due diligence is sized to your deal timeline.
A leadership sponsor, time for interviews, copies of contracts and recent IT and telecom invoices, and read-only access where a technical review is needed. BTI sends a request list at kickoff.
No. vCIO packages stand on their own. Many clients keep their current IT staff or provider.
Yes. The vCIO sets direction and holds vendors accountable; your team or provider keeps doing the work they already own.
The roles are the same: a part-time technology executive under contract. Some firms use vCIO for a role bundled with managed services; BTI's vCIO packages are sold on their own.
Both. Quarterly reviews and leadership meetings can be on site in Los Angeles, Chicagoland or Phoenix; monthly sessions are usually by video.
Engagements run under a confidentiality agreement, deal work is limited to the people your deal team names, and documents are stored in access-controlled systems.
You keep every document. You can act on it yourselves, ask BTI or another provider to quote the work, or move to the Fractional CIO Retainer so someone keeps the plan on track.
In 30 minutes you will know which package fits and what it delivers. Then you get a written proposal with a fixed scope.
Prefer to call? Reach the BTI IT team during business hours: Los Angeles / Southern California 323-510-8003 · Chicagoland 312-492-2613 · Phoenix 480-272-8728.
Already a BTI client? Use the dedicated support number assigned to your organization.