Why We Don’t Call Ourselves vCIOs — And Why You Shouldn’t Want One

The term vCIO (virtual Chief Information Officer) gets thrown around a lot in IT services circles. It sounds impressive—like you're getting executive-level vision without the full-time salary.

But in practice, the vCIO role is too often just a well-dressed extension of the sales department. Behind the scenes, it’s built to serve the MSP’s revenue goals—not yours.

We’ve seen it time and again. Clients come to us after months or years of vCIO-led "strategy sessions" that never actually changed anything. They sat through QBRs full of recycled recommendations, only to realize later that the roadmap was just a product menu in disguise. When the same tools are pushed to every client regardless of context, that's not strategy. That’s reselling with a badge.

What’s driving it? In most cases, the vCIO is being measured on:- Revenue generated from their client base- Hardware, software, or licensing upsells- Platform loyalty—i.e., pushing what the MSP prefers, not what the client truly needs.

Their loyalty isn’t to your mission. It’s to the margins.

That’s why we take a different approach.

We operate as Fractional CIOs—and the difference isn’t just a title. It’s a mindset.

A true Fractional IT Leader is loyal only to the organization they serve. Not to platforms. Not to licensing tiers. Not to hidden incentives. We are software agnostic by design, which means every recommendation we make is based solely on what serves your strategy—not what moves someone else’s product.

Whether you’re deciding between Microsoft and Google, vetting cybersecurity tools, or evaluating a custom application build, our focus remains clear: What’s right for your team, your budget, and your mission.

Here’s the distinction in plain terms:

• A vCIO manages your account. A Fractional CIO stewards your organization’s future.

• A vCIO sells solutions. A Fractional CIO builds strategy.

• A vCIO is loyal to their MSP. A Fractional CIO is loyal to you.

This matters—because when strategic decisions are filtered through someone incentivized to increase your spend, long-term planning is compromised. What you end up with is duct-taped infrastructure, rising costs, and a growing sense of distrust.

That’s not how we operate.

At Bridges CIO, our job isn’t to sell you more technology. It’s to help you do more with the technology you already have—and to scale wisely when the time is right. That means:

• Asking the hard questions no vendor wants you to ask

• Prioritizing sustainability over trend-chasing

• Helping you scale without overspending

• Telling you when not to buy something

And yes—sometimes the best move is holding steady. That kind of guidance doesn’t drive up MRR. But it does build trust. And trust is the foundation for every effective IT strategy we help shape.

If your organization is tired of recycled roadmaps, one-size-fits-all recommendations, or strategy sessions that turn into quotes—there’s a better path forward.

We don’t do QBRs. We build roadmaps that actually lead somewhere.