It’s a common CIO challenge: How do I ensure that my company’s IT enables it to meet its strategic imperatives while still delivering day-to-day IT support, such as help desk servicing and server patching?
This conundrum has only grown more intense as CIOs have gained more respect and authority, thanks to IT’s increasingly greater impact on a company’s ability to compete and succeed.
A recent Ernst & Young report notes that one of four key focus areas for corporate boards in 2025 is “navigating the upside and downside of technology.”
From the report:
“Cybersecurity and emerging technology and innovation all garner a significant mindshare from directors. In our conversations with board members, we often hear them referenced as opposite sides of the same coin: companies deploy cybersecurity controls to mitigate the downside risk of technology from threats and threat actors and to seize the upside opportunity to muster technology for growth and strategic advantage through innovation.
At leading companies, boardroom discussions about AI and other emerging technologies are moving beyond the basics of technology and relevant use cases to a strategic conversation about how to scale AI and emerging technologies for competitive advantage. This shift will drive important discussions about building, using, and deploying these technologies appropriately by setting risk tolerances and a responsible tone at the top.”
“To say that CIOs have their hands full is a huge understatement,” says Jesse Kegley, CRO of Emerge. “CIOs are increasingly being called upon to help realize, through IT, their company’s strategic vision and achieve its goals via data analytics, AI, ERP and CRM enhancements, and much more.”
Kegley says this means that CIOs are looking to reskill and upskill their teams to help tackle these higher-level IT needs.
CIO Dive puts it like this:
“Instead of shopping for high-priced talent on the open market, companies can reskill their own workers. … [For example} Manufacturer Lexmark offers employees the opportunity to take a year-long series of courses in areas like AI, data analytics, and machine learning. The training comes through NC State University’s AI academy, a platform developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor.”
As CIOs and their teams address strategic business concerns, they leave the more fundamental, but still critical day-to-day IT operations to whom?
For many, the answer is a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
“MSPs can free up CIOs and their staffs by taking care of those important and necessary items—such as end-user support, training and, of course, cybersecurity—that otherwise could distract from more strategic business imperatives, such as innovation and the application of AI,” says Kegley.
Kegley says that many CIOs find a “revolving door” when it comes to those employees focused on day-to-day IT operations. “This sort of turnover only serves to eat up valuable time and complicate the lives of everyone on the team,” he says.
With a qualified and experienced MSP, CIOs can rest assured that their networks are getting the attention they deserve regarding daily performance and security. “This is our sweet spot,” says Kegley. “It’s what we focus on every day. What may be less of a priority on a CIO’s list is our first priority.”
Kegley is quick to point out that MSPs such as Emerge can also assist with higher-order IT needs thanks to their deep expertise. “It’s not the least bit unusual for clients who rely on us to keep things running daily to seek out our point of view or assistance with more strategic, added-value initiatives.”
If you’re a CIO in need of support to meet your business’s strategic goals, contact Emerge today.
