Podcast appearances and mentions of Doug Green

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, interviewed Kotryna Ragaisyte, Head of Content & Brand at Decodo, to spotlight a growing threat many businesses underestimate: digital squatting—fraudsters registering lookalike domains to impersonate brands, steal customers, and damage reputations. Ragaisyte explained that Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) is a web data collection infrastructure provider offering proxy and scraping solutions—“the backbone of the businesses that need publicly available data” for functions like price comparison and information gathering. Her team encountered digital squatting firsthand when attackers registered a country-code domain using their former brand name, forcing them to confront how difficult it can be to shut down impersonators even when you discover the scam quickly. The business impact, she said, is immediate and severe: reputational harm from fraudulent “service,” negative reviews, lost revenue, and significant legal and operational costs. “It impacts the whole business,” Ragaisyte noted, adding that fighting squatters becomes a cross-team crisis involving legal, marketing, customer support, and security—not a problem any one department can solve alone. Ragaisyte tied the surge in squatting to the post-COVID acceleration of online commerce and habit-driven clicking behavior—warning that top search placement doesn't guarantee legitimacy. She outlined why legal remedies can help but aren't a silver bullet: disputes may require proof of bad faith, can take a long time, must often be handled case-by-case, and don't stop future registrations. Her advice emphasized proactive defense—broad trademark coverage, building a robust domain portfolio beyond “.com” (including misspellings and country-code domains), and maintaining monitoring and internal readiness. Finally, she stressed that response requires disciplined evidence gathering, fast coordination with registrars/hosting providers and legal counsel, and transparent customer communication. Rather than hoping the issue will “go away,” Ragaisyte urged brands to clearly publish official domains and warn customers across email and social channels so scams don't define the narrative. Visit https://decodo.com/

TWR Wednesday | The Groyper To Troon PipelineOn this packed and unapologetic Wednesday edition of The Whitfield Report, Sam Whitfield and the crew dive headfirst into some of the most controversial stories dominating the cultural and political landscape.The show opens with a discussion on the disturbing rise in mass shootings, including recent attacks carried out by transgender-identifying individuals. The hosts examine media framing, political narratives, and the broader societal implications of these tragedies. A clip from Gothics, a left-leaning content creator from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, is also featured as she responds to a recent hockey rink shooting in her district and the political fallout that followed.From there, the conversation widens into cultural critique, with strong commentary on what the hosts describe as overt occult and Satanic symbolism in entertainment and public life — including a look back at Beyoncé's Super Bowl halftime performance as a cultural flashpoint.At the halfway mark, Sam provides an exciting update on his upcoming novel, American Inferno, Book Five in the Shadows of Deception saga. Listeners get a preview of the audiobook introduction, narrated by Doug Green, and details on the March 10th paperback and e-book release. If you've been following John Ryder's journey, this is a must-hear segment.The conversation then shifts to the long-anticipated Epstein Files and the online frenzy over who is named. The hosts clarify an important distinction: being mentioned in documents does not automatically imply wrongdoing. They break down the case of “Grim Jim” as an example of how online speculation can spiral out of control.Other topics include:The role of AI in modern content creation — and why human creativity still matters, even when using tools like ChatGPT and Canva.Ongoing tensions with controversial figure Johnny Fox and allegations of “review bombing” targeting Sam's work.Minnesota's government fraud crisis and its impact on taxpayers and vulnerable communities who rely on public assistance programs.As always, The Whitfield Report blends culture, politics, media analysis, and independent publishing updates — all through the lens of free speech and the Right To Offend.Buckle up.Please Support The Show:Sam's Substack: https://samwhitfield.substack.com/Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/TheWhitfieldReport2nd YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WhitfieldReportReloadedKick Channel: https://kick.com/whitfieldreportSam's Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sam-Whitfield/author/B00M1DNU88?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DIcoDO0BIDyuH7SWIsAB8?si=8c06106f817d4eebAmerican Instinct Pulp Adventures: https://americaninstinct.substack.comFollow Sam on X and Instagram @SamW_NGCFollow Right To Offend Media on X @RTOMediaBuy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/whitfieldreport

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO in Fort Lauderdale, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Jon Brinton, Chief Revenue Officer at Crexendo, about the company's latest announcement: the launch of the Crexendo Marketplace. Crexendo is also a member of the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA). Crexendo, a unified communications service provider, merged with NetSapiens five years ago, bringing together a robust UCaaS platform now powering approximately 240 service providers globally. That ecosystem supports nearly 7.5 million users—a number that has grown more than fourfold since the acquisition. The new Crexendo Marketplace builds on that momentum by delivering a centralized, frictionless application store for certified integrations and third-party solutions. “What we've now released is a Crexendo Marketplace,” Brinton explained. “If you think about it like the Google Play Store or the Apple Store, it's an application store that somebody can go to download, activate or integrate with applications that are certified for our platform.” Through one-touch provisioning, service providers can enable integrations such as mobile dialer support, analytics, Microsoft Teams connectivity, and Crexendo's AI-powered receptionist and orchestrator, Cairo—all without complex implementation paths. The Marketplace reinforces Crexendo's sessions-not-seats licensing model, which allows MSPs and service providers to own their customer relationships while building equity in their businesses. Brinton noted that AI-driven add-on applications are driving significant incremental revenue, often far exceeding traditional per-user UCaaS pricing. “Some of these AI applications… may be worth four to five to ten times that in monthly revenue to our partners,” he said, underscoring the opportunity for higher-margin growth. As innovation accelerates across the cloud communications landscape, Crexendo continues to invest heavily in platform development and ecosystem expansion. With its annual NetSapiens user group meeting scheduled for Austin later this year, the company remains focused on empowering partners with tools, integrations, and community support to compete—and win—in an evolving market. Visit https://www.crexendo.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Jon Arnold, Principal of J Arnold & Associates, joined Doug Green to share his perspective on the event's evolution, the growing dominance of AI in conference programming, and the escalating fraud challenges facing the communications industry. A long-time analyst and contributor, Arnold participated in four sessions during the show, primarily focused on cybersecurity, mobile communications, and fraud mitigation. Arnold noted that while ITEXPO continues to feature its traditional telecom and MSP programming, AI now permeates nearly every track—from agentic AI discussions to vertical-focused sub-events. At the same time, he observed a visible shift on the show floor, with fewer hardware vendors and more companies centered on cybersecurity and risk mitigation. “There's a steadiness to this show that I kind of like year after year,” Arnold said, while acknowledging that the exhibitor footprint and attendee mix are evolving. Across his moderated sessions, a central theme emerged: fraud is accelerating, and AI is amplifying the challenge. Topics included branded calling, RCS, KYC/Know Your Customer frameworks, and the persistent vulnerabilities within mobile networks. Arnold emphasized that fraud has become a multi-layered ecosystem problem. “Before AI, the bad guys were maybe half a step ahead. With AI, they're three or four steps ahead,” he observed, highlighting how rapidly attackers are leveraging automation and generative tools. A standout moment for Arnold was a presentation by ethical hacker Jesse “Hackajack” Tuttle, who illustrated the pervasiveness of fraud from a former attacker's perspective. The session reinforced the need for stronger regulatory frameworks, greater carrier coordination, and increased industry urgency around consumer protection. As the communications industry balances innovation with risk, Arnold's takeaway was clear: the fraud problem is worse than many assume, and solving it will require deeper collaboration across the ecosystem. Visit https://www.jarnoldassociates.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Simon Bradbrook, Senior Sales Engineer BSG at Snom, joined Doug Green to discuss why hardware reliability, mobility, and voice infrastructure still matter in a cloud-first world. Snom, a member of the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA), was one of the original IP phone manufacturers, launching one of the first commercially available IP phones in 2001. Today, Snom operates under the global manufacturing strength of VTech, one of the world's largest electronics manufacturers, with additional portfolio depth through the acquisition of Gigaset. Bradbrook highlighted Snom's wireless DECT solutions as a major differentiator for MSPs. Unlike Wi-Fi-based voice devices, DECT was purpose-built for voice communication, providing secure, encrypted, and highly reliable connectivity—especially critical in healthcare, assisted living, and large campus environments. “When I need to make an emergency call, I want to rely on a product that's actually going to complete that call,” Bradbrook noted, underscoring the importance of dependable voice in mission-critical settings. The Snom M900 multi-cell DECT system, which was used live during MSP Expo for staff communications, supports use cases ranging from hospitals and retirement facilities to warehouses. Features such as encrypted voice channels and optional accelerometer-based emergency alerts—capable of detecting a fall and automatically triggering assistance—expand the value proposition for MSPs serving vertical markets with safety and compliance requirements, including HIPAA-sensitive environments. Through VTech's global manufacturing footprint and distribution network, Snom is able to offer a three-year advanced replacement warranty. If a hardware issue is confirmed, a replacement unit is shipped immediately—without waiting for return processing—providing operational continuity for MSP partners and their customers. For MSPs seeking to expand beyond standard desk phones into scalable mobility and enterprise-grade wireless solutions, Snom and Gigaset offer complementary portfolios designed to fit environments from SMB retail to large enterprise campuses. Visit https://www.snomamericas.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Zack Schwartz, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Trustifi, joined Doug Green to discuss a critical but often overlooked reality: while AI dominates headlines, email remains the primary attack vector for cybercrime. Trustifi delivers a full-suite email security platform purpose-built for MSPs, enabling easy deployment, centralized management, and advanced protection against next-generation AI-driven phishing attacks. Schwartz emphasized that over 91% of cyberattacks still originate from inbound email—and the sophistication of those attacks has grown dramatically with AI tools. “Cyber criminals are leveraging AI to create extremely nuanced attacks,” he explained. Trustifi addresses this by combining high-efficacy inbound phishing detection with innovative AI-driven training tools. One standout feature allows MSPs to convert a real phishing attack into customized security awareness training, generating targeted video content based on an incident that actually occurred within a customer's environment. A key differentiator is Trustifi's “journal-only mode,” which allows MSPs to deploy the platform without interrupting live email flow. The system produces a full report showing how Trustifi would have responded to threats, creating what Schwartz described as a powerful “aha moment” for customers. According to Trustifi, this approach converts over 80% of opportunities and requires only minutes to set up—at no cost to the partner or end client. Beyond inbound threats, Trustifi also addresses outbound risk and compliance requirements, including HIPAA, PCI, GDPR, and broader data loss prevention (DLP) concerns. Many organizations underestimate how much sensitive information leaves their network via email. “It's a big issue of not knowing what you don't know,” Schwartz said, highlighting how classification and encryption tools expose hidden vulnerabilities. With no minimum requirements, free NFR licenses for MSPs, and strong momentum away from legacy email gateways, Trustifi is positioning itself as a high-margin opportunity within the channel. The message to MSPs: start internally, see the exposure firsthand, and then extend protection across your customer base. Visit https://trustifi.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Jim Gurol, CEO of California Telecom, joined Doug Green to discuss NetVerge, a modern software platform designed to address a persistent challenge for MSPs: SaaS sprawl and operational inefficiency. NetVerge was born from Gurol's own experience running an MSP. Faced with juggling multiple ticketing systems, monitoring tools, and documentation platforms, his team found themselves “swivel chairing” between applications that didn't integrate cleanly. Rather than accept outdated workflows, they built their own platform from the ground up. “We wanted to build something from scratch, from the ground up, from our pain,” Gurol explained, emphasizing that NetVerge evolved directly from real-world MSP feedback. The platform consolidates core MSP functions into a modern, AI-enabled environment. Its ticketing interface resembles real-time chat, allowing technicians to collaborate through mentions and threaded conversations rather than traditional form-heavy systems. NetVerge also incorporates AI workflow agents that assist with troubleshooting, pen testing, and other operational tasks. MSPs can even design their own AI agents to automate repetitive processes—helping firms scale without proportionally increasing headcount. Gurol believes this practitioner-driven design is a key differentiator. “We live it,” he said, noting that firsthand MSP experience informs how the platform handles alert management, ticket flow, and day-to-day operational realities. For MSPs looking to reduce tool fragmentation, modernize workflows, and deploy AI in practical ways, NetVerge aims to offer a unified alternative. Visit https://californiatelecom.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Paul Daigle, Senior Managing Partner and Founder of BizAdvisoryBoard, introduced a new free resource designed to help MSPs grow more strategically: the MSP Business Growth Marketplace. In his conversation with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, Daigle positioned the platform as a response to a common challenge in the channel—MSPs working in their business rather than on it. Unlike vendor-led marketplaces that focus on extending product reach, this marketplace takes what Daigle calls a holistic approach across eight operational focus areas: sales, marketing, legal, CPA, HR, coaching, services, and support. “We're the only marketplace in the world that specializes in the holistic approach within the eight operational focus areas of an MSP,” Daigle said. “It's like an eight-cylinder engine—you need all those pistons working together.” The platform is vendor-agnostic and designed to match MSPs with vetted resources aligned to their size and growth stage. Whether an MSP needs specialized legal counsel, HR guidance, financial expertise, or operational coaching, the marketplace aims to connect them with providers who understand the MSP model. The goal is to streamline access to trusted partners at the precise moment MSP executives are actively seeking solutions. The concept emerged from BizAdvisoryBoard's executive coaching and M&A advisory work, where Daigle's team consistently fielded requests for qualified referrals. With strong interest from vendors and service providers at MSP Expo, the MSP Business Growth Marketplace is positioned as a centralized growth engine for MSP leaders focused on scaling with structure, discipline, and long-term value creation. Visit https://bizadvisoryboard.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO in Fort Lauderdale, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Lloyd Tjom, Director of Sales at Transaction Network Services (TNS), about the growing importance of RCS and the future of trusted messaging. TNS is also a member of the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA). TNS operates at the center of the communications ecosystem, providing numbering, routing, authentication, and identity services to carriers and communication service providers (CSPs) worldwide. As messaging evolves beyond SMS and MMS, TNS is focused on helping the industry deliver secure, reliable, and commercially viable Rich Communication Services (RCS). “RCS is the evolution,” Tjom explained. Originally introduced by the GSM Association in 2007, RCS has gained new momentum with broad device support—including adoption by Apple—bringing both Android and iOS into alignment. With that shift, RCS is positioned to become a mainstream messaging channel capable of supporting richer interactions and higher trust. Unlike traditional SMS, RCS enables branded messaging, verified sender badges, logos, read receipts, and interactive features such as carousels and embedded actions. “If they're a vetted partner that has got the branding as well as the verified mark, then you know you're dealing with the right party on the other end,” Tjom said. In an era of phishing and spoofing, verified identity and “know your business” (KYB) vetting are essential components of restoring trust in messaging channels. Tjom emphasized that the phone number remains central to digital identity. For many consumers, a single mobile number has followed them for decades, becoming a stable anchor of trust across carriers and geographies. As RCS scales, however, CSPs must address fragmentation, infrastructure inconsistencies, and bad actors within the ecosystem. Broader adherence to standards, stronger onboarding controls, and rapid mitigation of vulnerabilities will be critical for unlocking RCS's full commercial potential. Looking ahead, Tjom sees RCS becoming the default channel for trusted business communications—enabling full conversational commerce, customer service workflows, flight changes, purchases, and more within a verified, branded environment. “It really has got so many different potentials out there,” he noted, “but it all comes back to trusted communications.” Visit https://tnsi.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Ty Richardson, CEO of One Global Business Financing Corporation, joined Doug Green to discuss one of the most consequential realities facing MSP owners: at some point, you will either acquire—or be acquired. Richardson outlined how today's M&A environment has expanded beyond large “behemoth” firms, enabling even $1–$5 million MSPs to pursue viable exit strategies or strategic acquisitions. One Global Business Financing Corporation operates as a capital advisor and intermediary, working between MSPs and a broad network of lenders, private credit firms, family offices, SBA providers, and private equity sources. “We do the work so that you don't have to,” Richardson explained. Rather than forcing MSPs to navigate banks and paperwork alone, his firm evaluates financial positioning, collects documentation, surveys more than 6,000 capital providers, and returns with structured options tailored to the owner's goals—whether that means a line of credit, equipment financing, a term loan, real estate acquisition, or full M&A funding. Richardson emphasized that financing strategy begins years before a sale. MSPs planning an exit in three to five years must structure recurring revenue, strengthen contracts, build leadership teams, and maintain solid financial reporting. “If you are structuring yourself for a sale, the one thing you should be thinking about is how do I make this easy for a buyer to qualify?” he said. That preparation can significantly impact valuation and buyer confidence. The conversation also highlighted alternative deal structures, including partial acquisitions, staged buyouts, and SBA-backed transactions for smaller firms. Richardson noted that many MSPs initially assume they simply “need a loan,” when in reality more tax-efficient or strategically structured financing solutions may exist. The firm often works in consultation with tax professionals and legal advisors to optimize long-term positioning. Finally, Richardson advised MSP owners to begin networking early if a sale is on the horizon. By cultivating relationships over several years, owners may find qualified buyers privately—avoiding the noise and unqualified interest that often comes with broadly marketing a business for sale. Visit https://oneglobalfinancing.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO in Fort Lauderdale, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Corey Moullas, Founder & CTO of EMAK Telecom, about a bold thesis: in the age of generative AI, voice will not be a side channel—it will be central to how businesses communicate and brand. EMAK Telecom, a VoIP and UCaaS provider founded a decade ago, built its own platform from the ground up with a focus on improving internal workflows and elevating the caller experience. Moullas emphasized that for EMAK, voice has always been about more than dial tone. “What can we do to make the caller experience amazing?” he said, describing a decade-long commitment to refining how customers interact with businesses through voice channels. Now, with the rise of generative AI and voice-to-voice agents, EMAK is integrating advanced AI capabilities directly into its telecom stack. While much of the industry conversation around AI centers on chat interfaces and automation dashboards, Moullas argues that the real transformation will occur in human conversation. “Voice is a very comfortable channel for a lot of people,” he noted. “Humans have a voice. We use it to communicate. It's not going away.” AI-powered voice agents, when implemented responsibly, can dramatically accelerate problem resolution, enrich brand presence, and create more natural customer interactions. Importantly, Moullas acknowledges the industry's legacy frustrations with earlier voice recognition systems. The difference today, he says, is the maturity of AI models capable of delivering empathetic, context-aware responses. “With the new technologies rolling out today, it's actually extraordinary,” he explained. At the same time, he stressed the responsibility that comes with such power. “We have to be very responsible about how we use these tools… they can be used for good or used for evil.” EMAK's internal philosophy—“do the right thing”—guides product decisions and long-term vision. As AI becomes embedded in enterprise communications, EMAK's strategy positions voice not as an afterthought but as the primary interface between humans and technology. In Moullas' view, when AI enables voice interactions that feel seamless and human, businesses will discover new ways to differentiate, connect, and deliver value. Visit https://emak.tech/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Tejas Patel, Software Engineer at Amazon, for a technical deep dive into how one of the world's largest platforms manages scale, reliability, and the growing role of AI in operations. Amazon operates in an environment defined by extreme traffic variability—from daily fluctuations to massive surges during Prime events. Patel explained that the company relies on distributed systems and microservices architecture to scale every layer of the stack, including databases, caching layers, and application servers. “We scale everything at a massive scale,” he noted, adding that AI-driven traffic prediction models help prepare systems for anticipated spikes, ensuring elasticity and resilience under pressure. Even with rigorous lower-environment testing and simulated traffic, real-world production environments introduce unpredictable behaviors. When outages or functional errors occur, the first priority is customer impact mitigation. “The short-term goal is to make our functionalities available for customers as soon as possible,” Patel said. After stabilizing services, engineering teams conduct root cause analysis and implement long-term fixes to prevent recurrence. On-call teams remain a core part of this model, though that may evolve. AI is increasingly part of that evolution. Patel described how AI systems can detect latency drops, identify anomalies, trigger workflows, and begin root cause investigations—sometimes before engineers are alerted. While still in a supervised phase, AI is gradually moving from passive support to more autonomous operational roles. “AI has a lot of protocols built where it can talk to all the systems,” he explained, envisioning a future where AI mitigates issues proactively while engineers oversee the broader architecture. For MSPs and channel professionals looking to understand large-scale technology environments, Patel emphasized the foundational importance of distributed systems. “Distributed system is everywhere,” he said. “It's the backbone of a large-scale product.” As AI models and inference platforms continue to expand globally, scalable distributed infrastructure will remain essential to delivering reliable, uninterrupted user experiences. Visit https://www.amazon.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Federico De Faveri, founder of De Faveri Consulting, about the growing demand for highly technical, hands-on consulting that bridges gaps between business needs and complex software systems. De Faveri Consulting focuses on what Federico describes as “tech enablement consulting”—hands-on work that includes software development, system integrations, automation, and custom tooling. Rather than operating through large consulting layers, De Faveri works directly with clients to design and implement solutions that remove bottlenecks, reduce manual processes, and create more auditable, data-driven workflows. “I like going into a company with a real problem and building something that saves time, improves visibility, and just works,” De Faveri said. During the discussion, De Faveri explained that clients engage him both reactively and proactively—either to fix broken or inefficient systems or to bring new ideas to life. His interest in attending MSP Expo centered on identifying emerging challenges faced by MSPs, enterprises, and channel partners, particularly as AI-driven tools and integrations reshape operations. While based in South Florida, De Faveri emphasized that most projects are delivered remotely, allowing him to support clients nationwide while still prioritizing trust-building and occasional in-person collaboration. As a newer independent consultant, De Faveri highlighted the freedom and focus that come with running his own firm, along with a core piece of advice for organizations evaluating technology solutions. “Always get multiple technical opinions,” he noted. “Sometimes the best solution isn't another platform—it's a smart integration or a custom script that connects what you already have.” Visit https://df.consulting/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Mike Wehrs, CTO of TieTechnology, about the upcoming launch of Genie 1.1 and the company's broader mission to reposition voice as a fully integrated component of modern IT infrastructure. TieTechnology focuses on making voice a “first-tier partner” within business systems rather than a disconnected afterthought. Genie, the company's SMB product family, provides a backend softphone capability for PCs along with applications that connect voice into tools such as Slack, CRMs, and EMRs. With Genie 1.1, the company is deepening its ability to capture, transcribe, summarize, and structure voice interactions so that the most valuable customer data—what was actually said—flows directly into business systems. “AI is not magic,” Wehrs noted. “If you don't have good data going into the system, you're not going to get the results out of it that you want.” He emphasized that many organizations layer AI on top of incomplete infrastructure, resulting in underperformance. Genie addresses that gap by cleaning audio streams, identifying speakers, summarizing conversations, and delivering structured data—often in JSON format—into CRM environments. The result, according to Wehrs, can represent as much as a 40 percent increase in high-quality CRM data, driving better customer support, marketing automation, and operational insight. For MSPs, the opportunity is twofold. First, Genie simplifies voice integration through straightforward APIs, eliminating the need to understand complex SIP stacks or telecom architecture. Second, it opens new revenue potential by allowing MSPs to modernize dated phone systems and embed voice-driven intelligence directly into client workflows. As Wehrs framed it, voice should become as native to the PC environment as networking did in the Windows 95 era—fully integrated, flexible, and foundational to digital operations. Visit https://tietechnology.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Gregory Tellone, CEO of Cloud IBR, about simplifying disaster recovery (DR) testing and turning recoverability into a practical, recurring revenue opportunity for MSPs. Cloud IBR is a SaaS platform designed for organizations using Veeam backups. With a single click, the system provisions dedicated bare-metal cloud servers, installs operating systems, restores encrypted backup repositories, configures networking, VPN access, firewalls, and hands off a fully operational environment for either a live disaster or a scheduled recovery test. “Most backup products are great at backup,” Tellone explained. “The problem is knowing whether your backups are actually good and being able to test recovery easily.” The platform addresses a longstanding gap in the SMB market: the complexity and cost of maintaining secondary DR sites and conducting realistic recovery testing. Traditional DR requires duplicate infrastructure, bandwidth, replication management, and ongoing maintenance—often making full testing impractical. Cloud IBR automates that entire process in approximately 20 minutes of onboarding time, enabling monthly recovery testing by default and generating detailed PDF reports documenting every recovered server and recovery time objective (RTO). For MSPs, the opportunity is strategic. Starting at $299 per month, the service provides a low-barrier entry point into customer accounts while strengthening trust and expanding monthly recurring revenue. Tellone described it as a relationship builder: “It's always easier to sell to a customer than to a prospect. You start with something simple that works, and from there you grow.” With automated reporting suitable for cyber insurance applications and RFP responses, Cloud IBR transforms disaster recovery from a checkbox exercise into a demonstrable operational advantage. Visit https://cloudibr.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Rick Bekers, CEO of Channel Sales Pro, about how MSPs and technology vendors can design effective channel programs that accelerate growth while avoiding common pitfalls. Bekers brings more than four decades of experience to the conversation, including 35 years as an MSP owner, time leading a Technology Services Distributor (TSD), and years as a consultant helping vendors and service providers enter and scale through the channel. He emphasized that channel programs—whether built by vendors or MSPs evolving into “master MSPs”—require specialized expertise. “Trying to build a channel program on your own can slow you down by 18 months to three years,” Bekers said, noting that missteps and trial-and-error often delay revenue and partner momentum. The discussion focused on how Channel Sales Pro engages with MSPs seeking to expand. Bekers described a structured discovery and gap analysis process designed to align channel strategy with business goals, followed by execution that leverages established industry relationships. Drawing on his own experience running an MSP, he stressed the importance of solid operational foundations—repeatable processes, PSA and RMM tools, and consistent onboarding—to prevent burnout and customer churn as firms scale. “You don't want to try to scale a program on broken processes,” he explained. Bekers also delivered a direct message to MSP founders who feel stuck managing growth alone. By standardizing operations and seeking experienced guidance, MSPs can move from reactive, exhausting growth cycles to predictable, repeatable expansion. His confidence in the model is underscored by a performance guarantee tied to measurable revenue outcomes, reinforcing his belief that disciplined channel strategy can deliver returns within months. Visit https://www.channelsales.pro/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Krishna Balusu of Meta Platforms about how large-scale digital platforms are using AI agents to improve reliability, performance, and operational resilience behind the scenes. Balusu explained that Meta is actively deploying internal AI agents—designed not for end users, but for developers and operations teams—to identify and troubleshoot platform issues automatically. These agents, part of an internal system known as Opsmate, monitor performance signals such as slow load times or degraded user experiences and work to identify root causes without requiring immediate human intervention. “It's almost like hiring an employee whose job is to retrace the steps a human engineer would take to find the root cause of a problem,” Balusu said, describing how the system reduces operational load on engineering teams. Rather than being self-healing in a purely heuristic sense, Balusu noted that modern platforms face constant change—from weekly application updates and operating system revisions to sudden spikes in traffic driven by global events. AI agents provide a flexible way to reason across many possible variables in real time, proactively isolating issues and accelerating resolution. These agents are already in use on Facebook and Messenger, with broader expansion planned over time. Looking ahead, Balusu suggested that this operational use of AI represents an early stage of a broader shift in software development. As AI systems take on more coding, diagnostics, and analysis tasks, engineers increasingly act as orchestrators and decision-makers rather than line-by-line developers. “We're moving toward a world where engineers manage AI agents instead of writing and reviewing code themselves,” he said, highlighting how agentic AI is reshaping the future of large-scale platform engineering. Visit https://www.meta.com/technologies/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Tomas Sjostrom, CISSP and President of Technology Services at James Moore Co., about how cybersecurity and compliance priorities are evolving for small and mid-sized businesses. Sjostrom explained that James Moore is a long-established CPA firm with more than 60 years of experience serving Florida-based organizations, and nearly three decades delivering IT managed services alongside traditional financial and audit work. As cybersecurity threats increase and regulatory requirements expand, SMBs are showing greater interest in both protecting their environments and demonstrating compliance—often driven by cyber insurance requirements, customer demands, or new business opportunities. A key theme of the discussion focused on how organizations assess and manage cybersecurity risk. Sjostrom emphasized that the process begins with understanding what is motivating a customer's concern, whether it is insurance questionnaires, data protection issues, or compliance mandates tied to industries such as defense contracting. From there, James Moore leverages onboarding and automated discovery tools to establish a baseline and support continuous compliance. “Customers want to meet new requirements as fast as possible, reliably, and without spending excessive time or money,” Sjostrom noted, highlighting the need for scalable and automated approaches. The conversation also touched on AI adoption and compliance readiness. Sjostrom observed that less mature organizations often start with questions around data protection and privacy, while more advanced companies already understand where their critical assets reside and can move more quickly toward compliant AI deployments. As cybersecurity, compliance, and AI increasingly intersect, Sjostrom positioned proactive risk monitoring as a strategic advantage for SMBs working with trusted MSP and advisory partners. Visit https://www.jmco.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Rick Mancinelli, CEO of C3 Complete, along with Tim and Tasha of Nerds To Go, to discuss a new partnership designed to accelerate MSP growth and expand service capabilities across a national franchise network. C3 Complete, a multifaceted technology, telecom, and cybersecurity provider with 16 years of industry experience, has partnered with Nerds To Go to help strengthen and scale its managed services model. Nerds To Go, a franchise-based IT services brand that evolved from a break-fix concept into a managed services provider, is focused on expanding both its B2C and B2B footprint. The partnership brings additional backend support, broader product offerings, and operational depth to franchisees looking to move upstream into larger, more complex accounts. As Mancinelli explained, the goal is to “complete their product portfolio and allow them to bring a total solution to each and every one of their customers.” Through C3's telecom, data center, and advanced services capabilities, Nerds To Go franchisees can now pursue opportunities that previously exceeded their internal bandwidth. At the same time, the franchise network provides C3 with boots-on-the-ground coverage in markets where local presence is critical. The collaboration reflects a broader industry trend toward partnership-driven growth. By combining franchise scalability with enterprise-grade backend support, both organizations aim to increase margins, enhance recurring revenue streams, and enable franchisees to confidently say “yes” to larger opportunities. As the group emphasized during the conversation, this is not a vendor-client relationship but a mutual growth strategy built on shared opportunity. Visit C3 Complete: https://c3-complete.com/ Visit Nerds To Go: https://www.nerdstogo.com/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Lyle Pratt, CEO of Vida, about the company's latest release: an expanded AI Agent Operating System designed for enterprise scale and built specifically for MSPs and channel partners. Vida provides AI-powered phone agents that integrate directly into existing UCaaS and telecom environments. With native SIP registration, Vida's agents can register back to an MSP's current UCaaS platform and appear just like any other VoIP endpoint. The new release enhances omnichannel capabilities, centralized control, observability, billing integrations, and reseller management—allowing MSPs to deploy, monitor, and monetize AI agents at scale across multiple customers. Pratt emphasized that the platform was architected from a telecom channel background. “We've designed the OS specifically for MSPs,” he said. “We make it extremely easy to roll those out to all your customers using our AI Agent OS.” Vida supports a multi-tier model—partners, resellers, enterprises, and agents—enabling white-label deployments where MSPs retain brand control and pricing authority. The platform also includes built-in billing and reporting capabilities to streamline recurring revenue operations. A key opportunity lies in redirecting call traffic that traditionally flows to third-party call centers or BPOs. Vida's AI phone agents can handle first-tier interactions at approximately 15 cents per minute, enabling MSPs to capture revenue streams that previously bypassed them. “Software is going to begin to eat into the labor market,” Pratt noted. “And that actually is great for MSPs because they sell software solutions—now they can collect those margins for themselves.” As AI continues to reshape communications infrastructure, Vida is positioning its platform as the backbone for next-generation IVRs, auto attendants, and voice-driven automation. With SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance, flexible integrations, and omnichannel automation capabilities across voice, SMS, and email, the company is aiming to simplify AI deployment for MSPs while opening new, high-margin revenue paths. Visit https://vida.io/

At ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Mahen Gundecha, Broker at Bristol Group, about mergers and acquisitions activity in the MSP and cybersecurity markets—and what business owners should be thinking about long before they decide to sell. Bristol Group is an M&A advisory firm focused on small- and mid-sized companies across multiple industries, with Gundecha concentrating on IT and managed services. Drawing parallels between biotech and the rapidly evolving MSP and cybersecurity sectors, he emphasized that today's environment is knowledge-intensive, fast-moving, and increasingly shaped by consolidation and private equity activity. For MSP owners dreaming of an eventual exit, Gundecha offered practical guidance rooted in three core areas: personal goals, financial readiness, and market risk. “Ask yourself what you want personally, what your financial situation looks like, and what risks are coming your way,” he advised. Many owners assume aggressive growth will dramatically increase valuation in a short period, but in reality, sustained, realistic growth—and careful timing—often determine the outcome. Understanding whether there is a gap between retirement goals and current valuation is a critical first step. He also highlighted the growing impact of consolidation. As private equity-backed platforms acquire regional MSPs, competitive pressure increases—bringing stronger capabilities, deeper cybersecurity stacks, and potentially lower pricing. This can affect both customer retention and employee retention, particularly for highly skilled cybersecurity professionals. For owners nearing retirement, a dip in valuation due to lost accounts or talent may be difficult to recover from within a limited time horizon. Importantly, selling does not have to mean walking away entirely. Gundecha described partial exits where owners retain equity in a larger acquiring platform. This approach can reduce customer concentration risk, provide immediate liquidity, and potentially deliver greater long-term upside if the buyer scales aggressively. “You've cashed out part of your risk, diversified the rest, and positioned yourself for additional wealth creation,” he explained—while underscoring that selecting the right buyer is the key strategic decision. Visit https://bristolgrouponline.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Pierre Donyegro, CEO of CyberFortPro, about why penetration testing is becoming a necessary—and often overlooked—part of cybersecurity for small businesses. Donyegro explained that CyberFortPro focuses on delivering penetration testing services to smaller organizations such as law firms, medical offices, and restaurants. Penetration testing, he noted, is a short but intensive process that analyzes a customer's network traffic and configurations to uncover vulnerabilities before they are exploited. “Even when you feel healthy, a doctor runs tests—this is the same idea, but for cyber health,” Donyegro said, framing penetration testing as preventative cybersecurity rather than a reaction to a breach. While certain industries face higher risk due to sensitive data, Donyegro emphasized that cybersecurity is not limited to regulated verticals. Any business with a network, outdated firmware, or misconfigured equipment can be exposed. The value of penetration testing, he said, lies not only in identifying weaknesses but in clearly explaining them to business owners and outlining remediation steps—from firmware updates to infrastructure changes—so risks can be addressed proactively. For MSPs, Donyegro positioned CyberFortPro as a natural partner rather than a competitor. “For every technology, you need experts to explain to the customer what their exposure really is,” he said. MSPs can bring CyberFortPro into customer engagements to provide specialized penetration testing, creating additional value, strengthening client trust, and opening new revenue opportunities tied to security assessments and remediation. Visit https://www.hellophello.com/hi/pierredonyegro

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Steven Hess, Co-Founder and CEO of Deep Fathom, about the rising importance of compliance—particularly CMMC—and why it represents a significant opportunity for managed service providers. Hess explained that Deep Fathom is an AI-native compliance platform designed to help organizations not only achieve compliance, but maintain it over time. A central focus of the discussion was the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), the U.S. Department of Defense's enforcement framework for securing the defense industrial base. “CMMC is the regulatory enforcement layer the federal government put in place to secure the defense industrial base,” Hess said, emphasizing that without certification, suppliers can lose their ability to do business with the Department of Defense. A key takeaway for MSPs is that CMMC extends far beyond large defense primes. Hess noted that the defense ecosystem includes hundreds—sometimes thousands—of downstream suppliers, many of which may not even realize they are part of the defense supply chain. “You might actually have defense customers and not even know it,” he said, highlighting why MSPs are often the first call when compliance questions arise and why preparedness can unlock new, recurring revenue streams. Hess concluded by encouraging MSPs to approach compliance as a dedicated, strategic practice rather than an add-on service. By leveraging automation and AI-driven platforms, MSPs can scale compliance services without dramatically increasing headcount. “Compliance is not something you should just spin up on the side,” he cautioned, adding that the right tools and commitment can turn regulatory pressure into long-term growth. Visit https://www.deepfathom.ai/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Mike Ryan, CEO of SpiceX, about how low-code and no-code platforms are reshaping automation, integration, and revenue opportunities for MSPs and channel partners. The conversation focused on how SpiceX enables organizations to connect data, systems, and AI tools through visual workflow design rather than traditional software development. Ryan described SpiceX as a platform designed to remove complexity from integration and orchestration. “We make it stupid simple for an organization to connect and structure all of their data and then use drag-and-drop workflows to automate it,” he said. Built to be business-user friendly, the platform allows MSPs to design and deploy solutions without requiring deep coding expertise, accelerating time to value for both service providers and their customers. For MSPs, Ryan emphasized that the real opportunity lies in applying domain expertise rather than writing code. MSPs bring industry-specific knowledge—such as healthcare, background screening, or public sector workflows—and use SpiceX to build repeatable, branded solutions that can scale across multiple customers. According to Ryan, some partners have leveraged this approach to expand rapidly, even acquiring competitors by productizing their automation offerings. The discussion also touched on AI and the growing challenge of “shadow AI” inside organizations. Ryan noted that SpiceX enables MSPs and enterprises to safely connect approved AI tools into structured workflows, helping future-proof operations while maintaining control. As adoption accelerates, he positioned low-code automation as a practical way for MSPs, channel partners, and enterprises to turn complexity into scalable services and new revenue streams. Visit https://www.spicex.com/

In a special podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Shawn Stockman, Vice President of Sustainability Solutions at Onepak, about the evolving role of reverse logistics and IT asset disposition (ITAD). The conversation was recorded as part of ASCDI programming, reflecting Onepak's active involvement in the ITAD community as an ASCDI member. Stockman explained that modern ITAD is no longer just about recycling hardware, but about managing a complex reverse-logistics ecosystem that connects enterprises, ITAD providers, remarketers, recyclers, and leasing companies. He emphasized that enterprise customers—particularly large organizations—expect ITAD partners to integrate seamlessly into their existing systems and workflows. “If you're giving enterprises spreadsheets that don't fit into their asset management platforms, you're making it hard to work with you,” Stockman said. “That can be an easy way to lose a large account or miss the opportunity to scale.” The discussion also focused on sustainability and the growing importance of the circular economy in IT. Stockman noted that ITAD providers play a critical role in extending the life of technology assets through resale, refurbishment, parts harvesting, and, when necessary, responsible recycling. “ITAD is what makes the circular economy possible in the electronics industry,” he explained, highlighting concepts such as “urban mining,” where valuable materials are recovered from existing devices rather than newly extracted from the earth. Stockman concluded by encouraging MSPs, enterprises, and ITAD providers to rethink reverse logistics as a strategic capability rather than a back-end function. By aligning sustainability goals, enterprise expectations, and scalable logistics processes, ITAD organizations can unlock new business opportunities while reducing environmental impact and supporting long-term technology reuse. Visit https://www.onepak.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Doug Barbin, Chief Growth Officer at Schellman, about how rapid AI adoption is reshaping compliance requirements for MSPs, cloud providers, and technology companies. Barbin outlined Schellman's role as one of the largest independent providers of technology, risk, and AI-related compliance assessments, serving organizations across highly regulated industries. Barbin explained that AI adoption is accelerating far faster than previous technology shifts such as cloud computing, leaving many organizations scrambling to keep pace with evolving regulatory expectations. “The adoption of AI has come out four or five times as fast as what we saw with cloud,” Barbin said. “Organizations are now trying to keep up not just from a technology risk perspective, but also from a compliance and governance standpoint.” He pointed to emerging standards such as ISO 42001 as critical frameworks helping companies manage AI governance at scale. The conversation also explored the complexity of audits and how Schellman works to simplify the process. Barbin described a “collect once, use many” approach that allows organizations—particularly MSPs—to streamline compliance across multiple frameworks such as SOC 2, HIPAA, CMMC, and federal requirements. By reducing redundancy and aligning audits to customer needs, MSPs can more efficiently expand into regulated verticals they otherwise could not serve. Barbin concluded by emphasizing the opportunity compliance creates for MSPs as they grow into more regulated markets. By helping MSPs inherit and validate customer controls, Schellman enables service providers to scale responsibly while turning compliance into a business advantage rather than a barrier. Visit https://www.schellman.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Andy Abramson, CEO & Founder of Comunicano, about the evolving role of AI in communications, media, and business decision-making. The discussion focused on why context, judgment, and human accountability matter more than ever as synthetic content and automated tools become commonplace. Abramson stressed that AI should be viewed as an assistive tool—not a replacement for human responsibility. While he actively uses multiple AI platforms to shape ideas and refine perspective, he cautioned against fully automating decision-making or content creation. “At the end of the day, you need IPO—not initial public offering, but insight, perspective, and opinion,” Abramson said. “AI can help you shape thinking, but the human still has to decide what's true, relevant, and worth sharing.” For MSPs and channel partners, Abramson framed AI monetization as a maturity curve. Simply using AI to summarize metrics or reports, he noted, is entry-level capability. Real value comes when providers understand customer context and use AI to guide outcomes rather than just analyze data. That shift enables MSPs to move from commodity services to trusted-advisor roles rooted in relevance, narrative, and problem-solving. The conversation concluded with a look at Abramson's work through Comunicano, including his high-engagement newsletter and multimedia storytelling approach. By blending original analysis, cultural references, and selective use of AI-generated visuals, Abramson aims to surface insights that traditional analyst reports often miss. His message to the audience was clear: embrace AI thoughtfully, stay grounded in human judgment, and focus on delivering meaning—not just information. Visit https://www.comunicano.com/  

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Rob Allen, Chief Product Officer at ThreatLocker, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss why MSPs must rethink traditional cybersecurity approaches. Allen outlined how ThreatLocker's zero-trust platform flips the conventional detect-and-respond model by blocking everything by default and allowing only explicitly approved activity. Allen explained that detection-based security tools inevitably fail against unknown threats, leaving MSPs exposed to ransomware and lateral network attacks. ThreatLocker's approach combines application allow-listing, behavior control, and dynamic network restrictions to dramatically reduce attack surfaces. By limiting not only what applications can run—but also what they can do once running—ThreatLocker prevents common techniques such as “living off the land” attacks and remote encryption scenarios that bypass traditional endpoint protection. From a channel perspective, Allen stressed that cybersecurity is not optional and should never be positioned as an add-on. “If the thought of your customers getting hacked doesn't keep you up at night, you're not doing it right,” he said. “MSPs need to be confident in their advice and willing to make security mandatory, not negotiable.” That confidence, he noted, is what separates trusted advisors from providers who inherit blame after an incident. The discussion concluded with a call for MSPs to adopt balanced security stacks that combine detection with proactive control. By implementing zero trust as a foundational architecture rather than a reactive measure, ThreatLocker enables MSPs to protect customers more effectively while reinforcing long-term trust—an outcome Allen described as both a technical and business win for the channel. Visit https://www.threatlocker.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Julie Thiel, Founder of Thiel Talent Strategy, about the growing complexity of human resources, compliance, and people management for MSPs and technology-driven businesses. The conversation highlighted why HR has become a critical—yet often underestimated—risk area as service providers scale. Thiel pointed to employee classification as one of the most common and costly mistakes business owners make. “The one decision people keep getting wrong is employee status,” she explained, referring to missteps around contractor versus employee classification and exempt versus non-exempt roles. With employment laws varying widely across states and even municipalities, she noted that well-intentioned decisions can quietly create compliance exposure over time, especially for MSPs operating in multi-state or hybrid work environments. The discussion also covered additional HR pain points, including background checks, hiring practices, and increasingly complex time-off policies driven by local regulations. Thiel emphasized that many owners underestimate how quickly these issues compound as headcount grows. “You can't Google your way into good judgment when it comes to people,” she said, underscoring the limits of ad hoc approaches to HR in a fast-changing legal landscape. Thiel concluded by encouraging MSP owners to view HR as a strategic partnership rather than a necessary burden. By working with experienced advisors, MSPs can reduce risk, protect their teams, and free leadership to focus on growth. Her core message to MSPs at the event was clear: you don't have to carry the weight of people issues alone. Visit https://thieltalentstrategy.com/

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Dinakar Munagala, CEO & Co- Dinakar Munagala Founder of Blaize, and Joseph Sulistyo, SVP of Corporate Marketing, about Blaize's push to make AI inference practical outside the data center—and why a new strategic collaboration with Nokia is designed to accelerate that shift, especially across Asia Pacific. Blaize positions itself as an AI computing company built around a purpose-built, fully programmable processor architecture it calls a graph streaming processor, paired with software intended to simplify development of “real-world” AI. Munagala framed the company's focus as practical AI inference for environments like smart factories, smart cities, agriculture, defense, and other edge and hybrid deployments where latency, power, thermal limits, and operating conditions are non-negotiable. A centerpiece of the discussion was Blaize's announcement that Nokia is strengthening edge AI capabilities through a strategic collaboration with Blaize to deliver hybrid inference solutions across APAC. Munagala and Sulistyo described the move as a signal that AI's next phase isn't only about large-scale training in centralized data centers, but about deploying inference where outcomes are realized—near cameras, sensors, machines, and field infrastructure. In their view, Nokia's global reach in networking, automation, and integration creates a path to deliver end-to-end solutions that combine connectivity and compute for real deployments, not demos. Sulistyo emphasized the economics driving hybrid inference: cost-sensitive, power-constrained environments often cannot justify a single “monolithic” compute approach. Instead, he argued, the market is moving toward heterogeneous architectures—mixing different compute types to hit performance targets while controlling total cost of ownership. In APAC, he noted, the scale of deployments makes marginal savings meaningful, and hybrid designs become an operational requirement, not a preference. The conversation also connected edge inference to public-sector and community outcomes. Both executives highlighted smart-city use cases—such as traffic management, tolling, and first-responder automation—where real-time inference can improve accuracy and responsiveness while reducing labor-intensive processes. They extended that point to rural and underserved regions, arguing that “smart city” also includes municipalities and regional governments, where automation and analytics can unlock revenue (e.g., tolls and fines) while improving safety. Doug pushed on definitions and practicality, prompting Munagala to describe edge inference as compute performed as close as possible to the sensor—for example, processing video near a camera mounted on a pole, at a toll booth, or in a factory—so systems can detect events and respond with low latency. He added that some deployments may route inference to nearby on-prem servers or regional data centers, depending on architecture and proximity, and Blaize aims to support these variations with a common hardware/software platform. Blaize also addressed the “AI energy speed bump” impacting communities and operators—particularly where power availability and cost are constrained. Munagala said low power is foundational to Blaize's design goals and argued that purpose-built inference architectures can reduce the burden associated with power-hungry AI approaches. Sulistyo added that the broader infrastructure conversation increasingly includes cooling realities (air and liquid) and the need to match the deployment environment to the right compute profile. To ground “real-world AI” in examples, the guests pointed to deployments including license plate recognition in complex, variable conditions and traffic anomaly detection (identifying behavior that deviates from normal flow). They described these as compute-intensive workloads that must run reliably outdoors and under harsh conditions, where latency and endurance matter as much as accuracy. They also discussed retail analytics as another example of edge inference delivering measurable business outcomes by connecting what happens in-store to revenue-driving decisions. Looking ahead, Munagala described the Nokia collaboration as a model for additional partnerships that bring inference solutions into production environments at scale. Sulistyo noted APAC is the initial focus, with other regions expected to follow based on demand, proof points, and the prioritization of specific use cases. To learn more about Blaize and its technology, visit https://www.blaize.com/.

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Samantha Mabey, Director of Digital Solutions Marketing at Entrust, to discuss new research revealing that most organizations remain unprepared for the coming post-quantum era—despite mounting evidence that the clock is ticking. The podcast, supported by slides, walks through findings from Entrust's latest global study, 2026 Global State of Post-Quantum and Cryptographic Security Trends, and unpacks what they mean for MSPs, telecom providers, and enterprise security leaders. Mabey explained that Entrust focuses on identity-centric security, with cryptographic technologies—such as PKI, hardware security modules (HSMs), certificate management, and key lifecycle management—forming the backbone of modern digital infrastructure. These technologies underpin everything from secure web traffic and APIs to device identity, software updates, and machine-to-machine authentication. The challenge, she noted, is that today's widely used public-key cryptography, including RSA and elliptic curve cryptography, will eventually be breakable by cryptographically relevant quantum computers. According to the research cited in the discussion, more than half of organizations believe quantum systems capable of breaking current encryption could arrive within five years, yet only 38 percent say they are actively transitioning toward post-quantum readiness. Mabey emphasized that the transition will be far more complex than previous cryptographic migrations, such as the long-running move from SHA-1 to SHA-2, because cryptography is embedded across nearly every system and workflow. The risks of inaction are significant. Mabey outlined three major areas of exposure: loss of data confidentiality as encrypted information becomes vulnerable in the future; erosion of trust and integrity if digital signatures can be forged; and operational disruption, since many organizations lack full visibility into where cryptography is deployed. The report found that fewer than half of organizations have complete visibility into their certificates and keys, even before factoring in post-quantum requirements. To become post-quantum ready, Mabey described a phased journey that begins with discovery and inventory—understanding where cryptography is used, who owns it, and how it is managed. From there, organizations must build crypto agility, enabling them to change algorithms without disrupting operations. This includes people, processes, centralized policy, and automation, not just technology. Only then can organizations safely introduce post-quantum cryptography, often through hybrid approaches that combine existing algorithms with quantum-safe methods. The conversation also highlighted the urgency created by emerging standards. Guidance from NIST indicates that traditional public-key cryptography is expected to be deprecated by 2030 and fully disallowed by 2035, timelines that are likely to be followed globally. For telecom providers in particular, Mabey noted that long-lived infrastructure, embedded systems, and constrained devices increase exposure to “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, making phased migration and vendor alignment critical. As the discussion concluded, Mabey stressed that organizations making progress treat post-quantum readiness as a program, not a one-time project. Those moving forward are aligning teams, investing in visibility and automation, and working closely with vendors that have clear post-quantum roadmaps. Those falling behind, she warned, are underestimating the operational burden and waiting for a “perfect moment” that has already arrived. View the report at https://www.entrust.com/resources/reports/ponemon-post-quantum-report-2026 Visit https://www.entrust.com/

Elie Y. Katz, Founder, President & CEO of National Retail Solutions (NRS), joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, for a wide-ranging conversation about what's changing right now for independent convenience stores—and why technology partners should be paying attention. Katz opened with a candid, real-world story from home that set the tone for the episode: small-business life is relentless, unpredictable, and personal. “I'm here, ready to roll… and tell them about National Retail Solutions and how we could help them make more money and put more money in their pocket,” he said—framing NRS as both a technology provider and a support system for business owners who are often juggling everything themselves. NRS serves the “onesies, twosies” of retail: independent convenience stores, bodegas, and similar single-operator businesses. Katz said NRS has deployed more than 40,000 point-of-sale registers across the U.S., supporting stores that compete daily against national chains with far deeper resources. The discussion highlighted how these stores—often located at street level in dense neighborhoods—are increasingly becoming the preferred option for shoppers who want convenience, familiarity, and a sense of safety. A key theme was how consumer behavior shifts can quickly reshape revenue. Katz noted that many NRS-supported stores are seeing strong growth in e-commerce and delivery, enabled by POS integrations that connect store inventories to their own websites and to marketplaces like DoorDash and Grubhub. In his view, this is a repeatable pattern: during COVID, convenience stores went from shutdown panic to becoming essential community hubs, and those that embraced digital ordering surged. “The ones that were smart enough to be hooked into online ordering and the marketplaces… they thrived,” Katz said. Green and Katz also explored what Katz called a “quiet revolution” inside these neighborhood businesses—moving from cash-first operations to modern payment methods, loyalty programs, and digitally enabled workflows. Katz argued that the next generation of customers expects to order, pay, and interact through mobile experiences, and retailers that resist change risk getting left behind. “If you don't want to embrace the technology… you're going to wake up like Blockbuster, Kodak, Yahoo,” he warned. The conversation also covered safety and risk reduction, especially for stores operating in high-crime environments. Katz pointed to a patented feature built into NRS registers: a “panic alarm” workflow that can silently alert police in the event of a robbery while opening the cash drawer to comply with demands. “We have a patented alarm system embedded in our point of sale register… the drawer opens up and a silent alarm goes to the police department,” he said. Beyond POS, Katz positioned NRS as a broader financial and operational services provider for small businesses, including credit card processing, cash advance services to help with cash flow, and payroll services. His message to the channel was direct: technology resellers already have trusted relationships with Main Street businesses, and those relationships can translate into new revenue streams. “They're leaving money on the table by not taking advantage of the fact that they're trusted already by their customer,” Katz said. Finally, Katz emphasized that NRS wraps these capabilities with what he described as “white glove, back-of-house assistance,” helping store owners navigate programs, compliance issues, and operational setup—critical for owners who are often, as he put it, “the employee of the month, the pot washer, the HR person, head of legal, head of purchasing.” To learn more, visit https://nrsplus.com/. Katz also noted there is a “contact the CEO” option at the bottom of the site for direct outreach.

Jason Beal, President, Americas, and Danielle Skipper, HR Business Partner at Exclusive Networks, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss one of the most pressing challenges facing MSPs and VARs today: the shortage of qualified cybersecurity talent and the need for practical, scalable solutions. Beal opened the conversation by describing Exclusive Networks as a global go-to-market specialist and value-added distributor focused on cybersecurity and security-adjacent technologies. As the company worked closely with vendors and channel partners worldwide, a consistent theme emerged—partners were struggling not only to attract skilled cybersecurity professionals but also to retain them. “We heard over and over from our partners and vendors that they were really struggling with attracting the right talent and retaining that talent,” Beal said, noting that this feedback prompted Exclusive Networks to develop a structured response. That response is CyberFarm, a university-based workforce development program launched at Cal Poly that combines hands-on experience with real-world channel exposure. Skipper explained that the program began four years ago with just three students and has since grown to support more than two dozen at a time, with over 100 students having passed through the initiative overall. “Imagine having someone who's spent two years learning the channel, working with vendors, earning certifications, and supporting real partners—by the time they graduate, they're ready to hit the ground running,” Skipper said. Unlike traditional internships, CyberFarm students work for at least 12 months—often two years or more—supporting both Exclusive Networks and its ecosystem of partners and vendors. Participants gain experience across a wide range of functions, including SOC analysis, business development, marketing, content creation, and sales operations. For MSPs and VARs, this creates access to a proven talent pool with significantly reduced ramp-up time and risk compared to traditional hiring. The discussion also highlighted how CyberFarm enables partner growth. Skipper shared examples of MSPs using CyberFarm talent to scale operations rapidly, adding capacity in engineering, marketing, and renewal management at critical growth stages. “For some partners, CyberFarm has been the difference between staying flat and scaling their business two, three, or four times,” she said. Beyond talent development, Beal outlined Exclusive Networks' broader enablement strategy for the channel. This includes pre- and post-sales technical services, go-to-market support, authorized training and certification programs, and CloudRise, a security services organization acquired by Exclusive Networks to act as a virtual engineering bench for partners. “Enablement isn't just a buzzword for us,” Beal said. “It's about putting MSPs in a position to succeed—technically, operationally, and now from a talent perspective as well.” As the conversation wrapped up, both guests emphasized that while AI and automation are reshaping cybersecurity, human expertise remains essential. Exclusive Networks' approach blends “AI and AIR”—artificial intelligence alongside authentic human relationships—to help partners grow sustainably. More information about Exclusive Networks and its channel programs is available at https://www.exclusive-networks.com/.

Brian Phillips, Director of Product Marketing at HP, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, on opening day of ISE to discuss HP's latest collaboration announcements and the strategy unifying its product portfolio around AI-enabled hybrid work. Phillips explained that HP's collaboration roadmap is centered on enabling effective communication across a wide range of work environments—from home offices and hoteling desks to meeting rooms, training spaces, and immersive collaboration settings. Rather than deploying AI for its own sake, HP is embedding machine learning and cloud-based intelligence into collaboration solutions to tangibly improve meeting quality, clarity, and engagement. “We're putting AI into action in collaboration in a way that makes meetings more effective and more lifelike,” Phillips said, emphasizing HP's focus on real-world value. A key highlight at ISE was the introduction of next-generation HP Poly Mission headsets, designed to support hybrid and high-noise environments with advanced AI noise reduction. Phillips noted that the new headsets can isolate a speaker's voice even in challenging settings such as cafés or open offices, while maintaining strong privacy protections. “AI is being used to deliver better experiences, but we're not tracking conversations or personally identifiable information,” he said. The new lineup also reflects HP's effort to streamline its headset portfolio, reducing SKU complexity and making it easier for resellers to quote and recommend the right solution for each user. On the meeting room side, HP unveiled advancements in Poly VideoOS 5, the collaboration operating system that powers HP Poly video devices. The update brings support for Android 13, extended certification with partners such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet, and lays the foundation for long-term investment protection with support planned through 2032. New capabilities include multi-camera experiences that dynamically frame participants from multiple angles, ensuring everyone in the room is clearly seen and heard. Phillips also highlighted HP Dimension with Google Beam, a hyper-realistic 3D collaboration solution designed to deliver an “across-the-table” experience for remote participants. The system combines spatial video and audio to create an immersive, lifelike presence suited for executive meetings, negotiations, and high-impact conversations. Live demonstrations were available at ISE, with broader availability planned later this year through HP and Google experience centers. More information about HP's collaboration portfolio and hybrid work innovations is available at https://www.hp.com/us-en/home.html.

Dan Rosenrauch, CEO of Viirtue, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss Viirtue's newly released AI voice agents and why compliance—not demos—is the real differentiator in AI voice. Viirtue is a white-label VoIP platform built specifically for service providers, MSPs, and telecom resellers. Its core strength is a quote-to-cash platform that automates the operational realities of selling voice services, including usage-based billing, tax automation, USF contributions, FCC compliance, and required filings such as Form 477. Rosenrauch explained that many AI voice tools entering the market overlook the fact that voice is a federally regulated industry. While AI agents may work in isolation, providers are often left to manually stitch together billing, compliance, and reporting—creating risk as they scale. Viirtue's AI voice agents are integrated into the same lifecycle that has long supported UCaaS, from quoting and provisioning through billing, taxation, and audit-ready reporting. “AI voice doesn't change the rules of voice,” Rosenrauch said. “If you're not doing compliance right from day one, you're setting yourself up for problems that can kill your business—or its value—later.” The platform's multi-tenant design allows partners to deploy AI voice agents quickly across customers of any size, while still enabling hands-on tuning and optimization—an area where resellers can deliver meaningful differentiation and better customer outcomes. Compliance, Rosenrauch noted, is no longer just a regulatory issue but a business equity issue, as acquisition deals increasingly fail when unresolved tax or regulatory gaps surface during due diligence. Viirtue's goal is to remove that risk by making compliance automatic, scalable, and built in from the start. Learn more: https://viirtue.com/

Dennis Thankachan, Co-Founder and CEO of Lightyear, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss how Lightyear is redefining enterprise telecom management through AI-native automation, data transparency, and end-to-end lifecycle control. Thankachan explained that Lightyear positions itself as a “telecom operating system” for the enterprise, automating the full lifecycle of telecom services—from procurement and installation to inventory management, expense tracking, renewals, and decommissioning. The platform integrates with enterprise systems via APIs and provides a single system of record for services, circuits, costs, and contracts. In 2025, Lightyear expanded this vision with the launch of its AI-native telecom expense management offering, designed to modernize a category long dominated by legacy, invoice-centric tools. Telecom billing, Thankachan noted, remains uniquely complex and error-prone, with multi-carrier invoices, usage-based charges, taxes, and frequent discrepancies obscuring true costs. Lightyear's AI-native approach goes beyond invoice digitization by categorizing charges, reconciling invoices against verified network inventory, auditing discrepancies, opening tickets, and enabling natural-language queries such as cost analysis by site or service. “We're not just answering questions,” Thankachan said. “We also take the action—buying circuits, managing installs, paying invoices, and handling tickets.” By combining AI tooling with first-principles software design and a large, continuously growing dataset spanning quotes, carrier performance, and billing history, Lightyear delivers both operational automation and actionable intelligence. Enterprises typically see meaningful ROI within the first year, with ongoing savings driven by reduced manual effort, improved visibility, and proactive cost control. The conversation also highlighted Lightyear's strong business momentum. Following record customer growth and product expansion, the company secured additional funding at a higher valuation, enabling increased investment in engineering, AI-driven R&D, customer support, and go-to-market efforts. According to Thankachan, this capital ensures that “everything we do for the enterprise will get better and stronger.” More information about Lightyear's platform and its AI-native telecom expense management capabilities is available at https://lightyear.ai/.

Ori Bendet, Vice President of Product Management at Checkmarx, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss how the acquisition of Tromzo strengthens Checkmarx's agentic application security strategy and reflects a broader shift in how organizations secure software in an AI-driven development era. Bendet explained that Checkmarx, a pioneer in application security with more than two decades of experience, has traditionally focused on helping organizations identify vulnerabilities early in the software development lifecycle (SDLC). However, the rapid adoption of AI-generated code has fundamentally changed the AppSec landscape. “The industry used to be fixated on finding vulnerabilities,” Bendet said. “Now the real challenge is fixing them at scale, in context, and without slowing developers down.” The Tromzo acquisition builds on Checkmarx's existing family of agentic tools, Checkmarx Assist, which already provides real-time remediation inside the developer IDE. Tromzo extends these capabilities deeper into the SDLC, enabling automated remediation at the repository and pull-request stages. Together, the technologies aim to “complete the loop” by delivering consistent, trusted remediation from early development through later stages of deployment. Bendet noted that AI is widening the gap between development velocity and security oversight, as significantly more code—and therefore more vulnerabilities—is being produced. At the same time, the application footprint itself is evolving to include AI components such as large language models, agents, and third-party AI services. “There is now a new AI element inside the application,” he said, “and organizations need AppSec solutions that understand and protect that expanded footprint.” Auto-remediation, once viewed skeptically by developers, is now gaining acceptance as AI agents gain a deeper understanding of application context. According to Bendet, modern agentic tools can remediate vulnerabilities while preserving business logic and minimizing disruption. “Developers no longer need to spend days undoing fixes that broke functionality,” he said. “The agent can understand the blast radius and refactor automatically.” Looking ahead, Bendet described a future where AppSec becomes more autonomous, with agents continuously testing, fixing, and validating applications while developers shift toward higher-level architectural and review roles. With proper guardrails in place, this evolution promises to reduce alert fatigue and allow teams to focus on innovation rather than remediation backlogs. More information about Checkmarx and its agentic application security approach is available at https://checkmarx.com/, with additional developer-focused resources at https://checkmarx.dev/.

Chris McHenry, Chief Product Officer at Aviatrix, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss the launch of Aviatrix 8.2 and how the company is redefining zero trust security for modern cloud-native environments. McHenry explained that as critical business data and AI workloads increasingly reside in public clouds such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, traditional perimeter-based security models are no longer sufficient. Aviatrix has spent the last decade building its Cloud Native Security Fabric, a platform designed specifically for cloud operational models rather than retrofitted on-premises approaches. With release 8.2, Aviatrix significantly expands its “zero trust for workloads” capabilities, focusing on Kubernetes, serverless environments, and AI-driven applications. A central theme of the conversation was the evolution of zero trust from a networking concept into a workload-centric security strategy. McHenry noted that recent supply-chain attacks have shown how quickly cloud-native environments can be compromised if basic network controls are missing. Aviatrix 8.2 introduces deeper Kubernetes awareness, policy-as-code integration, and initial native support for securing AWS Lambda, allowing organizations to apply micro-segmentation and least-privilege access directly to modern workloads. McHenry emphasized that cloud security must also evolve operationally. Security teams can no longer rely on slow, ticket-based firewall processes while developers deploy infrastructure at machine speed. Aviatrix 8.2 supports a DevSecOps-friendly model that enables developers to manage zero trust policies within guardrails defined by security teams. As McHenry put it, “If your workloads get more modern but your controls don't, security gets worse without you touching anything.” The discussion concluded with guidance for CIOs and CISOs preparing for the next wave of cloud and AI-driven threats: assess whether existing network security tools truly understand cloud-native workloads, modernize security operations alongside development practices, and prioritize platforms that unify cloud, network, and security teams. More information on Aviatrix 8.2 and the Cloud Native Security Fabric is available at https://aviatrix.ai/.

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Jonathan Homa, Senior Director of Solutions Marketing at Ribbon Communications, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping carrier network design, funding priorities, and long-term infrastructure investments in 2026 and beyond. Homa explained that while Ribbon is widely known for its heritage in voice and telephony, the company has evolved into a broader networking provider serving service providers, enterprises, governments, and critical infrastructure operators. Following its acquisition of ECI Telecom, Ribbon now spans IP, optical, and voice networks, with software, automation, and AI increasingly acting as the connective tissue across its portfolio. AI is fundamentally altering traffic patterns on global networks. Instead of primarily “north-south” traffic between users and data centers, AI workloads are driving massive “east-west” traffic flows between data centers for training and inference. This shift is forcing carriers and data center operators to invest in higher-capacity optical networks, greater agility, and continuous optimization. As Homa noted, “AI is increasing traffic volumes, changing traffic behavior, and demanding thicker pipes with far more flexibility than traditional networks were built for.” Homa outlined four key trends accelerating in 2026: ultra-high-speed coherent pluggable optics, IP and optical convergence, optical network disaggregation with open line systems, and AI-driven automation with closed-loop control. Together, these trends are flattening network architectures, improving economics, and enabling operators to dynamically adapt bandwidth and performance in real time. Ribbon, he said, is positioning itself at the intersection of all four trends as the industry moves toward autonomous, AI-driven networks. Summing up Ribbon's direction, Homa emphasized the company's long-term vision: “Our focus is giving customers a clear path to autonomous networks—bringing together advanced optics, converged IP and optical platforms, and AI-powered automation to meet the demands of an AI-driven internet economy.” For more information, visit https://ribboncommunications.com/.

Recorded live at Cloud Connections in Delray Beach, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Mark Vange, Founder & CEO of Autom8ly, about how AI voice agents are reshaping complex, regulated, and high-value communication workflows. Vange explained that Autom8ly specializes in building AI solutions for partners and service providers that serve customers with nuanced and often highly regulated requirements. Rather than focusing on generic AI reception or basic appointment setting, Autom8ly targets verticals where complexity, compliance, and scale intersect—use cases where off-the-shelf AI voice agents fall short. One of the company's primary areas of focus is the collections market. Autom8ly is deploying AI voice agents to handle high-volume, routine collections calls while allowing human agents to concentrate on more complex, high-stakes cases. Early observations suggest that consumers may respond less defensively to AI-initiated outreach than to human collectors, particularly for smaller or straightforward obligations such as missed payments, parking fines, or one-time healthcare balances. In these scenarios, the AI agent can confirm details, negotiate payment terms, and securely process payments, while automatically escalating more complex disputes to human staff. Vange emphasized that Autom8ly's AI agents are designed with strict boundaries. They do not cross regulatory red lines, attempt legal persuasion, or handle cases involving attorneys, court orders, or disputed liability. Instead, they address the majority of routine interactions that consume time and resources but generate limited strategic value when handled by humans. From an operational standpoint, AI voice agents offer significant efficiency gains. Human collectors often achieve utilization rates as low as 25–30 percent due to unanswered calls, breaks, and administrative overhead. AI agents, by contrast, operate at near-100 percent utilization, reducing cost per dollar collected while accelerating time to revenue. Autom8ly has also engineered its platform to meet PCI and compliance requirements, ensuring sensitive payment data is never exposed to large language models or unsafe systems. Beyond collections, Vange highlighted broader opportunities for MSPs and channel partners. Autom8ly has delivered AI voice agents for underserved language communities, including healthcare environments where providers lack staff fluent in languages such as Haitian Creole. By combining language capability with cultural awareness and compliance controls, AI agents can expand access to essential services while reducing operational strain. For MSPs and service providers, Vange positioned AI voice agents as a “high-value voice” opportunity—particularly in industries such as healthcare, utilities, finance, and public services, where multilingual communication, compliance, and scale are critical. When interactions move beyond simple scripts and require deep customization, Autom8ly's partner-led model is designed to fill that gap. More information about Autom8ly and its AI voice agent solutions is available at https://autom8ly.com/.

Recorded live at Cloud Connections, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Kevin Nethercott, CEO, and Robert Galop, Chief Product Officer at Tresic, following the company's first public debut after operating in stealth mode. Nethercott and Galop described Cloud Connections as the ideal venue for Tresic's introduction to the market, noting strong engagement from CSPs, MSPs, and channel partners eager to understand how AI can be applied practically to communications. Drawing on decades of industry experience, the Tresic team positioned its mission at the intersection of communications, AI, and monetization—helping partners unlock new revenue using assets they already own. At the core of Tresic's offering is the Tresic Intelligence Cloud, a platform designed to treat conversations—across voice, messaging, chat, and social channels—as first-class business data. Rather than delivering generic AI summaries or call detail records, Tresic focuses on transforming unstructured conversational data into actionable intelligence that directly drives business outcomes. Galop explained that recent advances around “beacons” enable conversations to be analyzed in real time and after the interaction concludes. Tresic's After Call Co-Pilot and First Alert Co-Pilot address two critical business questions: what actually happened in a conversation, and what commitments or signals now require action. The platform automatically surfaces follow-ups, obligations, sentiment, and key moments that would otherwise be lost—routing that intelligence directly to the right people inside an organization. By doing so, Tresic effectively closes the gap between communications and systems of record such as CRMs. Every conversation becomes a source of structured actions, alerts, and insights without relying on manual data entry or post-call administration. This gives businesses a 360-degree view of customer interactions while accelerating revenue-generating workflows. Both executives emphasized that Tresic's AI is not generic. Models are trained using partner and customer data, enabling vertical-specific insights that reflect how each business actually operates. This approach allows CSPs and MSPs to differentiate their offerings with intelligence tailored to their customers' industries, rather than one-size-fits-all analytics. In closing, Nethercott and Galop underscored Tresic's partner-first strategy. The company goes to market exclusively through CSPs, MSPs, and channel partners—organizations that already own the customer relationship. Tresic's goal is to help those partners add a new intelligence layer on top of existing services, enabling them to double or even triple revenue without replacing their current platforms. More information about Tresic and its partner-driven AI communications platform is available at https://www.tresic.cloud/.

Recorded live at Cloud Connections, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Sabeeh Hameed, Founder of Sabrhub and a newly announced member of the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA). The conversation focused on how service providers can offset declining voice revenues by accelerating business messaging adoption—while navigating the growing complexity of 10DLC registration. Hameed explained that Sabrhub was built to address a fundamental shift in the market. As industry reports continue to show declining voice revenues and tightening margins, messaging has emerged as a critical growth opportunity for CSPs and service providers—especially when messaging is enabled on existing voice numbers. However, the introduction of mandatory 10DLC registration has transformed what was once a simple service into a major operational bottleneck. Rather than viewing 10DLC as a barrier, Sabrhub treats it as an opportunity. Hameed noted that many service providers experience campaign rejection rates as high as 70–90 percent, often due to incomplete or improperly structured submissions. Each rejection adds weeks of delay, additional fees, and customer frustration. Sabrhub's platform uses AI to pre-vet campaigns before submission, dramatically increasing approval confidence and reducing onboarding time. According to Hameed, Sabrhub has reduced the brand registration process from hours—or even weeks—down to approximately 15 minutes, with approvals often completed within 24 hours and a reported 99 percent success rate. The platform abstracts away the complexity of use cases, opt-in requirements, privacy policies, and legal disclosures, presenting the process in a customer-friendly format that improves both speed and experience. While AI powers the platform, Hameed emphasized that Sabrhub is not “selling AI” as a product. Instead, AI operates behind the scenes to eliminate friction, guide brands through compliance requirements, and enable service providers to bring messaging services to market faster and more reliably. For MSPs, channel partners, and voice service providers attending Cloud Connections, Hameed positioned messaging compliance as a direct revenue opportunity. By simplifying 10DLC registration and accelerating time to service, partners can increase ARPU, reduce churn, and offer differentiated messaging solutions without taking on regulatory complexity themselves. More information about Sabrhub and its AI-driven 10DLC solutions is available at https://www.sabrhub.com/.

Recorded live at Cloud Connections in Delray Beach, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Jon Brinton, Chief Revenue Officer at Crexendo, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping voice communications—and why 2026 may mark a turning point for the industry. Brinton described what he sees as a “renaissance of voice.” After years in which enterprises attempted to push customer interactions toward chat, email, and other less personal channels, advances in AI are restoring the central role of voice conversations. Modern AI applications, he noted, are making voice interactions more natural, more efficient, and more valuable—reintroducing clarity and immediacy into customer communications strategies. That vision is reflected in Crexendo's recent product launch: CAIRO, an AI-powered receptionist and operator introduced earlier this year. Integrated directly into the NetSapiens platform, CAIRO is designed to give organizations of all sizes access to a highly capable, natural-language AI voice interface. Unlike generic AI assistants trained on external datasets, CAIRO is driven by each organization's own data, enabling fully customized interactions for businesses ranging from medical practices and school districts to local retailers. Brinton explained that CAIRO supports real-time, conversational voice interactions in multiple languages, including English and Spanish, with the flexibility to switch languages during a call. The AI can answer questions, route callers to departments, and assist with tasks such as scheduling—while always allowing seamless escalation to a human when needed. This blend of automation and human handoff reinforces voice as a core channel rather than a legacy one. From a channel perspective, Brinton emphasized that CAIRO represents a significant opportunity for Crexendo's partners. The solution is available both within Crexendo's VIP offering and to its global NetSapiens licensee community, which includes approximately 240 service providers serving more than seven million users worldwide. Partners can brand and bundle CAIRO as part of their own UCaaS offerings, creating new value-added revenue streams while enhancing customer experience. CAIRO is commercially available today and includes advanced features such as transcription and sentiment analysis, giving organizations deeper insight into customer interactions even after calls are completed. More information about Crexendo and its AI-powered communications solutions is available at https://www.crexendo.com/.

Recorded live at Cloud Connections, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Jeff Pulver, CEO (Chief Evangelist Officer) of the vCon Foundation, to discuss why vCon represents a foundational shift at the intersection of artificial intelligence and communications. Pulver describes the conversations at Cloud Connections as a “ground zero” moment—one where a new industry is beginning to take shape. Drawing a parallel to the early days of VoIP and the first VON conferences in the 1990s, he argues that vCon is enabling a similar inflection point, this time driven by AI. At its core, vCon introduces a standardized way to capture and structure conversations—across voice, video, messaging, email, and more—so they can be securely stored, analyzed, and shared. According to Pulver, this standardization is transformative for AI. Large language models perform best when fed consistent, structured data, and vCon provides a common format that eliminates the fragmentation caused by proprietary conversation systems. By doing so, vCon enables interoperability and allows organizations to extract meaningful intelligence from conversations regardless of platform or application. Pulver outlines three pillars defining the emerging AI communications industry: high-definition voice, memory, and trust. High-quality audio improves transcription accuracy for AI analysis. Memory comes from virtualized conversations that preserve context and history. Trust is established through built-in compliance features, including consent tracking, purpose limitation, and the ability to revoke or manage permission—capabilities that are increasingly critical as AI regulations evolve globally. Reflecting on past regulatory battles during the rise of internet telephony, Pulver notes that compliance pressures are inevitable during periods of disruption. He believes vCon offers a proactive solution by embedding compliance directly into the communications infrastructure, allowing organizations to demonstrate consent and governance rather than retrofitting controls after the fact. Pulver also highlights the commercial implications. With an open standard now taking shape through the IETF process, he expects 2026 to mark the emergence of a full ecosystem of products, services, and revenue opportunities built on vCon. Service providers, vendors, and entrepreneurs who engage early, he says, will be well positioned to define new offerings that were previously impractical or impossible. To learn more about vCon and the work of the foundation, visit https://www.pulver.com/vconfoundation.

Recorded live at Cloud Connections, the Cloud Communications Alliance event in Delray Beach, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Bill Placke, Co-Founder & President, Americas at SecurePII, about one of the most pressing challenges facing AI-driven communications today: how to scale AI while complying with global data privacy regulations—and how that challenge can become a competitive advantage. Placke explains that SecurePII was formed to address a growing structural problem in AI adoption. While organizations are eager to deploy AI and train large language models, regulatory uncertainty around personally identifiable information (PII) has stalled progress. Citing industry research showing that more than 60 percent of AI initiatives have been paused due to data privacy concerns, Placke argues that governance policies alone are not enough. Instead, SecurePII takes an architectural approach. At the core of SecurePII's solution is data minimization at the point of ingestion. The company's technology prevents sensitive information—such as credit card numbers, names, addresses, or social security numbers—from ever entering enterprise systems. SecurePII's existing PCI-focused offering already removes cardholder data from call flows, keeping organizations out of PCI scope entirely. The same approach is now being extended to broader categories of PII, enabling AI systems to operate and train on clean data streams that are free from regulated information. Placke emphasizes that this upstream architectural design fundamentally changes the compliance equation. Regulators and plaintiff attorneys, he notes, care about outcomes—not intent. If sensitive data never enters the system, compliance scope, audit costs, breach exposure, and regulatory risk are dramatically reduced. “Downstream controls don't scale with AI—architecture does,” Placke says, positioning data minimization as a foundation for both trust and growth. The discussion also highlights the role of consent and customer trust in an AI-enabled world. Rather than asking customers to consent to broad data use, SecurePII enables enterprises to clearly state that sensitive information is neither seen nor stored, while still allowing AI to learn from outcomes and sentiment. This approach removes what Placke calls the “creepy factor” associated with AI and personal data, while aligning with emerging frameworks such as the EU AI Act and long-standing NIST guidance. For MSPs, UCaaS providers, and channel partners, Placke frames compliance not as a cost center but as a revenue opportunity. By embedding privacy-preserving architectures into voice, AI, and communications solutions, service providers can differentiate themselves as trusted advisors—helping customers deploy AI safely, reduce regulatory exposure, and accelerate adoption. To learn more about SecurePII and its privacy-first AI architecture, visit https://www.securepii.cloud/.

Recorded live at the Cloud Connections event in Delray Beach, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Darin Gull of C3 Complete about the growing importance of compliance, cyber resilience, and partner-centric security services in today's cloud and UCaaS ecosystem. Gull describes C3 Complete as an “anything IT” company with a clear mission: to complete a partner's portfolio without ever competing with it. Working exclusively through channel partners, C3 Complete focuses on filling gaps—particularly in security and compliance—while preserving partner ownership of the customer relationship. “We're here to complete, but never compete,” Gull explains, emphasizing the company's commitment to protecting partner equity. A central theme of the conversation is compliance, which Gull frames less as a punitive obligation and more as an education and awareness challenge. C3 Complete leads with what it calls cyber resilience—helping organizations understand what they are required to do, why it matters, and how to consistently track and maintain compliance over time. “Most compliance failures aren't bad actors trying to break rules,” Gull notes. “It's usually a lack of awareness.” C3 Complete's approach begins with deep listening and discovery. By understanding a client's operational realities and pain points, the company's subject-matter experts—guided by its security leadership—identify shortfalls, improve efficiency, and develop clear, actionable roadmaps to move customers from their current state to their desired level of compliance and security maturity. Gull also reflects on the relevance of the Cloud Communications Alliance community, noting that many of the challenges facing today's UCaaS and cloud providers—particularly around security, governance, and AI—mirror those seen in earlier phases of the industry, albeit at greater scale and complexity. As AI adoption accelerates, he sees compliance and governance as unresolved but critical questions that service providers must address proactively. Looking ahead to 2026, C3 Complete plans to expand its partner ecosystem, deepen its security offerings, and continue delivering what Gull calls “white-glove service without the insane price.” For MSPs and service providers lacking a full security stack, C3 Complete positions itself as a trusted extension of their business—stepping in when needed, then stepping back to ensure partners retain the customer relationship. More information about C3 Complete is available at https://c3-complete.com/.

“These are life-safety lines, and failure is not an option,” says Jake Jacoby, CEO of TELCLOUD. “Our solution has to last 20 years, not five—and that's why partnering with Ericsson makes so much sense.” In the latest episode of the TELCLOUD POTS and Shots Podcast Series, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, is joined by Jacoby and special guest Ian Tearle of Ericsson to discuss how global partnerships are accelerating the replacement of legacy copper lines. Tearle, a Technical Alliances Partner Engineer at Ericsson, explains that his role centers on validating and stress-testing partner solutions to ensure they meet the rigorous certifications required for environments such as healthcare facilities, public safety agencies, elevators, and fire systems. “We're not just looking at whether something works,” Tearle says. “It has to be certified, resilient, and designed for real-world safety use. In many cases, what we deploy could literally save lives.” Jacoby outlines how TELCLOUD's POTS replacement platform depends on unbreakable cellular connectivity, making Ericsson's router technology and long-term wireless roadmap—spanning 5G and beyond—a critical foundation. Together, the companies are enabling partners to replace copper lines while maintaining compatibility with legacy life-safety equipment. The conversation also highlights how the partnership simplifies adoption for channel partners. By aligning and co-terminating licensing terms across TELCLOUD and Ericsson solutions, resellers can deploy future-proof POTS replacement without added operational complexity—making the opportunity accessible even for MSPs without deep telecom backgrounds. Looking ahead, both companies view the partnership as part of a broader modernization of global telecom infrastructure. As copper networks sunset worldwide, the need for reliable, certified communication paths remains—and wireless has evolved into a primary connectivity solution. The episode concludes with the Shots segment, where Jacoby introduces Dame Más Reserva Extra Añejo, a cognac-barrel-aged tequila designed to be sipped and savored—an appropriate close to a discussion focused on durability, precision, and long-term value. For more information, visit https://www.telcloud.com/ or call 844-900-2270. More about Ericsson: https://www.ericsson.com/en

Randy Dillard, Sales and Transaction Tax Lead at TaxConnex, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, for a Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) podcast focused on one of the most complex—and often underestimated—issues facing cloud communications providers today: telecommunications tax compliance. Dillard explained that TaxConnex serves as a specialized outsourcing partner for telecom and transaction tax compliance, working closely with regulatory experts to deliver a unified approach that spans sales and use tax, telecom-specific taxes, and state and local filing obligations. Unlike general accounting firms, TaxConnex is purpose-built for the telecom and cloud communications industry, where tax requirements can extend far beyond state-level filings into counties, cities, and even ZIP-code-level jurisdictions. He emphasized that telecom taxation is fundamentally different from standard sales tax, with layered obligations that can include “tax on tax,” recurring billing changes, credits, and constant regulatory updates. With more than 50 states, thousands of local jurisdictions, and frequent filing deadlines, providers face significant risk if compliance processes are not handled accurately and consistently. Dillard also stressed the importance of timing, noting that providers should engage a telecom tax specialist before launching new services or expanding into new markets—not after revenue is already flowing. “It often makes sense to pause and speak with a telecom tax advisor before you open that honeypot,” Dillard said. “Understanding your obligations upfront can save you from costly penalties, audits, and surprises down the road.” TaxConnex's role, he explained, goes beyond filing returns. The company provides monthly tax liability reporting that shows what has been collected, where it is assigned, and how it will be remitted—giving providers visibility and confidence that nothing is slipping through the cracks. This becomes even more critical as AI-driven services and usage-based models create unexpected spikes in transactions and tax exposure. As an active member and sponsor within the Cloud Communications Alliance, TaxConnex views its role as helping demystify telecom tax compliance so providers can focus on growth, innovation, and customer success—while staying compliant in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Learn more: https://www.taxconnex.com/

Brian Gregory of Intermedia joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, for a Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) podcast discussing how Intermedia has quickly become a preferred platform for service providers seeking modern, cloud-based communications. Intermedia operates as a channel-first UCaaS and CCaaS provider, with more than 90 percent of its business delivered through partners. Gregory explained that the company formally launched its service provider program just two years ago, responding to market shifts as traditional feature-server platforms slowed and demand increased for more agile, cloud-native solutions. In that short time, Intermedia has signed roughly 30 percent of U.S. tier-two service providers, those with approximately $50 million to $2 billion in annual revenue—an adoption rate Gregory says reflects both timing and platform flexibility. “The market was ready for a more nimble, cloud-based provider,” Gregory said. “As a cloud platform, we can respond very quickly to changes—whether that's AI, Teams integration, or new go-to-market requirements—and our service providers can immediately take those capabilities to their customers.” Looking ahead to 2026, Intermedia's priorities include practical AI adoption with measurable ROI, deeper vertical-market integrations, and continued expansion of its Microsoft Teams strategy. Rather than replacing Teams, Intermedia enhances it by embedding enterprise-grade telephony and a fully integrated contact center—enabling partners to deliver higher-value services beyond low-margin trunking. Gregory also highlighted Intermedia's new migration program, designed to help service providers move legacy hosted PBX customers onto a single, modern platform using automated tools, overlay resources, and financial incentives. As cloud communications continue to evolve, Intermedia is positioning itself as a growth engine for service providers navigating AI-driven, Teams-centric customer environments. Learn more: www.intermedia.com

Sarah Halko, Head of Regulatory and Industry Relations at TNS, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, for a Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) podcast focused on the FCC's Do Not Originate (DNO) mandate and its role in combating robocalls and caller ID spoofing. Halko explained that DNO (Do Not Originate) identifies phone numbers that should never be used for outbound calling—such as invalid, unallocated, or inbound-only numbers like government agencies. Blocking calls that spoof these numbers allows service providers to stop obvious fraud earlier in the call path, before it reaches consumers. While DNO began as an optional tool in 2017, regulatory expectations have steadily increased. As of December 15, 2025, every service provider in the call flow must maintain a “reasonable DNO list,” making accurate, up-to-date data essential for compliance. “Without reliable, authoritative numbering data, service providers can't confidently determine which calls should be blocked,” Halko said. “DNO compliance ultimately depends on knowing how numbers are assigned, used, and routed in real time.” TNS supports providers by delivering trusted, continuously updated numbering and routing intelligence across the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. This enables earlier, more accurate call blocking and reduces the risk of false positives or missed fraudulent traffic. Looking ahead, Halko emphasized that DNO is only one part of a broader trust framework that also includes analytics, traceback, authentication (STIR/SHAKEN), and Know Your Customer practices—all working together to protect network integrity. Learn more: https://tnsi.com/