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The episode highlights the shift toward AI-driven knowledge management within the MSP sector, revealing increased operational dependency on structured data and sophisticated integrations. Lexful, an AI-native documentation platform designed specifically for MSPs, represents this trend by positioning itself not as a simple add-on but as a replacement for legacy documentation tools—controlling critical record-keeping functions and interfacing with principal PSA and RMM systems. This development signals greater infrastructure dependence on AI-based documentation and the implications of technical integration across diverse operational tools. According to Lexful's CEO and statements made during the episode, the platform has completed integrations with major PSA and RMM tools and now handles data by employing a “context-engineered” large language model tailored specifically to the MSP context. Lexful claims its engine minimizes LLM hallucinations, supports record-level access control, and functions as a system of record rather than a direct action platform. Socializing its compliance trajectory, Lexful has achieved SOC 2 Type 2 and shipped its MCP server, but its listing in marketplaces like Pax8 and SureWeb has been delayed, with current status characterized as “coming soon” and full integration targeted before the end of 2026. Supporting developments underscore the complexity and risk of deploying AI-native platforms into MSP environments. The absence of public customer or partner counts persists, with the company attributing constrained accessibility to pending integrations rather than lack of market uptake. Pricing structures diverge from incumbents, moving from per-user to per-client models and establishing minimum contract terms—raising questions about justification of cost versus legacy alternatives. A key operational risk centers on access control and human-in-the-loop governance, with sensitive systems such as password vaults only accessible through layered permissions, and Lexful emphasizing the necessity of robust accountability frameworks to minimize harm from potential automation failures. Practical implications for MSPs include heightened need for rigorous governance of AI systems, especially around data access, role management, and auditability. Vendor dependency deepens as platforms like Lexful supplant multiple existing tools and drive uptake via deeper integration with distribution marketplaces and SaaS ecosystems. Pricing and contract structures require MSPs to reconsider value calculations, as cost is no longer purely user-driven but tied to client volume and operational breadth. The tradeoff is between purported efficiency gains from automation and the risk profile associated with delegating documentation and knowledge management to AI-based infrastructure, particularly as human oversight remains essential to mitigate errors and ensure regulatory compliance. Supported by: ScalePad
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Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to evolve from a hands-on technologist into the CEO of a global cybersecurity company?In this episode of Joey Pinz Conversations, Joey sits down with Joe Levy, CEO of Sophos, to discuss leadership, technology, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, and personal growth. Joe shares his fascinating journey from writing software and running bulletin board systems as a teenager in Queens, New York, to becoming CTO and eventually CEO of one of the world's leading cybersecurity companies.The conversation explores the lessons learned from building technology businesses, transitioning into executive leadership, working with MSPs, and why the best products do not always win in the marketplace. Joe also shares insights on cybersecurity's leadership gap, the impact of AI, parenting in the digital age, and the importance of self-regulation in both business and life.From walking 12 miles a day on a treadmill desk to leading thousands of cybersecurity professionals worldwide, Joe offers practical wisdom on curiosity, learning, resilience, and long-term success.
Today’s headline news for Canadian IT solution providers: [Schneider Electric]: The company yesterday unveiled its next-generation APC Smart-UPS at XChange August 2026, introducing what it says is the first multi-chemistry battery technology for distributed and edge environments. The platform accepts both VRLA lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, allowing customers to start with lower-cost lead-acid and upgrade later without replacing the chassis. Read more on CRN. [Ingram Micro]: The distributor says hundreds of channel partners are now using its Xvantage Integration Hub and secure Model Context Protocol Server to connect AI assistants directly to their business systems. Trust X Alliance member Matrix Integration estimates the platform will save its team between 1,000 and 1,500 hours this year, while IT Design Consulting says it cut quoting from hours or days to seconds. Read the announcement on Ingram Micro. [D&H Distributing]: The distributor is now authorized to carry Dell Technologies’ full enterprise storage portfolio in the United States and Canada, adding a new sourcing option after Dell ended its relationship with Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions. D&H says its Advanced Solutions+ business unit now accounts for more than 25 percent of its overall business. Read more on CRN. [Acronis]: The company unveiled an autonomous IT platform update with an AI-driven console, service desk, and migration tools designed to help MSPs automate operations and expand services. Read more on msp-channel.com. [NCC Group and SailPoint]: The two companies have partnered to strengthen identity security services for both human and non-human identities. Read the announcement on NCC Group. [Lexful]: The company announced general availability of its AI-native IT documentation platform for MSPs, with plans to join the Pax8 and Sherweb marketplaces before the end of 2026. Read more on Yahoo Finance. [Circana]: Research presented at XChange August says AI’s workforce shock is unlikely to ease in the near term, with MSP executives noting persistent talent gaps despite automation advances. Read more on CRN. Read Full Transcript Welcome to The Buzz from ChannelBuzz.ca, I’m Robert Dutt, today is Tuesday, August 11, 2026, and here’s what’s happening in the channel today. Schneider Electric yesterday unveiled its next-generation APC Smart-UPS at XChange August 2026, introducing what the company says is the first multi-chemistry battery technology for distributed and edge environments. The new platform accepts both traditional VRLA lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries, allowing customers to start with lower-cost lead-acid technology and upgrade to longer-lasting lithium-ion later without replacing the chassis. Adam Compton, offer management leader at Schneider Electric, told CRN that the chassis is engineered to recognize different battery chemistries through firmware and battery management systems, which then alert EcoStruxure IT monitoring software about the specific battery type and replacement timeline. The company says future battery chemistries will also be supported as they become viable. For channel partners, the flexibility creates new service opportunities around battery lifecycle management, assessment, and the Rip-Replace-Recycle refresh program. Gordon Lord, vice president of channels, said Schneider Electric is doubling down on its Gateway program to give partners visibility into distributed power infrastructure across customer sites. The online versions of the new Smart-UPS are slated to be available starting September 1, with line-interactive versions following next year. Partners will not require new certifications. Canadian partners working with regulated and industrial customers should note the air-gapped deployment potential and the EcoStruxure monitoring layer as a recurring services hook. Ingram Micro says hundreds of channel partners are now using its Xvantage Integration Hub and secure Model Context Protocol Server to connect AI assistants directly to their business systems. The distributor announced the expanded adoption last Wednesday, positioning the platform as a way to reduce integration friction and automate workflows across quoting, ordering, and customer management. Executive Vice President Sanjib Sahoo described the MCP Server as a way to bring AI directly into the flow of business, giving partners a secure, real-time connection to Ingram Micro’s data mesh without building custom integrations. Trust X Alliance member Matrix Integration estimates the platform will save its team between 1,000 and 1,500 hours this year. IT Design Consulting CEO Ryan Evans said his team cut quoting processes from hours or days to seconds using the XI Hub integration. Ingram Micro is offering on-demand training sessions to help partners build AI-powered solutions through the platform. The company is positioning the offering as part of its broader strategy to make Xvantage an intelligent operating layer for the global channel. Canadian partners should watch how quickly small MSPs adopt the plug-and-play connectivity, since Ingram Micro reports that smaller providers are the fastest adopters so far. D&H Distributing is now authorized to carry Dell Technologies’ full enterprise storage portfolio in the United States and Canada, adding a new sourcing option for partners after Dell ended its distribution relationship with Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions last month. The Harrisburg, Pa.-based distributor is bringing Dell’s advanced infrastructure, including Dell Apex as-a-service and subscription technologies, to its Advanced Solutions+ business unit. Chief Commercial and Consumer Officer Marty Bauerlein told CRN that Dell’s decision followed an RFP process and was influenced by D&H’s execution capabilities and growth mindset. Partners including Precision Computer Services and CompuCom have praised D&H’s responsiveness and collaborative approach. D&H says its Advanced Solutions+ unit now accounts for more than 25 percent of its overall business. For Canadian partners, the move adds another distributor option for Dell storage and server infrastructure at a time when Dell is also rolling out program changes focused on AI outcomes and faster rewards. The timing means partners can evaluate sourcing alongside the new rebate and registration structures Dell is expected to introduce this month. In Brief – Acronis unveils autonomous IT platform update with AI-driven console, service desk, and migration tools for MSPs. NCC Group partners with SailPoint to strengthen identity security services for human and non-human identities. Lexful announces general availability of its AI-native IT documentation platform for MSPs, with plans to join the Pax8 and Sherweb marketplaces before the end of 2026. Circana research presented at XChange August says AI’s workforce shock is unlikely to ease in the near term. Full details and links in the show notes or the blog post. Later today on In The Channel, my conversation with Exabeam about rebuilding the MSSP commercial model to fix the economics of managed SIEM. And if you haven‘t heard it yet, check out my conversation with Chris Fabes from TD SYNNEX Canada about his three-sided view of the channel. That’s how we’re seeing the headlines today. I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca, thanks for listening. Have a great day.
The dominant mechanism addressed is the development of a self-regulatory framework for IT service providers, specifically as Texas A&M University's Global Cyber Research Institute (GTIA) launches the Consortium for Responsible IT Services (CRITS). This signals a move toward organized self-governance and standard-setting within the MSP sector, in contrast to direct government-imposed regulation. The initiative is designed to shift the industry from fragmented standard adoption toward collective risk and professional accountability, using academic infrastructure and industry funding as its operational backbone. According to statements from Cole Knuth, GTIA's facilitation of CRITS involves university-hosted development and company funding, with the intention to produce a publication outlining operational and cybersecurity standards for IT service providers. The university has committed both its name and financial resources, making CRITS a formal legal construct enabled by Texas A&M's research arm. The initial executive sponsors are large industry players—New Charter, Pax8, and The 20—but there is not yet independent MSP participation under 25 employees. The first member meeting is scheduled to occur alongside the GCRI Summit in October. The episode contrasts CRITS with prior efforts to establish industry standards, noting previous initiatives by the MSP Alliance, NSITSP, and GTIA's own Cybersecurity Trustmark, none of which achieved broad acceptance or regulatory recognition. Cole Knuth attributes this lack of traction to fragmented grassroots approaches or top-down lobbying, asserting that CRITS aims for a “middle out” model by aggregating MSP voices to build legitimacy and influence before external regulation is enacted. The consortium's design includes the possibility of recognizing existing certifications rather than displacing them, and emphasizes eventual inclusion of smaller and independent MSPs in governance. For MSPs and IT leaders, the practical implications include increased pressure to participate in the development and adoption of industry standards to mitigate liability risk and avoid externally imposed rules. Operational challenges are likely to include the need for resource allocation to compliance initiatives, cost uncertainties regarding participation and auditing, and navigating evolving governance requirements as standards are defined. Smaller MSPs face the risk of exclusion unless explicit mechanisms are created for their input and representation, and the structure of CRITS may lead to new layers of compliance complexity and scrutiny, particularly as the consortium transitions from initial large-member funding to broader industry engagement. Supported by: ScalePad
Send us Fan MailIn this thought-provoking episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, Joey Pinz sits down with a technology attorney, entrepreneur, and CEO who has spent decades helping businesses navigate risk, innovation, and growth. From building a landscaping company as a teenager to leading a legal technology platform serving MSPs across North America, this conversation explores entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, leadership, and the importance of staying focused in a rapidly changing world.The discussion dives deep into the growing role of AI in legal services and why businesses should be cautious about relying solely on large language models for critical decisions. You'll learn how "human-in-the-loop" systems help balance automation with accountability and why subject matter expertise remains more valuable than ever.Beyond business, the conversation explores motorcycles, risk-taking, work ethic, avoiding burnout, and what it takes to remain focused while leading a fast-growing company during one of the most transformative periods in technology history.
Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to go from wiring phone systems as a teenager in Australia to leading one of the world's fastest-growing MSP cybersecurity programs?In this episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, Joey Pinz sits down with a cybersecurity leader who shares an incredible journey through technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. From early exposure to MSPs and telecommunications to helping shape cybersecurity strategies for thousands of MSPs worldwide, this conversation delivers valuable insights for technology professionals, business owners, and anyone pursuing long-term success.The discussion explores the rapid evolution of cybersecurity, the emerging risks surrounding AI adoption, and why MSPs must begin thinking differently about protecting clients in an AI-driven world. Beyond technology, the conversation dives into personal transformation, health, leadership, and the power of consistent effort over time.Whether you're an MSP owner, IT professional, entrepreneur, or leader, this episode offers practical wisdom on growth, innovation, and building momentum through daily actions.⭐ Top 3 Highlights✅ The future of AI security and protecting AI agents✅ How MSPs can grow while improving profitability✅ Why small, consistent actions create extraordinary resultsSupport the show
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Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, Joey Pinz sits down with a veteran MSP leader turned SaaS executive to explore one of the biggest misconceptions in the managed services industry: the belief that growth comes primarily from acquiring new clients.Drawing on decades of experience building, scaling, acquiring, and operating MSPs, this conversation dives into why successful providers should focus less on chasing leads and more on maximizing value from existing client relationships.The discussion covers account management, leadership, AI, employee development, customer retention, referrals, and what it really takes to build a thriving technology business in today's rapidly changing market.Whether you're an MSP owner, technology entrepreneur, sales leader, or SaaS executive, this episode provides practical insights on scaling sustainably while staying focused on people, consistency, and continuous learning.⭐ Top 3 Highlights✅ Why client expansion is often more profitable than new client acquisition✅ How AI should support people—not replace them✅ The role consistency, focus, and long-term thinking play in business successThis episode is packed with MSP growth strategies, leadership lessons, and actionable advice from someone who has successfully navigated both the MSP and SaaS worlds.Support the show
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when artificial intelligence becomes smarter than the people who create it?In this thought-provoking episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, Joey sits down with a cybersecurity executive and technology leader to explore the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity threats, innovation, and what the future may hold for humanity.From discussions about Anthropic, OpenAI, quantum computing, and AI-powered cybersecurity tools to deeper questions about consciousness, self-preservation, and the possibility of AI becoming sentient, this conversation challenges listeners to think beyond today's headlines.The discussion also becomes deeply personal as both Joey and his guest share life-changing health experiences that reshaped their priorities, perspectives, and approach to success.Whether you're a technology professional, entrepreneur, business leader, or simply curious about where AI is taking society, this episode offers powerful insights into one of the most important conversations of our time.
Send us Fan MailAI is moving faster than most businesses can keep up with—but are MSPs ready for what's next?In this episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, Joey Pinz sits down with a technology architect, mentor, and AI governance expert to discuss the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, managed services, and leadership.The conversation explores how AI adoption is accelerating across organizations, why businesses need visibility into how AI tools are being used, and the growing importance of governance and accountability. Beyond technology, the discussion also dives into mentorship, family values, career development, and maintaining balance while working in a fast-paced industry.Listeners will gain valuable insights into the future of AI, emerging opportunities for MSPs, and practical advice for professionals looking to build meaningful careers in technology.
Send us Fan MailIn this special Pax8 Beyond '26 feature of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Ryan Sigouin, Chief Revenue Officer at ScalePad. With more than 20 years of managed service provider experience behind him, including running his own, Ryan brings a rare view of how software and operations actually work together, and where the biggest growth opportunities live for the partners on the front line.Ryan opens with the case that has been driving ScalePad's product strategy: managed service providers need a customer success platform of their own. The software as a service world is full of these tools, but the managed service space has never had one built specifically for how it operates. That gap matters, because Ryan sees the biggest missed opportunity in the industry sitting inside the existing client base. Chasing new clients in a market with 20 to 30 managed service providers per major city is expensive and slow. Expansion and retention within accounts already served is where higher margin and faster growth live.From there, Ryan gets into what a customer success platform for the managed service space actually looks like. In the software world, customer success has evolved from a human function into a data-driven one, with health scores built from product usage, ticket volumes, and other signals. Managed service providers have even more signals available: ticket tone, meeting transcripts, and years of relationship context. Most of that data lives across separate systems. ScalePad's focus is building the single source of truth for relationship information, giving account teams the context and playbooks to walk into every conversation prepared.Ryan closes on the wisdom that has anchored his whole career: retention and expansion drive stronger growth than chasing new clients. Get the referral program working, focus on the existing base, and the numbers follow._________________________Learn more about Channext
The central structural shift addressed is the fracture of the longstanding per-user, per-month MSP pricing model due to AI-enabled consumption-based (tokenized) billing, which introduces variable costs previously absent from MSP contracts. This shift is being reinforced by vendor strategies from firms such as Microsoft, Atera, ConnectWise, N-able, and Pax8, each proposing different mechanisms for channel partners to integrate and manage AI costs and capabilities. Recent research from Omnia, highlighted by Jessica Davis, underscores the pace and fragmentation of this evolution, creating new exposure for MSPs to vendor-driven pricing and value capture. Data from an Omnia poll of 255 MSPs found 40% are maintaining traditional per-user pricing, while 60% are reevaluating or transitioning toward hybrid, outcome-based, or true consumption models. Business of Tech research shows that two-thirds of MSPs have not referenced AI at all in their customer-facing positioning, and those that do overwhelmingly reference Microsoft as their AI provider. According to Jessica Davis, much of the 40% maintaining legacy pricing may not be doing so out of clear strategy or discipline, but because they have yet to encounter the practical or financial impacts of AI usage patterns. Secondary developments discussed include vendor-driven channel consolidation in the form of proprietary control planes: Kaseya, ConnectWise, N-able, and Pax8 are all positioning their platforms as the central operational layer for AI services, but with divergent models—ranging from bundled internal use to open orchestration. Dave Sobel and Jessica Davis note that this fragmentation and experimentation by vendors creates substantial complexity for MSPs, who face real risk of shifting from managed service models to a lower-margin reseller role, particularly as vendors seek to capture value through consumption pricing. Additionally, the rapid pace of AI tool development is enabling some MSPs, particularly advanced or less-regulated firms, to bypass vendors and build custom integrations or internal automations. For operators, the practical implications are increased operational risk and pricing uncertainty, coupled with the challenge of balancing internal efficiency gains against eventual client demand for AI-driven services. Vendor dependency is deepening as MSPs must choose whether to commit to a control plane and cede elements of value and data custody, or attempt to differentiate through custom service layers. The most immediate risk is margin compression from ill-managed or misaligned pricing models—a threat compounded if MSPs fail to map their AI cost and value flows. According to Jessica Davis, MSPs who closely monitor their actual AI-related costs and value delivered, rather than reacting prematurely or simply holding the line, will be better positioned to adapt to ongoing changes in both technology and vendor strategy. Supported by: Pax8Guardz
Send us Fan MailIn this special Pax8 Beyond '26 feature of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Scott Sacket, Senior Vice President of Partner Strategy at AvePoint. With 19 years at AvePoint and a background as a former managed service provider, Scott brings a rare blend of vendor and channel perspectives on how partnership programs and data governance are evolving in the AI era.Scott opens with the story of AvePoint's shift from direct-first to a channel-driven business, one that now sees 100% growth in partner-sourced bookings for multiple quarters. He then explains how AvePoint has redesigned its partner program, moving away from the traditional revenue-tiered model to a points-based system that recognizes the many ways partners create value. Certifications, product mix, team training breadth, co-marketing, pre-sales, technical support, and renewal rates all count alongside revenue. It's a program built around the idea that partners come in all shapes and sizes, and every large partner today started as a small one worth investing in.From there, the conversation turns to what's happening now in the market. Scott makes the case that AI has kicked off a governance gold rush for managed service providers. AvePoint has been doing data governance for 25 years, well before the term was popular, and the current AI moment is bringing new relevance to that expertise. He shares a striking gap: 75% of companies have already built or tested AI agents, and 70% have no governance plan in place. Every agent needs an owner and a governance framework, and the partners delivering that will be in the strongest position ahead.Scott closes with a mantra that fits the pace of the AI era: fail forward. Move fast, try things, focus on the partners and customers you serve, and remember that what's important today probably won't be in twelve months._________________________Learn more about Channext
Time Stamps: Impact of Education on Leadership 4:18 Profitability Mistakes 14:09 Implementing AI 24:51 Beyond Conference Takeawayss 30:54 Show Notes: "Don't leave money on the table" is an idiom that reflects a failure to maximize profit, revenue, or overall value from a transaction, deal or upsell opportunity. You never want to undercharge for your products and services. You want to secure the best possible outcome. Elliott Hyman, CEO of Lyra Technology Group, joins and shares his leadership journey, thoughts on AI innovation, MSP growth, and the power of scaling without sacrificing culture. Highlights include: Why protecting customer relationships, preserving brand equity, and empowering local leadership are essential ingredients for long-term success. The most common profitability mistakes MSPs make, including underpricing services and failing to bill for the full value they deliver. How operational maturity separates thriving organizations from struggling ones. Drawing from the unique experience of acquiring more than 120 MSPs, Elliott discusses how identifying best practices across organizations creates a powerful competitive advantage, and why testing AI initiatives through Lyra's Trailblazers Program accelerates meaningful innovation. Pax8 has become the "new town square" for the IT channel. If you're passionate about building organizations that scale with purpose, empower local leadership, and maximize profitability, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. If you are an MSP and have been considering what your next steps should be, visit lyratechgroup.com Don't leave money on the table.
Pax8 Beyond Recap: From Managed Services to Managed Intelligence (and What's Next for AI Agents)Fred and Adam reflect on Pax8 Beyond, noting that despite the focus on AI, the human element and face-to-face relationships remain the core reason people attend conferences, alongside highlights of visiting Salt Lake City. They discuss the industry shift from managed services to “managed intelligence,” emphasizing that AI adoption has accelerated rapidly and is now AI-first, with early wins in automating internal operations like ticket triage.Both stress being “client zero” by testing AI readiness, data governance, chat and voice agents internally so they can guide clients with real examples. Fred advises starting with understanding and mapping business processes before choosing platforms, while Adam warns organizations must begin adopting AI to stay competitive as barriers to entry fall. They predict growth in agent marketplaces, token/credit-based billing, new platforms for managing and training agents, and continued MSP demand to help translate and implement these changes.
What happens when cybersecurity moves beyond protection and becomes true business resilience? Recorded live at the Beyond 26 Conference hosted by Pax8 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Gene Kim, Vice President of Managed Service Providers at Absolute Security, stopped by for an engaging conversation about the future of managed services, cybersecurity, and leadership. We learn how his journey from MSP practitioner to channel executive shaped his passion for helping partners deliver meaningful business outcomes through trust, resilience, and operational excellence. Highlights include: The growing complexity of AI-driven threats and why resilience—not just prevention—is becoming the next frontier of cybersecurity. How MSPs can elevate customer conversations around risk, business continuity, and long-term value. Absolute Security's exciting debut as a new vendor in the Pax8 Marketplace, highlighting how the partnership will empower MSPs with firmware-embedded endpoint resilience, simplified operations, and stronger customer outcomes. Gene's pearls of wisdom: "On one hand, it's application, resilience and supporting cybersecurity in the stack. On the other hand, it's ensuring that there's business continuity for their end customer." "Customers are paying for outcomes." Have the conversation about business impact and understand what downtime means to them. The importance of listening and maintaining intellectual curiosity. Follow Gene on LinkedIn, visit absolute.com/ and learn more about the Pax8 and Absolute Security partnership here: https://www.absolute.com/partners/better-together/absolute-pax8
The episode examines the ongoing shift in the IT services market from traditional managed services to “managed intelligence,” as vendors like PAX8 and ConnectWise attempt to reposition their offerings around artificial intelligence (AI). This structural change introduces increased operational complexity for MSPs who are being urged to adopt new AI-driven models, while facing evolving expectations regarding service delivery, pricing, and accountability. The mechanism at play is the transfer of risk and uncertainty from vendors to MSPs, especially as AI and usage-based billing models upend established business practices. One significant development highlighted is PAX8's call for MSPs to become “managed intelligence providers”; however, according to PAX8's own head of AI adoption, only 17 out of 600 interviewed partners currently meet that standard, up from 13 a year prior. In response to this slow uptake, PAX8 has introduced bridge services and a Managed Intelligence Program to support partners through the transition, including white-labeled AI services and a platform for tracking usage called the agent gateway. These efforts underscore that the managed intelligence model presents a steep learning curve for most MSPs, with few having yet achieved operational maturity in this area. Related market activity further illustrates these dynamics. ConnectWise has restructured its platform around an AI core, introducing predictive intelligence and shifting to ticket-based billing rather than traditional per-seat models. According to ConnectWise, this shift reduces L1-L2 ticket escalations by 86% and increases technician productivity by 30%. Meanwhile, concerns remain about data ownership and the scope of actionable information, with companies like Lexful and Enable pushing for greater integration across siloed applications. There is also ongoing debate on whether system-of-record vendors or independent AI-native platforms will ultimately control operational workflows and client relationships. For MSPs and IT service providers, these developments translate into practical concerns around vendor dependency, variable cost exposure, and pricing pressure. The move to consumption-driven models and token economics increases unpredictability, forcing providers to absorb or carefully manage AI usage costs or risk compressed margins. There are also governance and accountability questions related to client relationships, especially as more AI service layers are introduced by upstream vendors. The operational implication is a need for heightened financial diligence, risk assessment, and a clear strategy for maintaining client trust and service differentiation in an increasingly intermediated service landscape. Sponsored by: Pax8 ScalePadABC SolutionsRythmz
Send us Fan MailIn this special Pax8 Beyond '26 feature of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Phylip Morgan, Senior Vice President of Marketplace and Channel Expansion at Pax8. A former managed service provider and 30-year channel veteran, Phylip is leading Pax8's work helping partners transform from managed service providers into managed intelligence providers.Phylip opens with the case for why the managed intelligence shift is a revolution, not an evolution. Borrowing Scott Chason's framing, he positions this as the same kind of cataclysmic change as steam, electricity, the PC, and the cloud, with AI delivering cognitive power the industry has never had before. The proof point is what's already happening: models are getting better, hallucinations are receding from the conversation, and practical use cases are stacking up. At the same time, Phylip is clear that partners have options, and there's still a real living to be made in break-fix and traditional managed services.From there, the conversation reframes the partner role as a trusted advisor evolving from technology advisor into business advisor, with managing intelligence risk and governance, risk, and compliance around digital agents as part of the new job description. Phylip shares a Welsh example of two managed service providers who decided their best play was to partner with a managed intelligence provider, which opens a discussion about partner ecosystems where everyone builds around their strengths. He also walks through two market shifts: the digital buyer who prefers apps to conversations, and the death of brand, where reputation and shared values matter more than the logo at the bottom of a website.Phylip closes with practical counsel for the partner community. Regret is a terrible thing, so take the time to look at the opportunity, do the research, and come to your own conclusions. As he puts it, lead with humanity and scale with AI._________________________Learn more about Channext
Evolve or Evaporate: Erik Boles on MSP Branding, Anti‑Commoditization, and Human‑Led MarketingOn the Evolved Radio podcast, Todd Kane interviews Erik Boles about why many MSPs look identical online and how that commoditizes them into “line items.” Erik shares his background from early internet businesses to VAR/MSP-era engineering, MX Logic, and early Pax8, explaining that customers care about outcomes and experience more than products or stacks. He argues brand is a result created by people, presence, and “lore,” and that templated marketing gets ignored due to pattern recognition and how the brain filters ads. He recommends MSPs differentiate through human-led communication, storytelling, and documenting real problems in plain business language, often via simple, authentic video rather than polished production. They discuss parasocial relationships, decision-making biases, AI-driven search/answers, and why personal brand should dominate corporate brand (about 95/5) to build trust and demand over time. Links mentioned: opsleader.co; vosa.co/erik; @erikbolz.This episode is brought to you by Opsleader Pro. A place for MSP owners and managers to get the systems and tools they need to build a stable and growing MSP. Part group coaching, part peer group, everything you need to run a successful MSP. (00:00) - MSPs Becoming Line Items (00:15) - Meet Eric Bowles (01:44) - From Engineer to Brand Strategist (03:28) - Outcomes Over Product Demos (04:42) - Behavioral Psychology Roots (06:21) - Brand as a Result (08:37) - Pax8 Experience Differentiator (10:29) - Why Template Marketing Fails (12:35) - Neuroscience of Attention Filters (16:04) - Talk Human Not Geek (18:37) - Document Dont Create Content (19:45) - Define Sally Your Real Persona (20:35) - Authenticity Beats Perfect Video (23:15) - Communication Presence and Zoom Fatigue (25:31) - Stage Presence Basics (26:25) - Reps Over Perfection (27:28) - Authentic Content Wins (27:52) - Capture Client Call Gold (29:57) - Differentiating MSPs (31:13) - Emotion Drives Decisions (33:05) - AI Search Changes Buying (35:04) - Parasocial Trust Building (43:16) - Personal Brand First (46:14) - Human Led Marketing Era (47:50) - Where To Find Eric (48:52) - Just Do It Anyway (49:34) - Handling Online Hate (50:15) - Wrap Up And Thanks
LIVE from Beyond 26 by Pax8 in Salt Lake City, Utah, this special edition explores a powerful reality shaping the future of the technology channel: growth happens when strong leadership, thriving communities, and strategic business transformation converge. Reed Goddard, M&A Advisor with Evergreen Services Group and Nancy Hammervik, Chief Channel Officer of the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA), join us to examine two critical forces driving the industry forward. Reed provides an insider's perspective on MSP mergers and acquisitions, discussing valuation drivers, industry consolidation, and how business owners can build lasting enterprise value. Nancy shares her vision for strengthening the global technology ecosystem through community, leadership cultivation, and establishing industry standards. Together, these discussions reveal that whether you're scaling through acquisition, building a technology community, or preparing the next generation of leaders, success ultimately depends on people, trust, relationships, and a commitment to continuous growth. Highlights: Leadership journeys matter — Reed shares his path from PwC to Evergreen Services Group, while Nancy reflects on her journey including discovering technology during her time at the University of Delaware. MSP consolidation continues to accelerate as recurring revenue, cybersecurity demand, cloud services, and emerging AI opportunities make managed service providers attractive acquisition targets. Building enterprise value starts with fundamentals; MSP owners should focus on operational excellence, customer proximity, understanding client needs, and creating scalable growth strategies. "Tech is a people job." Nancy emphasizes that despite rapid technological change, relationships, collaboration, and leadership remain the industry's greatest competitive advantages. Community remains a critical differentiator in the AI era. GTIA continues to help technology professionals connect, learn best practices, and accelerate growth through global collaboration. Industry standards and professionalism continue to evolve, with GTIA collaborating alongside organizations such as Pax8 and Texas A&M to help advance best practices across the technology services industry. Upcoming Evergreen Elevate events in London and Melbourne. Whether you're an MSP owner evaluating growth options, a channel leader building partnerships, or a technology professional preparing for what's next, this episode delivers valuable insights on leadership, transformation, and the future of the global IT channel. Follow Reed and Nancy on LinkedIn and visit both evergreensg.com and gtia.org/ to join and stay informed with the worldwide community.
Send us Fan MailIn this special Pax8 Beyond '26 feature of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Gene Kim, Vice President of Managed Service Providers at Absolute Security. With a career spent on both sides of the channel as a service provider and now leading Absolute's MSP motion, Gene brings a grounded view of what MSPs need to deliver real business continuity in an AI-driven world.Gene opens with the story of building Absolute's MSP motion from the ground up. The company has a long enterprise track record, with 40% of the Fortune 500, 80% of the top airlines, and nearly all of the largest state and local governments as customers, and its presence in the MSP community is now being built with the same intent. He walks through how Absolute's technology, embedded in the BIOS and firmware of more than 600 million devices from Dell, Lenovo, HP, and 25 other manufacturers, is already deployed in MSP fleets today. The opportunity is in activating that capability and showing MSPs how it strengthens their service delivery.From there, the conversation moves into where Absolute fits in the AI era and the shift toward managed intelligence providers. As MSPs add automation, orchestration, and chat layers across their stack, every one of those capabilities relies on the underlying tools being up and available. Absolute keeps the RMM, EDR, encryption, and backup tools resilient through automated self-healing, which Gene frames as a foundational layer for any MSP's AI strategy. He also reframes the customer conversation around business continuity, where the question is how quickly the business is back up.Gene closes on what he calls a winning formula for MSPs: pairing prevention with recovery and resilience to build differentiated, outcome-driven service offerings that capture new business and grow customer mind share._________________________Learn more about Channext
Send us Fan MailIn this special Pax8 Beyond '26 feature of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Nihil Morjaria, Chief Revenue Officer at usecure. With almost eight years at the company across nearly every sales role and a background in psychology, Nihil brings a thoughtful perspective on what it takes to build a channel-first cybersecurity business where the human element matters as much as the technology.Nihil starts with the story of usecure's pivot to channel-first after more than three years of selling direct. The biggest commercial challenge was getting internal reps to embrace what looked like a margin hit in the short term, in exchange for something much bigger: scale through partners acting as outsourced sales functions. He frames the channel as a force multiplier where commission grows alongside the partner network, and shares how doing the groundwork to align reps before the shift was what made it stick. The right partners, he says, are the ones with supplementary resources who become active extensions of the team.From there the conversation gets into how Nihil's psychology background shapes everything from go-to-market messaging to product. usecure's expertise helps MSPs translate the abstract topic of human risk into real, tangible conversations with their customers. That same lens sits behind the launch of uHealth, a new piece of usecure's human risk intelligence program. By integrating with Entra to pull real signals around services people sign up for, MFA setup, and password reuse, uHealth turns isolated training scores into a tailored view of how each person actually behaves, with clear remediation steps MSPs can deliver as outcome-driven service.Nihil closes on the value of the channel as a community, where honest conversations about real challenges are what help everyone grow. As he puts it, it takes a village._________________________Learn more about Channext
Becky Cross, VP of Client Partnerships at FIT Technologies, recaps key themes from the Pax8 Beyond Conference in Salt Lake City with Jason Collins (CISO) and Ali Tubbs Amato (COO), focusing on moving past AI hype to practical execution. Ali discusses how to operationalize AI by starting with clear pain points, measuring time savings and ROI, and using automation to remove remedial tasks so people can focus on more impactful work, noting that similar fears accompanied earlier technology shifts.Jason emphasizes that secure AI adoption starts with visibility—knowing what AI tools and automations exist, what they can access, and governing them like new identities—highlighting a session on identifying and mitigating AI risk through repeatable processes. The group also explores an industry shift from managed services to “managed intelligence,” and closes by stressing the importance of relationships, community, and sharing experiences across the MSP ecosystem.
The core structural shift highlighted in this episode is the commoditization of AI model platforms and concurrent consolidation at the vendor and platform layer, forcing Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to move their value proposition above reselling models to orchestrating, governing, and verifying AI outputs. The discussion references the rising concentration and valuation of platforms such as NinjaOne—a founder-led, profitable RMM platform with a $12.3 billion valuation and 70% year-over-year growth—and Pax8 building business toolkits that draw more operational functions onto their rails. At the same time, major AI developers like OpenAI are entering the channel more directly by launching partner programs aimed at MSPs and consultants. The most consequential development is the confirmed shift from reselling AI models to managing their outputs and risks. Glean surveyed 6,000 digital workers and found that while AI delivers approximately 11 hours of weekly time savings, nearly 6.4 hours are reclaimed by “bot sitting”—the human intervention required to supply context, verify, and correct AI outputs. This hidden labor raises a risk scenario: two-thirds of workers admit to releasing unchecked AI outputs, and Ivanti found that only 42% of IT environments actually have a named owner for each AI agent, despite 85% claiming so—a 43-point gap in accountability. Asana and Deloitte further reinforce the issue, reporting frequent cost overruns and unmanaged autonomous AI deployments among enterprise and SMB environments. Supporting developments underscore this governance and accountability gap. TechCrunch cited that ChatGPT's AI market share has dropped below 50% as the field becomes more interchangeable and less differentiated by underlying model. Vendors such as Anthropic and OpenAI, recognizing model commoditization, are seeking revenue through high-volume partner channels, blurring the lines between vendor and channel competitor. According to Asana, more than 80% of UK IT leaders encountered unplanned AI costs, and over half reported business harm from autonomous AI actions, shifting operational and liability risks squarely onto MSPs and IT service providers. Operationally, these trends compel MSPs to take explicit ownership of the orchestration and governance layer, rather than relying on tool reselling. The transcript advises mapping every AI-driven decision or output that reaches client endpoints and identifying who verifies these outputs before customer exposure. Failing to address these governance blanks does not avoid work but shifts it to unbilled, post-incident cleanup, often with financial, legal, or compliance consequences. Effective MSPs will need to price, document, and regularly review their verification, orchestration, and risk assumption, positioning these as standalone, billable services to manage risk and maintain margin as AI platforms commoditize and vendor dependencies rise. 00:00 Bigger Platforms, Unwatched AI 03:44 The Vendor Walks Into the Channel 05:56 Govern It or Absorb It 08:52 Why Do We Care? Supported by: ScalePad Sign up for the SMB Online Conference: www.smbonlineconference.com
A pronounced infrastructure dependence on third-party AI models has emerged across the MSP ecosystem, largely due to the rapid adoption and integration of AI-powered features within vendor products. This structural shift is increasingly opaque, as providers are sold features rather than transparent access to underlying models, leaving MSPs exposed to changes in technologies and policies enacted upstream by vendors or regulators. The episode highlights how this dependency extends to delivery teams and end clients, with operational continuity tightly linked to decisions and actions outside the MSP's direct control. The most consequential development referenced is Anthropic's release and rapid withdrawal of its Fable 5 AI model following a directive from the U.S. Commerce Department, which ordered a cutoff of model access to foreign nationals within 72 hours of public launch. According to published benchmarks, Fable 5 surpassed GPT 5.5 in performance, but the government-mandated suspension exposed how quickly model access can be rescinded. The policy move immediately impacted any MSP or client with offshore or nearshore staff relying on AI features invisibly powered by that model. Further supporting the central theme, companies such as PAX8, Enforcer, and CloudRadio are embedding AI capabilities into platforms used by MSPs to manage Microsoft 365 environments, automate ticketing, and support scalable client operations. In parallel, vendors like Proofpoint are integrating compliance solutions directly with AI model APIs, further entwining risk management tools with the same core AI infrastructures. A Netrio survey cited in the episode found that while 82% of mid-market IT leaders have AI in production, only 26% report organization-wide governance, highlighting an accountability and visibility gap. Operationally, MSPs face heightened contract and vendor risk. Most lack an accurate inventory of which AI models underpin their services and how rapidly these dependencies can be affected by regulatory directives or vendor shifts. The discussion underscores the need for explicit procurement protocols, delivery mapping, and outage runbooks that account for opaque model dependencies. As clients seek greater transparency and contractual assurances regarding model use and continuity, MSPs who anticipate and document these dependencies may be positioned to reduce exposure and establish clearer accountability. 00:00 Switched Off 03:19 Painted Over 05:20 Govern or Absorb 08:41 Why Do We Care? Supported by: Pax8 Sign up for the SMB Online Conference: www.smbonlineconference.com
Recorded live at the Pax8 Beyond 26 Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, these back-to-back conversations with Chris Marks, VP of Marketplace Innovation, and Chance Weaver, Global Vice President of AI Adoption, offer a powerful glimpse into the future of the IT channel and the evolution from Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to Managed Intelligence Providers (MIPs). Together, they share how Pax8 is helping partners navigate one of the most significant technology shifts in decades by combining innovation, community, education, and practical AI adoption strategies. While Chris focuses on the vision, leadership, and marketplace transformation required to unlock new opportunities, Chance provides a tactical roadmap for turning AI into measurable business outcomes and recurring revenue streams. Discover why AI is not simply another tool, but a catalyst for deeper client relationships and strategic business transformation. Key themes include the importance of moving beyond technology conversations to business outcome discussions, embedding AI into workflows rather than treating it as a standalone solution, leveraging community to accelerate learning, and embracing curiosity, adaptability, and servant leadership in times of rapid change. Chris highlights the tremendous opportunity for MSPs to become trusted business advisors, while Chance demonstrates how partners can start immediately by having AI conversations with clients, identifying business challenges, delivering quick wins, and building long-term value. Together, their insights reinforce a powerful message: the future belongs to technology leaders willing to innovate, educate, and guide their clients. Key Highlights: The evolution from MSP to MIP and why business advisory services are becoming a critical differentiator. AI creates new opportunities for growth, efficiency, and recurring revenue when tied to measurable outcomes. Community, collaboration, and continuous learning are essential for navigating technological disruption. Practical strategies for introducing AI to clients, addressing governance concerns, and demonstrating ROI. Leadership lessons centered on curiosity, empowerment, servant leadership, and enabling teams to innovate. How Pax8 is building the programs, tools, and ecosystem partners need to thrive in the AI-driven economy. Be sure to register for Beyond 27 in San Diego, California, and visit pax8.com to learn more about the marketplace.
Today’s headline news for Canadian IT solution providers: Pax8 Beyond26 – managed intelligence: Pax8 wrapped its annual Beyond conference in Salt Lake City on Tuesday with over 3,500 attendees including 200+ from Canada, centering the show on the transition from managed services to the Managed Intelligence Provider model. The headline announcement was Microsoft Agent 365 for Managed Intelligence – multi-tenant governance of agentic AI across MSP client environments through the Pax8 Agent Store, arriving in July – alongside the launch of the Managed Intelligence Provider Program, Voyager Alliance Rewards, and the Managed Intelligence Alliance. CEO Scott Chasin argued that as AI models commoditize, the trust MSPs have already built with clients is their primary competitive advantage going forward. Arrow Electronics global experience centers: Arrow introduced a network of global experience centers on Tuesday, built in close collaboration with channel partners in North America and Europe to reflect how partners actually go to market today. Facilities in the US and Sweden are fully networked to deliver a consistent design and testing experience regardless of location, and are designed specifically to help partners accelerate the move from AI and cloud evaluation into deployment and monetization. Mitel names new channel chief: Mitel has appointed Ben Macdonald as vice president of global channel go-to-market, bringing experience from Owl Labs, Poly, Juniper Networks, and Ekahau. The hire comes as Mitel’s own research shows 68 percent of businesses are running communications infrastructure more than seven years old, with 92 percent of modernizing organizations choosing an integrated-hybrid strategy – a dynamic the company says positions its 6,000-plus channel partners at the center of one of the largest communications refresh cycles in a decade. Cork Cyber wins Pax8 Startup Vendor of the Year: Pax8 recognized Cork Cyber at Beyond26 for its AI-native remediation platform built for MSPs, which remediates threats automatically, reduces ticket volume, and provides financial payback when risks slip through. The award was presented on the Beyond mainstage by Pax8 president Nick Heddy. Canada’s cloud market: A new report from the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project, covered by CBC News, calls the Canadian cloud computing market “broken,” warning that Amazon, Microsoft, and Google control approximately 85 percent of the market. The report argues that even adding domestic sovereign alternatives will not fix the problem without interoperability standards, coining the term “maplewashed dependency” for the risk of trading one lock-in for another. Pentesting research: New research from Cobalt and Omdia finds that 53 percent of security leaders believe traditional penetration testing is now outdated, with demand growing for continuous, AI-assisted approaches. iCOUNTER leadership: iCOUNTER has appointed Joel Molinoff, formerly of BlueVoyant and CBS Corporation, as chief operating officer. DataStrike expansion: DataStrike has expanded its Linux managed services practice by hiring Jon Cain as senior Linux infrastructure engineer to meet growing client demand. Read Full Transcript Welcome to The Buzz from ChannelBuzz.ca, I’m Robert Dutt, today is Thursday, June 11, 2026, and here’s what’s happening in the channel today. Pax8 wrapped its annual Beyond conference in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, and the event made a clear statement about where the distributor sees the managed services business heading. With more than 3,500 attendees – including over 200 from Canada – the show centered on what Pax8 is calling the Managed Intelligence Provider model, or MIP. The idea is that MSPs are no longer primarily managing infrastructure. The next phase of the business is orchestrating agentic AI and delivering outcomes that SMB customers cannot build on their own. The headline product announcement from the show was Microsoft Agent 365 for Managed Intelligence, which will give MSPs multi-tenant governance of agentic AI across their client base through the Pax8 Agent Store, arriving in July. Alongside that, Pax8 announced the Managed Intelligence Provider Program, the Voyager Alliance Rewards program, and the Managed Intelligence Alliance, all aimed at helping partners navigate that business model transition. CEO Scott Chasin’s central argument was that as AI models commoditize rapidly, the trust that MSPs have already built with their clients becomes the primary competitive differentiator. It’s a different kind of pitch than many vendors have been making this year, and the Canadian partner contingent at the show was among the largest regional groups in attendance. Distribution giant Arrow Electronics introduced a new set of networked global experience centers on Tuesday, and the design philosophy behind them is worth paying attention to. According to Arrow, the facilities in the US and Sweden were built in close collaboration with channel partners across North America and Europe, specifically around how partners actually go to market today, where they face constraints, and what slows them down. The two locations are fully networked, meaning the design and testing experience is consistent regardless of where the customer or partner is located. Arrow has operated various lab facilities over the years, but this iteration is explicitly oriented around solving the commercial and operational friction partners face in moving customers from AI and cloud evaluation into deployment. For solution providers working to differentiate on deep technical expertise and pre-sales capability, the ability to leverage distribution infrastructure at this level is increasingly part of the value equation. Mitel announced Tuesday that Ben Macdonald has joined the company as vice president of global channel go-to-market, making him the company’s new channel chief. Macdonald comes from Owl Labs, where he led the shift to a scalable B2B and enterprise channel model including strategic alliances with Microsoft and Lenovo. He has also held senior channel roles at Poly, Juniper Networks, and Ekahau. The appointment arrives at a moment Mitel describes as one of the largest communications refresh cycles in a decade. According to Mitel’s own research, 68 percent of businesses are currently running communications systems that are more than seven years old, and 92 percent of organizations actively modernizing are choosing an integrated-hybrid strategy. Macdonald’s specific background – building recurring revenue models out of historically transactional, hardware-centric businesses – aligns directly with what Mitel says it needs. For the more than 6,000 channel partners in Mitel’s ecosystem, including a significant number of Canadian resellers and MSPs with established UC practices, the appointment signals an intent to activate that market opportunity through the partner community. In Brief – Pax8 named Cork Cyber its Startup Vendor of the Year at Beyond, recognizing the MSP-focused AI remediation platform that remediates threats automatically and pays out financially when risks slip through. A report from the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project calls Canada’s cloud computing market “broken,” warning that Amazon, Microsoft and Google control 85 percent of the market and domestic providers risk creating what the report calls “maplewashed dependencies.” Cobalt and Omdia research finds that 53 percent of security leaders believe traditional penetration testing is now outdated. iCOUNTER appoints Joel Molinoff, formerly of BlueVoyant and CBS Corporation, as chief operating officer. DataStrike expands its Linux managed services practice by hiring Jon Cain as senior Linux infrastructure engineer. Full details and links in the show notes or the blog post. Later today on In The Channel, we’re hearing from Josh Singh at Turning Point Technologies in Vancouver – it’s a conversation about running a single-vendor Dell practice, AI for SMB, and why backup is the last line of defense against ransomware. And if you haven’t heard it yet, yesterday on In The Channel I sat down with ESTI’s Earl Gosick on AI infrastructure, cyber resilience, and why Saskatchewan may be Canada’s next data center hub. That’s how we’re seeing the headlines today. I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca, thanks for listening. Have a great day.
Platform vendors are transferring liability and delivery responsibility for AI services onto MSPs by building structured AI practice frameworks, training programs, and service delivery methodologies. This approach is motivated by mounting economic pressures on vendors, as seen with large-scale infrastructure investments and the need for sustainable revenue models. PAX8, Ingram Micro Cloud, ConnectWise, and others are formalizing AI partner programs that enroll MSPs to deliver vendor-defined services, while shifting operational complexity and accountability downstream. The episode highlights PAX8's Managed Intelligence initiative, aimed at helping small and midsize MSPs deliver AI services to SMB clients with minimal prior expertise. PAX8 cites its own research, which notes that 62% of SMBs view AI as essential for competitiveness and 74% plan to increase AI spending in the coming year. The economics of AI scaling are underscored by data on projected data center buildout costs—up to $15 trillion by 2030 and requiring $1.75 trillion annually just to maintain. OpenAI's public offering, with an $850 billion valuation and $180 billion in funding, is attributed to the need for capital that private markets can no longer supply, prompting vendors to leverage channel partners for both revenue generation and market validation. Supporting developments include expanded programs at the distribution and platform levels: a PAX8-Nocdoc partnership providing managed NOC/SOC services for smaller MSPs, Ingram Micro Cloud's collaboration with PartnerStack to formalize AI service delivery infrastructure, and ConnectWise's introduction of an AI-native platform for predictive and autonomous IT operations. Research from Omnia and the IBM Institute for Business Value indicates underutilization of vendor market development funds and widespread deployment of AI frameworks despite only 11% of tech leaders feeling prepared—demonstrating the gap between vendor offerings and operational readiness. The implications for MSPs are significant. By enrolling in these vendor-driven AI programs, providers take on delivery risk, contractual accountability, and potential liability for AI outcomes they did not design. The structural split is clear: MSPs can either create and govern their own AI methodologies—pricing accountability as a service—or become vehicles for vendor frameworks, absorbing complexity without full compensation or control. Practical recommendations include updating service agreements for AI-related risks, building internal governance around AI deployments, and not allowing vendor or community consensus to substitute for explicit accountability for outcomes. 00:00 Channel AI Shift 03:59 Enrollment, Not Enablement 06:55 Methodology vs. Liability 10:01 Why Do We Care? Supported by: Zero Networks CometBackup
In the spirit of recording content at Conferences, we want to replay a special episode with Ryan Walsh, Chief Strategy Officer, Pax8. Enjoy and be in the look out for exciting episodes from Beyond 26. Success doesn't happen by accident—it's a journey we must own, and that begins with the right mindset. Ryan Walsh, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Pax8 discusses the power of strategic leadership, embracing innovation, and the importance of cultivating community within the channel. From his rock-climbing analogy of navigating challenges to his passion for helping MSPs grow through “guided growth” and “amplifying uniqueness,” Ryan underscores the need for focused vision and teamwork. Highlights also include: A glimpse into the Voyager Alliance partner program. The expanding influence of AI, agents, and a shift to managed intelligence partners (MIPs). To be competitive means owning a niche, staying connected, and thinking collaboratively. Family and basketball as foundational to his leadership philosophy. His leadership philosophy, rooted in enabling others and fostering shared success, offers valuable lessons for anyone seeking to lead with purpose in a rapidly changing tech landscape. Follow Ryan on LinkedIn and visit Pax8.com to stay informed about the marketplace. Timestamps: [08:21] Father modeled passion [18:03] Voyager Alliance Growth Tracks [18:57] Owning your niche [23:05] Power of Team --- more --- If you want to master the art of audience engagement while learning how to conquer speaking anxiety, deliver persuasive presentations, and close more deals, this is the program for you. Twins Talk It Up is hosted by identical twin brothers Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown, who share leadership communication strategies designed to help professionals embrace the power of their authentic voice. Together, we'll explore tips and tools to unlock the full potential of your voice, dominate every stage you step onto, and elevate your influence and value. Along the way, we'll crush goals and share plenty of laughs. Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/ Website: appmeetup.com/twinstalkitup/ Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints Patreon: patreon.com/twinstalkitup
In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Eltjo Hofstee, Global Sales Director at EasyDMARC. Eltjo joined nearly four years ago with a clear brief: build a scalable sales organization around a product with strong market fit. That journey has taken him deep into how MSPs grow, sell, and redefine the value they bring to end customers.Eltjo opens with a concept reshaping how EasyDMARC thinks about its partner program: the shift from managed service provider to managed intelligence provider. The idea, which Eltjo credits to Pax8, moves MSPs away from SLA-driven metrics toward a more proactive, data-informed advisory role. MSPs already sit on a significant amount of customer data, and using that data to get ahead of issues is what separates a vendor from a genuine partner. EasyDMARC's own program reflects this: the company now helps MSPs not just deploy DMARC, but find new customers and sell adjacent services.DMARC generates an XML report for every email sent from a protected domain, and those reports tend to reveal more than end users expect. Organizations that assume they are too small to be targeted routinely discover, once they set up DMARC, that their domain is being impersonated constantly. The data also surfaces shadow IT, such as a marketing tool sending emails from an unconfigured source. That ongoing visibility is what keeps EasyDMARC relevant after initial setup: MSPs can build a proactive early warning system that adds clear, measurable value to every end customer conversation.What ties it together is a shift in orientation: from fixing problems to anticipating them. That is where the MSP role finds its next level of relevance._________________________Learn more about Channext
Mastering the shift from MSP to MIP. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this insightful episode, Oguo Atuanya, CVP of Vendor Experience at Pax8, joins us to discuss the pivotal evolution in the IT channel: the transition from Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to Managed Intelligence Providers (MIPs). We explore how the marketplace is moving beyond traditional infrastructure support toward a future defined by AI-driven orchestration, business consultancy, and scalable agent-tech organizations. Oguo details how Pax8 is leading this transformation by curating solutions that allow partners to move from transactional service models to life-cycle management that prioritizes measurable ROI for the Small and Medium Business (SMB) market. Key Takeaways Pax8 is redefining the role of the distributor by acting as an AI commerce platform for the SMB market. The shift from Managed Service Provider (MSP) to Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP) is critical for scaling in the modern tech era. Successful MSPs must evolve into business consultants who integrate AI-driven workflows rather than just selling infrastructure. Security and automation are foundational elements that every modern MIP must prioritize to ensure scalability for customers. The “MIP Playbook” provides the curriculum-driven enablement partners need to successfully pivot their business models. Building strong, end-to-end customer lifecycle management is the key to minimizing churn and maximizing long-term value. https://youtu.be/c8uCnMJd9bg If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags Pax8, Managed Intelligence Providers, MIP, AI commerce platform, SMB technology, MSP evolution, AI-driven workflows, agent-first strategy, digital transformation, channel partner strategy, cloud solutions, customer lifecycle management, IT channel innovation, scalable automation, business consultancy, technology architecture, agent store, managed service providers. Transcript Oguo Atuanya Audio Episode [00:00:00] Oguo Atuanya: I, I mean, the ultimate goal is to get that MIP channel as intelligent or even more intelligent and agile than any enterprise IT department. [00:00:13] Vince Menzione: We just finished Ultimate Partners Winter Retreat here in beautiful Boca to a sold out crowd. Today I’m joined by Dexter Hardy, the founder of Integral for a compelling discussion, a guo. Welcome back, [00:00:29] Oguo Atuanya: Vince [00:00:29] Vince Menzione: to the welcome back to the podcast, my friend. So good to see you. [00:00:33] Oguo Atuanya: Good to see you, my friend. It’s been about, what, two years? [00:00:35] Vince Menzione: It has been two years, almost two years. Almost two years ago now. And uh, man, this [00:00:40] Oguo Atuanya: thing is just picking up steam. [00:00:41] Vince Menzione: It is. We’re having a blast. We were having so much fun. It was [00:00:44] Oguo Atuanya: awesome. [00:00:44] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:00:44] Oguo Atuanya: Really awesome. [00:00:45] Vince Menzione: And you were for context, for people watching and, and listening. Uh, we were here in Boca yesterday for the Ultimate Partner Executive Retreat. [00:00:52] Yep. It was this awesome event and great to have you involved in it. Uh, pat, thank you so much. So, uh, last time you were here [00:01:00] Oguo Atuanya: Yes. [00:01:01] Vince Menzione: Uh, you were representing Microsoft where you spent 22 years. [00:01:05] Oguo Atuanya: 22 [00:01:06] Vince Menzione: years. [00:01:06] Oguo Atuanya: Two years, right. Outta outta Junior Heart. [00:01:07] Vince Menzione: Amazing. And, uh, tell us, tell us about your journey so far. Uh, almost two years, a year and a half at Pax. [00:01:14] Eight. About a [00:01:15] Oguo Atuanya: year and a half. [00:01:15] Vince Menzione: Yeah, [00:01:16] Oguo Atuanya: a year and a half. [00:01:17] Vince Menzione: And tell, tell for our viewers and listeners, uh, your role at Pax eight. [00:01:21] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:01:22] Vince Menzione: Which is a preeminent company in this space. We used to use the term disty. I’ll let you describe them. Uh, officially [00:01:29] Oguo Atuanya: No, [00:01:30] Vince Menzione: because they don’t, you don’t use that term. [00:01:31] Oguo Atuanya: We’re not, we’re not a distributor. [00:01:33] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:01:33] Oguo Atuanya: Scott Cha would kill me. [00:01:35] Vince Menzione: That’s right. No, I know, I know. I remember the, uh, [00:01:38] Oguo Atuanya: the New [00:01:38] Vince Menzione: York, was it the New York Times article? Yes. Yes. [00:01:41] Oguo Atuanya: Was kind of a, [00:01:42] Vince Menzione: that was a launching point coming out. Yeah, yeah. [00:01:44] Oguo Atuanya: No, we, we, we see ourselves as, um, um, the pre, uh, permanent marketplace. For SMB. [00:01:52] Vince Menzione: Nice. [00:01:53] Oguo Atuanya: Right. So you think about the SaaS and the cloud. [00:01:55] Yeah. You know, solutions that you need. In SMB, we work with vendors to bring it, um, you know, to the SMB market through, uh, MSPs. And we also, uh, see ourselves as the premier [00:02:08] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:02:08] Oguo Atuanya: Um, AI commerce platform for SMB. [00:02:13] Vince Menzione: Very interesting. [00:02:14] Oguo Atuanya: Right. And as we go through the discussion, uh, this afternoon, you’ll see why. [00:02:20] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:02:21] Oguo Atuanya: That differentiation is [00:02:23] Vince Menzione: key. I, I love, I love to dive in. I love to dive in. I will say this, I, I think you’ve gotten a lot of people very interested in the community. I mean, certainly your events are becoming bigger and bigger. You’re beyond conference. [00:02:36] Oguo Atuanya: Next one’s coming up in Salt Lake City [00:02:38] in [00:02:38] Vince Menzione: June. [00:02:38] I plan on being there, salt Lake City in June. [00:02:41] Oguo Atuanya: I must have you there. [00:02:42] Vince Menzione: I will be there and you will, and you will be at our event in May. [00:02:45] Oguo Atuanya: Absolutely. [00:02:46] Vince Menzione: Talking about beyond, but also talking about this community. Uh, I’ve also woken up over the last year or so as well and learned a lot about this SMB community and ms, what we call MSBs. [00:02:58] You’ve re you’ve re-categorized them, uh, but this community is palpable. The opportunity is huge. [00:03:04] Oguo Atuanya: It’s huge. [00:03:05] Vince Menzione: And, um, I would say that, uh, yeah, we can talk, we’ll talk, we’ll just talk through it. ’cause it is huge. Yeah. There’s a lot of things that need to be done. [00:03:12] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:03:13] Vince Menzione: And I think, I think PAX eight is, uh, at the forefront in driving a lot of this. [00:03:17] The hyperscalers, like Microsoft are, are paying attention now more in a big, in a bigger way than before [00:03:23] Oguo Atuanya: being great partners. [00:03:24] Vince Menzione: Been great, great partners. Yeah. We’ll talk about your role with Microsoft in that regard. [00:03:28] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:03:28] Vince Menzione: But talk, let’s talk about this evolution too. Let’s, uh, so for those who are listening, who are used to maybe us talking about a SaaS software company Yep. [00:03:36] Or an ISV or an SDC, uh, we’re talking about MSPs, managed service providers, which is the common term that people use. These are, these have been traditionally the companies, the smaller companies, they used to call em mom and pop shops back. The old VARs that became managed service, the past [00:03:53] Oguo Atuanya: provider in, in the past, they’re getting bigger. [00:03:54] Vince Menzione: And then Yes. One of the big [00:03:55] Oguo Atuanya: ones, y say [00:03:56] Vince Menzione: Nexus Tech. We had Yes. [00:03:57] Oguo Atuanya: Partners of ours. [00:03:58] Vince Menzione: Nexus Techs, new Charter. [00:04:01] Oguo Atuanya: Charter, Michelle [00:04:02] Vince Menzione: Evergreen, I could Ira Lyra. Yeah. They’re, they’re becoming bigger and bigger. Private equity is getting involved. What’s important, what’s important to note too is that the customer is driving this because customers are requiring more and it’s no longer about, and my my point of view is it’s no longer about loading up software and just letting it go. [00:04:22] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:04:23] Vince Menzione: You need to be hands-on all the time. [00:04:24] Oguo Atuanya: Abs. Absolutely. And, and [00:04:26] Vince Menzione: yeah, [00:04:26] Oguo Atuanya: kind of skating towards that park of, um. MIP? [00:04:31] Vince Menzione: Yes. Let’s talk about MIP [00:04:33] Oguo Atuanya: managed intelligence providers. [00:04:35] Vince Menzione: So last year, year Beyond conference, I believe you launched this like new in I, we’ll call the new nomenclature or the new name, or this new thing. [00:04:46] And evolved. And evolved, yeah. [00:04:48] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:04:49] Vince Menzione: So talk about the managed intelligence provider for us. [00:04:52] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Wow. When it happened In Beyond Or at? Beyond, I should say. Um. We thought it’d catch on because it’s apt. I mean, it’s, it’s sort of indicative of what’s happening now and what will happen over the next 24 months, but, uh, the sort of migration towards this and the marketplace has been immense. [00:05:17] I mean, you, and you, you know, hit on what the difference is. Yes. Earlier on, um, today. What’s driving this shift is that most MSPs have been really good at being tools and technology infrastructure providers. [00:05:36] Vince Menzione: Yep. [00:05:36] Oguo Atuanya: Right. [00:05:37] Vince Menzione: They would hook up your network and your printer. In the old days, they fix your, fix your computers. [00:05:42] Yes. Or replace re-image, all those things. Right? Yes. That was the old days. And, [00:05:46] Oguo Atuanya: and, and also provide some very manual services delivery, which will now play. In this new era that we are actually, I shouldn’t say going into, it’s taking all, [00:06:00] Vince Menzione: we’re, we’re there, [00:06:00] Oguo Atuanya: we’re there right now. So, um, you know, they, they, I guess the transformation from MSP to MIP others partners that would actually become managed intelligence providers. [00:06:14] That means really, you know, integrating intelligence into workflow that matters for the SMBs. Right. So you [00:06:23] Vince Menzione: so double click on that for, [00:06:25] Oguo Atuanya: for [00:06:25] Vince Menzione: our [00:06:26] Oguo Atuanya: viewers. Yeah. So all really means is that you’re moving from being that, you know [00:06:29] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:06:30] Oguo Atuanya: Technology, infrastructure, tools, provider to, you know, becoming an, an orchestrator and a and a and a business consultant. [00:06:38] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:06:38] Oguo Atuanya: Right. For you. SMB. Right. So important. ’cause you have to now get into, uh, very secure, streamlined automated AI driven workflows to help them. [00:06:52] Vince Menzione: All driven in the cloud. Everything’s in the cloud now, as opposed to the old days. Right. On premise. [00:06:58] Oguo Atuanya: All gone. None. That’s happening. It’s all gone. All gone. Yeah. [00:07:00] So you, you’ve got this automated platform right now. You should as, um, an MIP, um, we actually gonna be in a position to design, um, agent tech organizations for your, uh, SMBs who wanna scale. ’cause as we talked about yesterday, yeah. SMBs have opportunities they wanna grow, but not have the wherewithal to go hire a hundred people. [00:07:27] Instead of doing that, you go hire a hundred agents. Yeah, but you’re gonna need that MIP to architect, the organization, launch it for you, manage it, get you, you know, automated, you know, workflows that you’d leverage to run your company, and then they have to manage and optimize the technology. Um, as necessary. [00:07:49] So, so, huge shift. [00:07:50] Vince Menzione: Huge shift. [00:07:51] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:07:52] Vince Menzione: And it was interesting for me being at the, where you talked about the write of Boom conference that you, were you, your organization was there? Yeah, I was there as well and I was in the room with some of the Microsoft folks and we had some of those larger partners we talked about [00:08:07] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:08:08] Vince Menzione: That were in the room as well. And just, uh, different perspectives too. Like I hadn’t heard it firsthand. It was interesting for Microsoft too, to get that feedback from. From some of them as well. Um, I think, I think the ones that are progressive are already on board with you. I’ve, I’ve already talked to some of those organizations, like, oh, we’re a hundred percent Pax eight, that’s it. [00:08:29] But then some of the others I think are still, there are still people out there that are stuck in the past. Would you agree? Like this community is in the, is in a transition right now to this new model? [00:08:38] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:08:39] Vince Menzione: Tell [00:08:39] Oguo Atuanya: us [00:08:39] Vince Menzione: about that. [00:08:40] Oguo Atuanya: There are, I mean, listen, I, I don’t, you know, wanna put a number. You know what we’re seeing. [00:08:48] But I’d say that about eventually, let’s say we’re gonna have about 30% of folks that really get it and move. [00:08:56] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:08:56] Oguo Atuanya: Right. The others we’re gonna have to, [00:08:59] Vince Menzione: there’ll be the laggards that’ll [00:09:00] Oguo Atuanya: take longer and let me just, you know, sort of rephrase that state. Most of them understand, you know, what the opportunity is with this whole Yeah. [00:09:14] Vince Menzione: You [00:09:15] Oguo Atuanya: know. They’re still struggling with being able to, you know, articulate this story, um, from a value prop perspective, right? You know, go in, talk to the SMBs, help the SMBs understand how, you know, they can be more productive, more efficient, and um, ultimately more profitable and scale, um, with an agent, you know, framework. [00:09:44] They still struggle. Yeah. And, and that’s kind of where we come in, where we helping these SMB or sorry, MSPs and to be ips. [00:09:54] Vince Menzione: So tell us, understand that. Tell us what you’re doing. I believe you, you stood up like academies and things like that, right? You’re doing some outreach, some enablement for the community? [00:10:02] Is that what it is? [00:10:03] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah, we we’re heavy, we’re heavy in, um, enablement. Um, because, you know, everyone realizes that. To be successful with this whole campaign. It’s not just about putting agents up in an agent store, real, SMB, you know, native, um, vertical aware agents that actually, you know, when you deploy it in an SMB business, right, they drive value right away, [00:10:37] Vince Menzione: right? [00:10:38] Oguo Atuanya: Right. So, but we also realize that it’s not just about, you know, landing the agents in the marketplace, but enablement is a huge factor. That’s why when you go back to things, you know, like academy, uh, the MIP playbook, uh, some of the, uh, inculcation integrations we we’re doing with, um, partners, really critical to have that enablement layer. [00:11:04] Vince Menzione: Interesting. [00:11:04] Oguo Atuanya: Along with providing the agents and the, in the agents store. [00:11:07] Vince Menzione: Who’s developing these agents in the agent store? Are they providers for the MSP community? Are they organizations like Take, take us through that model. [00:11:17] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. So they, they, they, because [00:11:18] Vince Menzione: you, you manage all the vendors. [00:11:20] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah, I do. Right? [00:11:21] Vince Menzione: I do. So tell us more about that. [00:11:22] Oguo Atuanya: I do. So it’s, it’s multifold, right? Um, one fold is you have prebuilt solutions that you know vendors. [00:11:30] Vince Menzione: Yep. [00:11:30] Oguo Atuanya: Built for, you know, SMBs and they’re directed towards SMBs. Then you also have a second category, uh, sorry, category of solutions that are more tools that MSBs use. [00:11:42] Right? But there’s also a third, um, prompt to this where we are orchestrating an integration of, um, um, IP between [00:11:54] Vince Menzione: interesting the [00:11:55] Oguo Atuanya: vendor department, uh, into providing, you know, solutions. That we can land in the, in the agent store. [00:12:03] Vince Menzione: That’s fascinating. So, yeah. So you have, so you have a standalone product or a standalone solution or agent. [00:12:10] You have the orchestration and then you have the customer tools and the tool. And the tools. [00:12:14] Oguo Atuanya: Yes. [00:12:15] Vince Menzione: Yes. That’s fascinating. [00:12:17] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. It’s um, it’s sort of a three flying approach that, um, the market needs, right? Yeah. And that, that’s key. By the way, Vince, when you know, um. You’re developing these agents and these solutions. [00:12:30] Yeah. Because they’re not, they’re not just tools anymore, right. Essentially it could be somebody’s, uh, FTE. [00:12:38] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:12:38] Oguo Atuanya: Right. So they have to address a specific outcome. They have to be, you know, uh, valuable. You have to show the ROI and for these SMBs. Don’t have a lot of wiggle room. [00:12:53] Vince Menzione: So you, that they’re smaller companies, right? [00:12:55] Yeah. So anything you do is gonna be super impactful. Yeah. It’s not something they can absorb necessarily, or, you know, lose time and money. [00:13:03] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:13:03] Vince Menzione: Uh, you’ve gotta be very sensitive to that in this, in this market, this size market. And even the MSPs are, even though there are some that are much larger, there’s still a lot of smaller MSPs out there. [00:13:14] Oguo Atuanya: And, and coming to the MIP playbook, um, what partners don’t need anymore. Um, it’s hype. [00:13:23] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:13:24] Oguo Atuanya: They need an almost curriculum driven approach, right. To landing this initiative and infrastructure and also managing it long term. Yeah. So that’s what the MIP playbook does. [00:13:39] Vince Menzione: So you were an executive at Microsoft. [00:13:41] You managed the channel partner. I, I would call the resellers and the disti. In fact, for the America’s business, I believe was your role. [00:13:49] Oguo Atuanya: I I did manage the large resellers. At [00:13:51] Vince Menzione: large resellers. So at one point, and you also had the Disti at one time? [00:13:54] Oguo Atuanya: At one point I had the Disti, the telco, the domain providers. [00:13:58] Vince Menzione: Yes. The large resellers. I remember when we first met, yes. I think that was when, [00:14:00] Oguo Atuanya: yes. [00:14:00] Vince Menzione: Yes. And so when you came, PAX eight is a very strong Microsoft partner. You were, again, I mentioned you were the launch partner or one of the launch partners for the marketplace. [00:14:09] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:14:09] Vince Menzione: But talk about the role and the relationship with Microsoft and the value that PAX eight provides for this market, uh, kind of layering between, uh, the Microsoft components and, and the SMB market. [00:14:24] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Does that [00:14:24] Vince Menzione: make sense? [00:14:25] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. So, so Microsoft has always been. Um, keen on the SMB segment, um, you know, Jose Gomez and Company in the Americas, and folks like, um, Alison West Hughes from a core perspective that, yeah, they’re very serious about this SMB segment. And, um, I’d say the key difference with Microsoft is Microsoft realized early. [00:14:56] Probably based on the fact that Microsoft’s always been a very strong channel friendly, [00:15:01] Vince Menzione: yes. [00:15:01] Oguo Atuanya: Oriented company. I realized earlier that you really can’t scale cost efficiently by having a direct SMB business, right? Right. You have to go through the channel. [00:15:14] Vince Menzione: They’re what, 160,000 MSPs or ips? [00:15:19] Oguo Atuanya: Um, for us at pax, [00:15:21] Vince Menzione: I think for the world. [00:15:22] Oguo Atuanya: Uh, yes. [00:15:22] Vince Menzione: Somewhere the world around there. The world, yeah. You would have to reach all those companies individually, which Yeah, you’d [00:15:27] Oguo Atuanya: have to, well, I mean, even then the, there’s the Ians of SMBs [00:15:31] Vince Menzione: Yes. In worldwide. Yes. That’s right. Right. At at the customer level. The pyramid is huge. You can’t, [00:15:35] Oguo Atuanya: you can’t really scale. [00:15:36] No, you can’t. You can only do that through the channel. [00:15:38] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:15:39] Oguo Atuanya: And, um, I think, I think the relationship between Microsoft and PAX has just. Strengthened over time because Microsoft sees, if we go back to that definition of a, you know, distributor versus a marketplace and a platform provider stuff. So we’re seeing the difference. [00:15:56] Yes. And the value add and, you know, the services led approach that packs it, you know, brings to, um, um, driving the SMB business. Yes. Um, you know, just that we have, we think PAX eight, we have a very strong relationship. And a very strong MSP ecosystem, which is critical when you sort of, you know, uh, look at that difference between just a regular reseller and an MSP. [00:16:26] Vince Menzione: Absolutely. [00:16:26] Oguo Atuanya: Right. Um, you just can’t, what we talked about earlier, just transact a solution and then walk away. It’s, it’s, uh, it’s, um, it, it’s, it’s really a sustainable end-to-end, you know, customer life cycle management approach. When you’re dealing with them. [00:16:44] Vince Menzione: I think it’s important here too, and, and again for the maturity model of our listeners and viewers, it might be at different levels of understanding about the, about the model. [00:16:53] But if you think about the model and the evolution, right, being the, from the old model of being, uh, hardware centric and maybe software centric, uh, the old days of what was a disti, which are not at disti anymore, but, um, the distis were there to provide credit. Availability of product. [00:17:12] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:17:12] Vince Menzione: And And delivery, basically. [00:17:14] Right? Yeah. That was it. [00:17:15] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:17:16] Vince Menzione: And that’s how that they were intermediaries on some of that. [00:17:19] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:17:20] Vince Menzione: But PAX eight evolved at a later time. [00:17:22] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:17:23] Vince Menzione: More modern time, I would say in the cloud. Yeah. [00:17:25] Oguo Atuanya: PAX eight. So one in the cloud, if you will. [00:17:28] Vince Menzione: And I think that’s maybe a differentiation and this new model that it also feels to like this MSP community has been coming along. [00:17:36] And I, I, I believe a lot of thought leadership from the PAX eight side. I’m speak, I’m speaking for you here, but in terms of some bold moves that the organization is doing. [00:17:46] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Listen. Um, as you know, I dealt or engaged with PAX eight for a while before joining PAX eight. [00:17:54] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:17:55] Oguo Atuanya: I’d engaged with p fact fact pxi, funnily enough was the first meeting I had, um, when I came back from the uk. [00:18:02] Vince Menzione: Is that [00:18:02] Oguo Atuanya: right? Yeah. During my stint running, um. Um, devices, uh, sales organization for Microsoft. The first meeting I had coming back into the Americas was so P Aid and Nick Hedy and, uh, Ryan Walsh and, oh, that’s so funny. Joke about it. By the way, Ryan Walsh all has a prep, uh, notes study, you know, he got ready for the media. [00:18:26] Vince Menzione: Oh, that is hilarious. I met Ryan. Uh, we were on stage together at a channel partners a couple years ago. [00:18:32] Can’t [00:18:32] Oguo Atuanya: miss his energy. [00:18:33] Vince Menzione: He can’t [00:18:33] Oguo Atuanya: miss his energy. [00:18:34] Vince Menzione: Such great energy. [00:18:35] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. But, but listen, I think if I could just sum it in a, you know, in a, um, a framework or a box. The key difference between PAC sales is we look at engaging with MSPs in SMB, um, from a customer lifecycle management. [00:18:57] So we start from, Hey, how do we help you with customer acquisition? When you do acquire the customers and you make that first licensing transaction, it doesn’t go away. That’s when we actually start, you know, thinking about how do we help, um, you ensure that your SMBs realize, um, value from what you sold them. [00:19:18] You know, if you need to expand, but, um, beyond one, you know, skew in the stack, that’s what you do because you understand the needs of USMB that helps drive consumption, you know? Nurture that through all, we start, you know, looking at, is it time for re sorry, renewal. There’s a team minus approach to renewal. [00:19:37] ’cause we also keep our eyes on churn. You can, you know, gain as much business as you can, but if you churn, it does nobody any good. Yeah. So we look at things end to end from our position to churn. And that really is embedded in the platform that sits underneath the marketplace. [00:19:53] Vince Menzione: And you act as the, well see, we’re gonna use technical terms here. [00:19:57] CSP. You’re the first layer of CSP and then they, they also, in many cases, sometimes they’re not, but in many cases they are the CSP to the customer. They’re providing the, the licenses to the customer. [00:20:10] Oguo Atuanya: Well, we, so we, we are the first tier of that, you know, two tier [00:20:14] Vince Menzione: Exactly. [00:20:15] Oguo Atuanya: Model. So we, we, [00:20:16] Vince Menzione: you’re tier one [00:20:17] Oguo Atuanya: Microsoft. [00:20:18] Vince Menzione: Yep. [00:20:19] Oguo Atuanya: Right. We, you know, as an existing might press on an example, it could be one of our other vendors, like, you know, um, any of the 150 vendors we have. We engage with them, we enable the um, MSP, who’s the resell, who’s really in the traditional sense, the reseller layer, much more valuable in terms of what they do. [00:20:41] Vince Menzione: That’s right. [00:20:41] Oguo Atuanya: And then. The MSP engages with, uh, the end customer. So that’s kind of what the flow is. [00:20:47] Vince Menzione: Yep. Yeah. And that’s one component of what they do for the customer. The transaction is a one one and done sort of. [00:20:53] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:20:53] Vince Menzione: But then it’s all the managed services and layering Oh, provide on top of it. And then all the other solutions say 150 platforms. [00:21:00] Oguo Atuanya: Uh, 150 vendors. [00:21:01] Vince Menzione: Vendors, yeah. So hundreds of platforms that are available to the customer for [00:21:07] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:21:07] Vince Menzione: Through taxane. [00:21:08] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. But, but lemme just emphasize that especially. We are going actually where we are. Right. Um, again, it starts, it starts way to the left of the continuum than just driving the transaction. [00:21:23] Vince Menzione: So take us through the continuum then. [00:21:25] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah, that’s what I said earlier, the continuum is, you know, helping this, helping with [00:21:28] Vince Menzione: acquisition, customer acquisition, [00:21:30] Oguo Atuanya: even, you know, prior to that it’s, it’s helped. We’re getting to a point now where we’re helping these MSPs and they should all be able to do that during the MIP era. [00:21:38] Vince Menzione: Yep. [00:21:39] Oguo Atuanya: Understand the market they’re playing it. Yeah. Understand, you know, the market, their SMBs are in, understand their verticals or their scenarios so that you can actually build, you know, this precision, outcome driven, you know, solutions. [00:21:52] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:21:52] Oguo Atuanya: Right. That, that’s the beginning and then you sell and acquire. [00:21:58] Right. And then once you acquire that business, uh, it’s always on, you know, situation. You’re helping realize value. ’cause if you don’t. You’re not expanding beyond the stock. Yes. And um, you’re not driving consumption. And if you don’t drive consumption, [00:22:14] Vince Menzione: you’re not making any money. You’re really not making, [00:22:16] Oguo Atuanya: it’s not churn. [00:22:16] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:22:17] Oguo Atuanya: Right. And then they have to keep an eye on, when renewals come about, there has to be a healthy T minus period. Right. Um, so ensure that you renew during renewals. Um, that’s actually when we then look at, Hey, what’s your stack look like? Right. Especially with the agent era, right? Do you have everything you need? [00:22:37] Do you have the processes? Is there governance? Is there enough security for your, um, SMB, right? So that’s kind of the tune up time before we renew, and then we help you renew and then retain so that it’s, it’s a, it’s a sort of lifecycle approach, not just transactional. [00:22:55] Vince Menzione: Oh, I, I hear. Talk and, you know, I talk to different people in the industry about the SMBs, the MSPs in the SM B market, uh, that some of these organizations are very much, they’re very technical. [00:23:07] Yeah. Like they’re technical folks. Sometimes they’re not sales folks or they’re not consulting type folks. Yes. So how do you help them overcome some of those challenges or those gaps? I mean, I know some of it’s through the academy. [00:23:19] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:23:19] Vince Menzione: Do you help them also with selecting like, how do they think about their organizational structure to have the right people in the right seats and those types of [00:23:26] Oguo Atuanya: things and that, that’s, that’s, [00:23:27] Vince Menzione: yeah. [00:23:27] Oguo Atuanya: All what the MIP playbook, that’s, and the process is all about Nice. It’s, it’s, Hey, how do we expand your horizon, you know, beyond just providing the technical aspect things, how do you understand the business? How do you go about conversations to discover, right, your, uh, SMB, right? And once you discover, how do you go about architecting, you know, a value framework that includes, you know, maybe looking at the organization and suggesting agents and then, you know, when you land them, right? [00:23:59] What’s the, um, optimization, you know, process beyond just landing them. So it’s, it’s helping them. [00:24:08] Vince Menzione: Make transit, become business [00:24:09] Oguo Atuanya: consultants. [00:24:09] Vince Menzione: Right, exactly. Which is what they need to do. [00:24:11] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. The, in this era, you really need to understand what your SMB is doing because, you know, think about it for the longest, this sort sub, you know, consultative approaches were only sort of reserved for enterprise. [00:24:26] Vince Menzione: Yeah, that’s right. [00:24:27] Oguo Atuanya: But when you look at how, you know, the solutions that we sell, I change, they’re really enterprise solutions now that are in SMB. Right. You have to sell that way. You have to engage that way. Right? So that, that’s, that’s a key differentiator between being an MSP and an MIP, bringing that intelligence into you applying, you know, an intelligent workflow to the way your SMB conduct that, sorry, conducts their business. [00:24:56] Vince Menzione: So tell, take me through, uh, what the ideal MMSP or MIP looks like to you. Like what is the. The, the top of the top and to the right. And then where do you see the challenges? Why do some organizations or, or, ’cause I’m sure there are some that struggle, whether it’s 10%, 20%. [00:25:14] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Yeah. [00:25:15] Vince Menzione: Because it’s, it’s, it’s a continuum. [00:25:16] It’s a, it’s a cycle to get from, from point A to point B for a lot of these organizations. Right? [00:25:21] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. So [00:25:21] Vince Menzione: what do you see from the challenges they need to overcome and, yeah, so, so the, [00:25:25] Oguo Atuanya: the, the optimal MSP looks like what we just described, right? Yeah. Right. You have an organization that thinks through the process that way, set up. [00:25:33] Right. [00:25:34] Vince Menzione: And they become an ongoing consultant. They help them through the process. They understand ai. Right. This is another thing too, right? Organizations, I mean, are struggling right now with their [00:25:43] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah, absolutely. [00:25:44] Vince Menzione: Their people. [00:25:45] Oguo Atuanya: It’s gotta be the baseline. [00:25:47] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:25:47] Oguo Atuanya: You know, these days, understanding ai, understanding the agent, you know, journey. [00:25:53] Uh, what works well is, um, you know, you, um, you know, you, you. You have to be able to design, um, land a scalable, secure, uh, environment, um, [00:26:13] Vince Menzione: secure. [00:26:16] Oguo Atuanya: So, so security is key here, [00:26:20] Vince Menzione: right? I keep thinking about Claude, what’s happened just in the last several weeks. Yeah. In our industry with people putting things up on, through, through open browsers. [00:26:28] Yeah. [00:26:29] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:26:29] Vince Menzione: To Claude and to. Different tools. [00:26:31] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Yeah. [00:26:32] Vince Menzione: And if you’re an SM B and you’re trying to lock down your environment’s, don’t want, that’s, you don’t want your data exposed. [00:26:37] Oguo Atuanya: That’s why security is [00:26:38] Vince Menzione: huge, [00:26:39] Oguo Atuanya: is key. But, you know, one of the things we recommend is start very specific. Uh, it could be a bundle that includes, you know, could be co-pilot, could be some other AI pillar. [00:26:52] Uh, and then it has to be, you know, a security layer. [00:26:57] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:26:58] Oguo Atuanya: Uh, to that. Then there has to be an enablement, you know, services layer to that as well, right? So, um, you build secure, um, you land, uh, and then skills develop key, right? And then monetization. You have to be able to hit those levels, uh, to be able to survive in this world. [00:27:22] You’re no longer just selling. Tools. [00:27:27] Vince Menzione: Yes. At margins, [00:27:30] Oguo Atuanya: flat margins. So the tool, the tool sprawl, um, is what takes a lot of margins away. [00:27:37] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:27:37] Oguo Atuanya: From the equation. [00:27:38] Vince Menzione: Right? Tell, tell us about that. ’cause I, I, I remember even back in my Microsoft days, yeah, we would go in and, and have partners that were successful that would say. [00:27:47] In fact, the ones that are most successful would basically tell the customer, you already own it. Like you have a, you have an enterprise agreement and it has all the capabilities you need to run your enterprise, and you’re buying all these other one-off solutions and trying to patch them into your, into your portfolio of your, your solution set. [00:28:04] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Nobody, nobody, especially in SB, nobody wants any more tools. [00:28:08] Vince Menzione: No, I can [00:28:09] Oguo Atuanya: imagine. Um, you, you’ve gotta sort of assemble this thing into a platform that works. [00:28:14] Vince Menzione: Yep. [00:28:15] Oguo Atuanya: Right. And it’s gotta be repeatable. If it’s not repeatable, then you’re not driving the frequency. Right. It’s gotta be scalable. Um, ’cause if it’s scalable, then you’re going into, um, that kind of sprawl where people start thinking they need to replace gaps with more tools. [00:28:32] Yeah. Nobody needs. Right. [00:28:34] Vince Menzione: And that creates more vulnerability by putting [00:28:36] Oguo Atuanya: Absolutely. [00:28:37] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:28:37] Oguo Atuanya: Absolutely. Yeah. It’s [00:28:39] Vince Menzione: fascinating. So [00:28:40] Oguo Atuanya: it’s, it’s a different, um. Sort of engagement and I, I’m refraining from saying it to different kind of sell because the connotation of sell is you transact and you’re gone. It’s a full lifecycle engagement model. [00:28:56] Yeah. [00:28:56] Vince Menzione: I think what you’re doing is you’re enabling the evolution of this market. [00:29:01] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah, [00:29:01] Vince Menzione: that’s the way I would say it. [00:29:02] Oguo Atuanya: Well, that, that’s exactly what we’re trying to do with, um, the shift from MSP to MIP is. Um, we’re driving the transformation in SMB. [00:29:12] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:29:13] Oguo Atuanya: I, I mean, the ultimate goal is to get that MIP channel as intelligent or even more intelligent and agile than any enterprise IT department. [00:29:23] Yes. ’cause they are the, [00:29:24] Vince Menzione: they are ones, the enterprise IT department [00:29:26] Oguo Atuanya: for that customer. Yeah. The, the word trusted advisor is gonna take a very, you know, it’s [00:29:31] Vince Menzione: fascinating, [00:29:31] Oguo Atuanya: more serious connotation in this space. Because the SMBs are dependent on you as the MMIP for that. [00:29:39] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Let’s talk, we, we had a session on marketplace yesterday. [00:29:42] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:29:43] Vince Menzione: Um, you have been a great driver now through, especially through this new program, the new unified marketplace. [00:29:50] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:29:50] Vince Menzione: Uh, PAX eight is stood, stood above and beyond and doubled sales, I think is what I thought I heard. Take, take us through some of the, [00:29:58] Oguo Atuanya: well, I mean, uh, uh, a marketplace. Uh, marketplace sales has grown exponentially, [00:30:04] Vince Menzione: exponentially, [00:30:04] Oguo Atuanya: right? [00:30:05] Um, um, this partnership with Microsoft is really all about for the first time, um, integrating, you know, both the, uh, Microsoft, uh, marketplace and the P State marketplace into the MSP delivery, you know, system. Right? What does that mean for the MSP? It means that for the first time, the MSP is gonna have an ability to, um, you know, uh, bundle seamlessly or package seamlessly. [00:30:36] I know from a Microsoft Yeah. Package seamlessly. Um, you know, so Microsoft, uh, solutions and third party solutions that are complimentary again, to driving the outcomes that, you know, uh, the SMB needs. It’s really all about provisioning. Um, and, um, you know, building those solutions intelligently and, and dynamically, right? [00:31:05] Where it’s very scalable, right? So that, that’s sort of what the intelligence and the, the dexterity of our marketplace, uh, does. Right? So, so it’s, it’s, it’s creating, you know, um, provisioning, building, uh, transacting. Then really managing in a very automated fashion. Right. So that’s what the MSP gets. Yes. [00:31:32] The vendor, like Microsoft and other vendors remove the guesswork from, is this actually gonna hit the mark for, uh, SMBs? ’cause we do that curation through the discovery when we, you know, integrate marketplaces. Make sure that those solutions, those agents that land in the marketplace are SMB applicable. [00:31:57] ’cause the other thing we, we, we see in the marketplace, and I’m using the general marketplace is, um, a lot of companies will tell you that they have SMB solutions or agents. Yes, in the marketplace. And then you go into the marketplace and these are really enterprise, enterprise [00:32:14] Vince Menzione: solutions. Solutions that are [00:32:15] Oguo Atuanya: being forced down into SMB. [00:32:18] Well, you can’t do that these days ’cause you have to hit that, you know, customer, um, precision when you’re driving, you know, outcome based solutions. You have to be precise. [00:32:29] Vince Menzione: What is, what is the curation process for? Um, I’m an SMB customer. I come to the MSP. And you help at your marketplace level, it sounds like you help design what the right solution is. [00:32:42] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Yeah. [00:32:42] Vince Menzione: So what, tell, take us through that process real quick. [00:32:45] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. So, um, you know, we have a set of folks internally. Along with our PXI labs people. [00:32:52] Vince Menzione: Okay. [00:32:53] Oguo Atuanya: When we’re actually intaking, you know? So [00:32:56] Vince Menzione: you’re using AI as well on that side of Yeah. We use AI Doing your discovery process for the customers. Yes. [00:33:02] Using [00:33:02] Oguo Atuanya: AI as well. It, it uses ai, the rules that are being written into it, you know, [00:33:06] Vince Menzione: it [00:33:06] Oguo Atuanya: processes, Hey, it’s gotta be applicable from an SMB perspective. Right. This [00:33:10] Vince Menzione: is very cool. [00:33:11] Oguo Atuanya: Right. So, um, you know, we, we do that, we ensure that it’s, um. It’s applicable. There’s no guesswork. Right. Then we put it on the, um, on the agent store. [00:33:22] Right. And then, um, you know, we help the, uh, uh, MSPs, um, architect and fit solutions around the agents, you know, for very specific outcomes. That’s, uh, so it’s, [00:33:36] Vince Menzione: this is fascinating. [00:33:37] Oguo Atuanya: It’s a very curated process. [00:33:39] Vince Menzione: Yeah. So for, um, the market, the MSP market or MIP market that are watching and listening today, and maybe they’re not with PAX eight yet. [00:33:49] Like what would, what would be the, the, I mean you’ve already described what the differentiation Yeah. Just, I’m just thinking out loud here. Like what would you say to them today, especially as this market is changing, not your market, but the, just the technology sector, the, the shifts are happening so fast right now. [00:34:07] What would be the. I guess the one piece of advice you would give to this community of technology companies out there that they should think about for 10 26. [00:34:18] Oguo Atuanya: It’s, it’s really refrain from Yeah. Selling just tools and infrastructure. Yeah. [00:34:30] Vince Menzione: Which is the way a lot of them have been structured. That’s right. [00:34:32] They’ve done right. [00:34:33] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Think about [00:34:34] Vince Menzione: they’ve gone down a road with a vendor because they got great margins for some reason. [00:34:37] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. So understand your customer, the space they’re playing and how you can build, you know, solutions, uh, for them. Be specific vis-a-vis the solutions that you’re building. Right. [00:34:50] Again, um. I was having a conversation yesterday with Nina Hard, and we’re talking about the high heat of, uh, traffic verticals, right? Yeah. Uh, you know, things like healthcare, uh, things like financial services, right? Be very specific in the solutions that you’re building, right? Don’t experiment too much land on what an applicable solution is. [00:35:18] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Predictable [00:35:18] Oguo Atuanya: solution. Make it repeatable, make it. Scalable. Emphasize on the upscale and enablement right, and focus on the monetization. Understand exactly how you’re gonna articulate the value add and the ROI. To [00:35:40] Vince Menzione: To the customer. [00:35:41] Oguo Atuanya: The SMB. [00:35:41] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:35:42] Oguo Atuanya: Because that’s where a lot of folks struggle, right. They still cannot do all that, [00:35:47] Vince Menzione: and they get stuck on the cost to the customer. [00:35:50] They get hung up, I guess, is what I would say. Right. They don’t, they don’t articulate the value enough. [00:35:55] Oguo Atuanya: Well, they’re not selling outcomes. [00:35:57] Vince Menzione: They’re not selling outcomes. They’re selling, [00:35:58] Oguo Atuanya: they’re trying to piece together tools. [00:36:00] Vince Menzione: Hot [00:36:00] Oguo Atuanya: and hot [00:36:01] Vince Menzione: tools, [00:36:01] Oguo Atuanya: spot applications. [00:36:02] Vince Menzione: Tools, tools is the best way to [00:36:03] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:36:04] Vince Menzione: To describe it [00:36:04] Oguo Atuanya: to [00:36:05] Vince Menzione: the [00:36:05] Oguo Atuanya: company and all else spills come to Pax it. [00:36:07] Yes. Teach you how to do it. [00:36:09] Vince Menzione: Well, I, I’m fascinated to join you in June at Beyond. [00:36:13] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:36:13] Vince Menzione: Um, same [00:36:15] Oguo Atuanya: here. [00:36:15] Vince Menzione: So dates again. [00:36:18] Oguo Atuanya: Vincent, you put me, I think it’s, uh, June 7th to the ninth. [00:36:21] Vince Menzione: June 7th to the ninth. [00:36:22] Oguo Atuanya: And this is, uh, in Salt Lake City. In Salt Lake City [00:36:25] Vince Menzione: this [00:36:25] Oguo Atuanya: year. [00:36:25] Vince Menzione: Salt [00:36:25] Oguo Atuanya: Lake [00:36:26] Vince Menzione: year. Yeah. You had it, you had it in a different in Colorado last year [00:36:28] Oguo Atuanya: we had it in Denver. [00:36:29] So this is actually, this is actually, um, this is [00:36:32] Vince Menzione: your hometown, [00:36:33] Oguo Atuanya: the company. Yeah. This is, this is the mainstream. Beyond. So [00:36:36] Vince Menzione: I love [00:36:37] Oguo Atuanya: it. This is a big event. [00:36:38] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:36:38] Oguo Atuanya: Right. ’cause we also have regional events. [00:36:40] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Like four or 5,000 people. I think last year [00:36:43] Oguo Atuanya: it was right around three to 4,000. Three to 4,000 last year. [00:36:45] I think we’re gonna get, you know, more than that. Yeah. In, in, uh, salt Lake City. Then of course we have, um, a regional beyond. We just had the Em me version in, um, Berlin. Um. Netherlands, [00:36:56] Vince Menzione: Netherlands [00:36:57] Oguo Atuanya: after that. [00:36:57] Vince Menzione: But you did Berlin last year? We [00:36:59] Oguo Atuanya: did Berlin. Berlin last I knew years ago. Next year we’ll be in, uh, uh, Copenhagen. [00:37:03] Vince Menzione: Okay. [00:37:03] Oguo Atuanya: And then we’ll also have, um, uh, Asia version. Nice. Uh, in 27 [00:37:08] Vince Menzione: Milano. Maybe the year after would be good. [00:37:11] Oguo Atuanya: We, we, we need to arrange, I’ll work with, um, uh, you know, uh, MCEO. Harold. [00:37:16] Vince Menzione: I love it. I love it. [00:37:17] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:37:17] Vince Menzione: Um. I would, uh, so I have one question. I might’ve asked you this question before, but I would love to just ask you now. [00:37:24] ’cause times have changed. Our lives change, but this is my favorite question. I ask all my guests, especially all my good friends like you, you’re hosting a dinner party and you can host a dinner party anywhere in the world. It might be here, it might be in Houston, it might be in Kenya, it might be anywhere. [00:37:41] We maybe, maybe it’s in EMEA or AsiaPac. Um. You can invite any three guests from the present or the past to this amazing dinner, whom would you invite? A guo and why? [00:37:55] Oguo Atuanya: So this one always gets me because [00:37:58] Vince Menzione: I love that. [00:37:59] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. So, you know, you and I have talked before, right? So there’s a standing, uh, invitation for my mom, you know, who know? [00:38:05] Love that. Yes. Swear a while ago. [00:38:07] Vince Menzione: Yes. Yes. [00:38:07] Oguo Atuanya: And then, you know, my sister also who [00:38:09] Vince Menzione: passed [00:38:10] Oguo Atuanya: away, passed away in May [00:38:10] Vince Menzione: last year. [00:38:11] Oguo Atuanya: So I’d love to have this tea because, you know. [00:38:14] Vince Menzione: Some great conversations. We’ll see how [00:38:15] Oguo Atuanya: he’s doing and, you know, and check [00:38:17] Vince Menzione: in with [00:38:17] Oguo Atuanya: how, how, how things, um, are going and now Wow. This third one, [00:38:24] Vince Menzione: who’s the third one? [00:38:26] Oguo Atuanya: This third [00:38:26] Vince Menzione: one is, he talked about your son a little bit the last couple of days. Yeah. Days. But I don’t think, [00:38:30] Oguo Atuanya: I don’t think he’s, he wants to be bored. [00:38:33] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:38:33] Oguo Atuanya: Having, having, um, a dinner with you [00:38:35] Vince Menzione: and you’ll be there. So now we need to ask add one more [00:38:38] Oguo Atuanya: person. Yeah. We need to add one more person. I’m thinking about that. [00:38:42] MSB. Who’s become an MIPI [00:38:46] Vince Menzione: love it. [00:38:47] Oguo Atuanya: I [00:38:47] Vince Menzione: would [00:38:47] Oguo Atuanya: love to have him at the, or her at the table. [00:38:50] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:38:51] Oguo Atuanya: And, and talk about what that journey was like. [00:38:53] Vince Menzione: I love it. I love it. Well, that’ll be a fun dinner and I might come by and bring dessert or something. [00:38:58] Oguo Atuanya: You, [00:38:58] Vince Menzione: you, you, [00:38:59] Oguo Atuanya: you’re [00:38:59] Vince Menzione: always maybe just stop by and say, [00:39:00] Oguo Atuanya: you’re always welcome. [00:39:01] Vince Menzione: I’d love to meet your mom and your sister. So [00:39:03] Oguo Atuanya: thank you Vince. [00:39:04] Vince Menzione: Um, you are a great friend. I’m so excited to have you here in the room. Your organization is doing incredible things and we love having you as part of ultimate partner in our community. So, so great to see you again, my friend. [00:39:18] Oguo Atuanya: Appreciate it, Vince. [00:39:19] It’s always a, a pleasure being here with you and seeing you and, uh, I can’t wait to see you beyond. [00:39:24] Vince Menzione: I love [00:39:24] Oguo Atuanya: it folks out there. It’s selling out. So [00:39:26] Vince Menzione: babe, [00:39:27] Oguo Atuanya: get our, [00:39:27] Vince Menzione: get your tickets [00:39:28] Oguo Atuanya: soon. June 7th to ninth. It’s, uh, the biggest show in the MSU [00:39:31] Vince Menzione: world. It’s the biggest show. And then we, uh, is also gonna participate, I believe, at our, at our Bellevue event, Bellview Forum, which will be an incredible event. [00:39:39] Yeah. And May 13th, May 11th, through the 13th. I want to thank you for watching. I wanna thank you for listening to this episode of The Ultimate Eye, to partnering and following our YouTube channel, ultimate Partner, and for being part of our community at Ultimate Partner. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. [00:39:55] Thank you. Don’t forget, ultimate Partner Live is coming soon, may 11 through the 13th in beautiful Bellevue, Washington. I hope to see you there.
This Week's Highlights:1. Elevating Your Business ConversationsEver feel anxious about those business-focused meetings with customers? You're not alone! In this episode, Amy Babinchak and James Kernan share their personal experiences—like ice-breakers for introverts, why finding common ground matters, and how to move the business convo from awkward to actionable. Here's Amy's advice: listen actively, ask about their growth and goals, and let those insights lead you into productive IT conversations. You don't need to come to the table with all the answers—just be ready to listen and respond.2. Why MSAs MatterAre Master Service Agreements (MSAs) critical? Our hosts agree: absolutely. James Kernan and Amy Babinchak lay out why every MSP should have a clear, enforceable contract with each customer (especially if you ever plan to sell your business). They cover how overcomplicated contracts can be a sales hurdle, the importance of keeping agreements simple, and protecting your liability in the age of fast-moving tech and shadow AI.3. Industry NewsWe touch on the recent Pax8 hack—what was exposed, why you should care, and how leaks can impact negotiations. Plus, a heads-up on the ongoing scarcity and price hikes for memory and storage thanks to AI's heavy demand. Don't skimp when buying devices for clients! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Sail the seas of tech and AI with experience and confidence. Gavin Garbutt, Co-Founder and Chairman of Augmentt shares how MSPs must evolve to secure and manage Microsoft 365 and SaaS environments. Adopt a security-first mindset, and dramatically increase technician capacity through standardized Microsoft security best practices; through a unified Microsoft Security Management Platform designed for MSPs. Gavin outlines why “blocking and tackling” fundamentals—leveraging audits and maintaining a consistent security posture—remain critical as MSPs prepare for AI-driven growth. Key Highlights: How Augmentt represents the “next generation of RMM” for Microsoft 365, Intune, Defender and SaaA visibility. Intune Autopilot enables MSPs to standardize, audit, and deploy policies across multiple tenants. 'Secret Sauce' for fostering successful partner and customer relationships. Series A funding, strategic partnerships and marketplace strategy (including Pax8) accelerate innovation and scale. Gavin's vision for unified security, AI enablement, and helping MSPs become more profitable. The charge to go from being reactive to becoming proactive; for 10,000 users per tech and 5x revenue per tech. From sailing the open seas to navigating the channel's next wave, this conversation delivers practical insight for MSP leaders planning for 2026 and beyond. Visit augmentt.com/ to learn more and to take advantage of a free security audit report & tool. Timestamps: Audit as a Best Practice 13:31 Quickfire Questions 32:45 What to Expect 36:26
Apple has introduced Creator Studio, a subscription-based suite that embeds AI-assisted features directly into familiar productivity and creative tools while maintaining strict control over interfaces and user experience. Alongside this launch, Apple confirmed a multiyear partnership with Google to use Gemini and Google Cloud as foundational AI infrastructure, reportedly involving annual payments of around $1 billion. The approach reinforces Apple's strategy of treating AI models as interchangeable components while retaining authority at the application layer, shifting responsibility for governance and oversight away from the platform and toward downstream users and advisors.Google, meanwhile, expanded Gemini through a new Personal Intelligence feature that can reason across Gmail, Photos, Search, and YouTube data for consumer accounts. Available initially to paid subscribers and requiring explicit consent, the capability highlights Google's advantage in contextual data rather than model novelty. By keeping the feature out of Workspace for now, Google appears to be setting user expectations in consumer environments before enterprise deployment, a move that may influence how business users evaluate AI-enabled decision support in the future.Pax8 disclosed a data leak affecting approximately 1,800 MSP partners after an internal spreadsheet was mistakenly shared with a limited number of recipients. While no personally identifiable information was exposed, the data included licensing and commercial details that could be used for competitive intelligence or targeted attacks. The incident coincides with Pax8's rapid international expansion, new regional offices, and growing reliance by MSPs on its marketplace for procurement and security tooling, including the recent addition of Cork Cyber's risk intelligence platform.Taken together with renewed attention on AI governance, the Secure by Design initiative, and guidance on when to apply GenAI versus traditional code, the episode underscores a widening gap between automation and authority. Surveys show a majority of IT leaders now prioritize AI governance, reflecting concern over accountability, data flows, and failure handling. For MSPs and IT service providers, these developments reinforce the need to clearly define who has the power to approve, pause, or override AI-driven systems and platform dependencies, as clients increasingly expect service providers to explain and manage outcomes they may not fully control. Four things to know today Apple's Creator Studio and Google Partnership Show a Strategy Built on Control, Not AI OwnershipAs Gemini Reasons Across Gmail, Search, and YouTube, Google Redefines AI Advantage Around Context Pax8 Data Leak, Rapid Expansion, and Marketplace Growth Expose Risk Shift to MSPsAI Governance, Secure by Design, and GenAI Adoption Reveal a Growing Authority Gap for MSPs This is the Business of Tech. Supported by: https://scalepad.com/dave/
In this special IT Nation Connect Global edition, we sit down with two respected leaders shaping the future of the channel: Rob Rae, Corporate Vice President of Community & Partner Experience at Pax8, and Eric Torres, Vice President of Channel & Community Engagement at Pax8. Together, they unpack what it truly means to elevate the partner experience—beginning with the simple but powerful act of listening. From understanding the partner's universe to shaping a marketplace that reflects their needs, Rob and Eric illuminate how empathy, intentionality, and constant feedback fuel a thriving community. Highlights include: Uncover and keep the voice of the partner central to design a better marketplace and event experience. What a more “agentic" future means for service providers. Success stories within the Pax8 ecosystem and the importance of nurturing relationships that enable partners to grow. Rob emphasis on humility and service, "You're not the center of the MSP's universe." Eric's leadership principle: “Make time for conversations.” Listening and following up unlock community success. Whether you're a vendor, MSP, or channel leader, this episode delivers meaningful insights on strengthening connections and building a phenomenal partner journey. Visit Pax8.com for insight into the community and to learn about Pax8 Beyond 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah Timestamps 00:42— Part 1: Conversation with Rob Rae 33:12— Part 2: Conversation with Eric Torres
Microsoft has launched Agent 365, a management platform designed for overseeing AI agents within enterprise environments. This platform, now available in early access, includes features such as the Microsoft Entra Registry for managing agent identities, risk-based access policies, and performance measurement tools. The introduction of Agent 365 signifies a shift towards integrating AI agents into standard business operations, allowing organizations to manage both Microsoft-built and third-party AI agents in a unified system. This development is part of a broader trend where AI governance and customer expectations are becoming increasingly critical for Managed Service Providers (MSPs).In conjunction with the launch of Agent 365, Microsoft has formed strategic partnerships with NVIDIA and Anthropic to enhance access to Anthropic's Cloud AI model, which will be scaled on Microsoft Azure. Anthropic has committed to purchasing $30 billion in Azure compute capacity, indicating a significant investment in cloud infrastructure. This partnership will allow Microsoft Foundry customers to access various versions of Anthropic's AI models, further solidifying Microsoft's position in the AI landscape. The implications of these partnerships extend to the operational costs and strategies of organizations that rely on AI, as the control of compute resources becomes a central factor in AI deployment.Additional announcements from Microsoft Ignite include new AI capabilities for Windows 11 and enhancements to Office applications, which will introduce free AI features aimed at improving user productivity. Vendors such as NinjaOne, Pax8, and Nerdio have also announced integrations and initiatives to align with Microsoft's evolving ecosystem, focusing on improving visibility, compliance, and modernization of virtual desktop infrastructure. These developments reflect a concerted effort by various companies to integrate more deeply into Microsoft's cloud and AI frameworks.For MSPs and IT service leaders, these advancements underscore the necessity of adapting to a rapidly changing technological landscape. The introduction of AI agents and the associated governance requirements will demand that MSPs develop frameworks for managing AI behavior and expectations. As AI features become standard in widely used applications, MSPs will need to address client expectations regarding AI functionality and reliability. The consolidation of media narratives around cybersecurity also highlights the importance of maintaining a balanced perspective on technology strategy, ensuring that MSPs focus on comprehensive solutions that address a range of client needs beyond just security. Three things to know today 00:00 Microsoft Signals Shift to an “Agentic OS” as Microsoft Deepens Anthropic Partnership and Expands AI Across Windows and Microsoft 36507:29 Ignite Highlights Vendor Rush Into Microsoft's Orbit, Raising Questions About MSP Differentiation and Over-Standardization11:57 CyberRisk Alliance Buys ChannelPro — and Shifts the MSP Storyline Toward Security This is the Business of Tech. Supported by: https://getflexpoint.com/msp-radio/https://cometbackup.com/?utm_source=mspradio&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sponsorship
Why is it so important to meet employees where they are—emotionally, professionally, and generationally? Deon MacMillan, Chief People Officer at Pax8, shares her approach to cultivating a dynamic, people-first culture amidst hypergrowth. Her leadership philosophy revolves around balancing high-tech innovation with high-touch human engagement. Highlights include: The need to honor each employee's current journey, using thoughtful development strategies, AI fluency, and a deep understanding of multi-generational needs. “Meeting them where they are” drives tailored learning paths, stronger engagement, and authentic brand ambassadorship from within. Navigating the tension between scaling a global organization and preserving its unique culture. From one-on-one rituals to employee listening programs, she focuses on creating alignment between purpose and performance. "Organizations that can balance hi tech and high touch will win". Connect with Deon on LinkedIn and visit Pax8.com to stay informed about the community. Timestamps: [08:28] Dispel the fear around AI [09:10] The 5 Generation Workforce [15:43] Developing talent around the globe [24:24] Leading Horizontally --- more --- If you want to master the art of audience engagement while learning how to conquer speaking anxiety, deliver persuasive presentations, and close more deals, this is the program for you. Twins Talk It Up is hosted by identical twin brothers Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown, who share leadership communication strategies designed to help professionals embrace the power of their authentic voice. Together, we'll explore tips and tools to unlock the full potential of your voice, dominate every stage you step onto, and elevate your influence and value. Along the way, we'll crush goals and share plenty of laughs. Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/ Website: appmeetup.com/twinstalkitup/ Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints Patreon: patreon.com/twinstalkitup
AI-powered cyberattacks are rapidly evolving, prompting a significant shift in cybersecurity strategies. According to a recent Gartner report, IT leaders are expected to allocate over half of their cybersecurity budgets to preemptive defense measures by 2030. This change is driven by the inadequacy of traditional detection and response tools in the face of sophisticated cyber threats, particularly those enhanced by artificial intelligence. Experts warn that while preemptive measures can mitigate risks, organizations may encounter challenges in integrating these new systems and overcoming cultural inertia.Datadog's 2025 State of Cloud Security Report highlights a growing trend among organizations adopting data perimeters to combat credential theft, with 40% of organizations implementing this advanced security practice. Additionally, 86% of organizations are utilizing multi-account setups within AWS, which allows for better enforcement of security protocols. Meanwhile, OpenAI's report reveals that cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging AI for malicious activities, including phishing and surveillance, showcasing the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures.In response to market pressures, Synology has reversed its policy on drive restrictions for its network-attached storage models, allowing the use of non-validated third-party drives. This decision comes after user feedback indicated dissatisfaction with the previous requirement for proprietary drives, which were often more expensive. For managed service providers (MSPs), this change offers greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness, making Synology's products more appealing once again.Pax8 has launched the Pax8 Agent Store, a platform designed to help MSPs adopt and offer AI-driven tools to small and medium-sized businesses. This marketplace aims to facilitate the integration and monetization of intelligent automation solutions, with early access set for December 2025. Additionally, SolarWinds has introduced an AI agent to enhance operational resilience for IT teams, while Barracuda Networks has launched Barracuda Research, a centralized resource for threat intelligence. Both initiatives aim to empower organizations in managing cybersecurity threats more effectively. Four things to know today00:00 Gartner, OpenAI, Datadog, and DHS Paint a Stark Cyber Future: AI Attacks Surge, Budgets Shift, and Defenses Fracture06:01 New Pax8 Platform Targets Repeatable AI Services, Sets Early Access for December08:03 Synology Reverses Course on Pricey Drives — Because You Stopped Buying09:53 SolarWinds and Barracuda Push AI to Ease IT Burdens—But Can They Deliver Real Value? This is the Business of Tech. Supported by: Comet, Scalepad Webinar: https://bit.ly/msprmail
Enterprises are significantly increasing their investments in AI governance as the risks associated with artificial intelligence become more apparent. A recent report indicates that 98% of organizations plan to boost their governance budgets in the coming financial year, with an average expected increase of 24%. This shift highlights the realization that managing AI is not a plug-and-play solution; organizations must establish multiple lines of defense to handle risks effectively. As AI technologies evolve, refining governance will be an ongoing process, especially as companies face incidents that could lead to substantial financial losses.Public cloud spending is projected to increase dramatically, primarily driven by generative AI workloads. A survey reveals that nearly half of IT leaders expect more than 30% of their cloud budgets to be allocated to generative AI in the coming years. This rapid adoption of generative AI applications necessitates improved cloud cost management strategies, as enterprises brace for higher infrastructure costs. Analysts warn that the financial models supporting this AI boom, particularly for companies like Oracle, which may need to borrow significantly to meet obligations, raise concerns about sustainability.Despite fears of job losses due to AI, a study from Yale University indicates that generative AI has not yet significantly disrupted the job market. The research shows only a slight change in the occupational mix since the launch of ChatGPT, with hiring in the tech sector remaining steady. A significant portion of tech employers plan to hire, particularly for roles related to AI, indicating that the demand for skills like Python and project management is driving this trend. The study suggests that while generative AI has transformative potential, it is too early to assess its long-term effects on employment.In a notable industry development, Huntress has partnered with SureWeb to expand its cybersecurity solutions, marking its first distribution deal. This collaboration allows Huntress's products to be available in the SureWeb marketplace, enhancing security offerings for managed service providers across various regions. The partnership emphasizes the importance of relationships over transactions, contrasting with larger marketplaces. This move reflects a growing trend where vendors prioritize community-focused partnerships, providing opportunities for service providers to access quality cybersecurity solutions while navigating the evolving landscape of AI and technology.Four things to know today 00:00 AI's Hidden Cost: Governance Budgets Up, Cloud Bills Soar, and Debt Piles High Behind the Boom05:25 Government Shutdown and Policy Turmoil, Not AI, Emerging as Real Threats to U.S. Employment10:17 Pax8's “Managed Intelligence” Push Highlights Growing Tension Between AI Hype and MSP Readiness13:28 Huntress and Sherweb Redefine Channel Strategy with Relationship-First Distribution Model This is the Business of Tech. Supported by: https://cometbackup.com/?utm_source=mspradio&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sponsorshiphttps://www.auvik.com/ Webinar: https://bit.ly/msprmail All our Sponsors: https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Looking for a link from the stories? The entire script of the show, with links to articles, are posted in each story on https://www.businessof.tech/ Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/ Want to be a guest on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights? Send Dave Sobel a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.com Follow us on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Send us a textIn this high-energy episode of the Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations podcast, Joey sits down with Ryan Walsh, founding executive of Pax8 and chair of the GTIA Member Champions, to talk teamwork, technology, and transformation.
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