Podcasts about pax8

Pinar Ormeci, CEO of Lexful For MSPs, documentation is essential. But it's also one of the hardest parts of running a service business. Inaccurate, outdated, or inaccessible documentation slows teams down, increases onboarding time for new technicians, and can even put service quality at risk. That's the problem Lexful is aiming to solve with a new approach. In this episode, we sit down with Pinar Ormeci, CEO of Lexful, to discuss the company's new AI-native platform built specifically for managed service providers. Pinar explains how Lexful uses artificial intelligence to capture and organize MSP best practices in real time, making documentation not just a compliance task, but a practical tool that drives efficiency and reduces errors. We also dive into some of the challenges MSPs face when adopting AI tools — like ensuring sensitive client data stays secure and meets regulatory or geographic requirements — and how Lexful addresses these concerns with flexible data residency options. Plus, Pinar shares her thoughts on global expansion, including the Canadian MSP market, and what makes Lexful different from traditional IT documentation tools. Whether you're looking for ways to improve operational efficiency, reduce technician burnout, or future-proof your MSP business with AI, this conversation offers practical insights and a glimpse at where documentation technology is heading. Tune in to hear Pinar Ormeci explain how AI can transform the way MSPs capture, store, and use the knowledge that keeps their businesses running. Read Full Transcript Hello and welcome to the ChannelBuzz.ca podcast, bringing news and information to the Canadian IT channel for the last 16 years. I’m Robert Dutt, editor of ChannelBuzz.ca, and as always your host for the show. If you’re an MSP, you know that documentation is both critical and, let’s be honest, often a pain. From onboarding new technologies to keeping client procedures up to date, maintaining clean, accurate and accessible documentation can feel like a full-time job and even then it’s rarely perfect. That’s where Lexful comes in. Founded by Pinar Ormeci, Lexful is a new AI-native platform designed specifically for managed service providers. The goal is to make documentation smarter, faster and more useful, not just for the teams doing the work today, but for future technicians, clients and partners. Think of it as giving your organization a digital brain that learns your processes, organizes your best practices and helps your team actually use the documentation you spent so long building. In today’s conversation, Pinar walks us through what makes Lexful different from traditional IT documentation tools, how the platform’s AI assistant Ask Lex works, and how MSPs can balance the need for actionable insights with security and control over sensitive client data. We also talk about global expansion, including Canada, of course, and what it takes to bring AI-powered documentation to MSPs operating in regulated markets or multiple geographies. Whether you’re curious about AI in the MSP workflow, looking for ways to improve operational efficiency, or just interested in the next wave of tools that may be shaping the channel, this episode’s full of insights from someone who’s building a platform designed for exactly that. Grab your headphones and let’s jump into a conversation with Pinar Ormeci, CEO of Lexful. Robert Dutt: Thanks for taking the time. I appreciate you’re joining us to talk a little bit about what’s going on over at Lexful. Pinar Ormeci: Thank you so much for having me, Robert. Robert Dutt: You’re entering a market that MSPs already know well in terms of documentation tools. What was it that was broken enough about the status quo, the situation, that you felt like, “Oh, it’s time to start from scratch with something brand new.” Pinar Ormeci: Yeah, as you can imagine, everything changed with AI, with the advent of AI and the pace of doing things and how MSPs must react and are reacting to an AI-first world even today, and it’s even accelerating as we continue. So as such, we fundamentally believe that the things that worked yesterday will not work today and definitely not tomorrow, right, for the workforce that contains humans and AI agents. So we are the response to a long-standing pain point that the MSPs have when it comes to documenting what they have, finding answers and context when they need, and also having the ability to update that documentation as needed, right? So MSPs, when they’re operating, they’re going 100 miles an hour across clients, across tabs, across tools, and the last thing they need is wasting time trying to find the right answer, right network diagram, trying to see if that’s actually the latest and greatest. And usually that doesn’t happen. There’s a lot of tribal knowledge that lives in the MSPs because they honestly, at some point, stop trusting the data that they have and things start living in their minds. And that’s the reason why we exist. So yes, we are an IT documentation solution, but we are an AI-native platform that is starting with documentation and our goal is to really help MSPs move into knowledge operations, an AI operating layer, where the knowledge becomes autonomous, the outcomes become autonomous, and really the knowledge becomes a living thing. Robert Dutt: Well, let’s start with where you’re at in that regard. From your perspective and from what you were hearing as you were building up Lexful and planning it out, what’s the real cost of bad, outdated, unfindable documentation inside an MSP’s operation? Both in terms of operational stuff for the organization, but also in terms of ability to grow, margins of the business, the experience that technicians have, those kinds of things that are not peripheral, but not right at the center of operations. Pinar Ormeci: Excellent question. And what we say is that MSP documentation as it stands today is really broken. And ultimately, this is an economic problem. This is not a technical problem in the sense that it costs MSPs real margin. And how does that happen? So today, documents become stale as soon as they are written. Technicians waste hours collectively trying to find the right information, and manual updates really don’t scale. So what this ends up resulting in is missed signals, right? So you don’t act when you should be acting. You don’t find answers as fast as you could. Your technicians get burned out because literally after five, ten minutes of searching and not being able to find what they need, technicians go to other technicians. So everybody’s pinging each other, disrupting. So there’s also a lot of context switching. And this results in errors where you’re trying to solve different clients’ problems. And ultimately and fundamentally, this really results in eroding client trust and churn, right? So we see this documentation problem not as a technical problem, but fundamentally an economic problem that has real impact on the bottom line of the MSPs. And also their top line, because knowledge is also critical, Robert, for AI agents, for workflows. Your AI workflow or your agentic workforce is only as strong as the data that they rely on. So if you have a bunch of unstructured data lying around across different tools and you have no clue how stale or up to date they are, your agents won’t be as useful as they could be. So we are approaching the problem on both sides, both reducing your costs and increasing your margins, but also really preparing you for the agentic workflow and also AI-driven new revenue streams. Robert Dutt: You’ve positioned Lexful as an AI-native platform rather than a traditional documentation tool with AI built in, strapped on, however you want to phrase that. What does that mean in practice for an MSP that’s using Lexful on a day-to-day basis as opposed to using traditional documentation tools or methodologies? Pinar Ormeci: Sure. Legacy documentation tools were built in a different era, right? Before AI existed, they really depended on manual entry, keyword search, and they’re optimized for storage really, not to be an operational workhorse. Not for knowledge operations, where you’re able to put data to work for you 24/7. So our goal with Lexful is to move from this world of scattered docs and tribal knowledge to a unified AI-native platform that delivers the right solution to the right technician, anchored to the right context, to the right client, instantly. So this is how this looks in real life. Let’s say that you’re using a legacy documentation tool and you say, “Hey, I’m going to give Lexful a go. I want to try it.” By the way, you can have a completely free trial where you get to use the full functionality of Lexful in parallel to your existing tool. So there’s no risk. We call it migration without mayhem. So if you don’t like it, no feelings hurt. You can always continue with your existing platform. But this is how it looks. The first thing that we do is we migrate all your existing documentation. That means including your SOPs, onboarding guidelines, runbooks, what have you, your MSP-specific documentation, plus all your client assets and passwords and their documents into the Lexful schema. And while we are doing that, we transform that data into context, relationships, assets. So everything becomes structured so that AI can operate seamlessly and securely, very fast, within the guardrails that we put. So that’s fundamentally different than bolting AI into the scattered docs that are unstructured and expecting much from that AI agent. Before we even migrate the documents, Robert, what we’ve done is we completely context-engineered an LLM model to live in the MSP space. So you have this, let’s say, AI technician now that has access to all your data. And the things that you can do with this are really amazing. So we have AI as UI, as entry point to Lexful. And what that means is you can ask natural query questions in plain English. For example, a technician can easily ask, “Hey, what’s the admin password for this client?” Or they can ask, “Hey, what devices need patching for the clients that are in the Ohio area?” Or “What should I do about it?” Or you can say, “Hey, give me a project plan for me to patch these devices and make sure you’re prioritizing them based on urgency.” Or an L1 tech who you just hired and you’re trying to onboard, instead of pinging the senior technicians all the time, they can literally go to Ask Lex, which is our AI-powered knowledge assistant, and say, “Hey, how does my MSP do onboarding? What’s the best way for me to increase my learning curve immediately? What would you propose?” Because this is an LLM now that has access to all your knowledge and is context-engineered, as I mentioned, in the MSP and all things IT. Robert Dutt: And you mentioned data throughout that. And clearly, for Ask Lex, for the AI infrastructure to have the value that it potentially has, it has to have access to both an MSP’s most valuable data, the best practices, the procedures, the stuff that folks have developed over the however many years the business has been in place, and customer data, network diagrams and passwords, et cetera. How are you balancing getting the most out of that and getting the most value out of Lexful with trust, security, control, all those kinds of things that MSPs and rightly customers are going to be asking about? Pinar Ormeci: Yeah, 100%. And that’s why vibe coding is not going to work for any production-grade solution, but also definitely for MSPs, where you have multi-tenancy, security is of utmost importance. You have all these compliances and regulations and all of that, right? So you have to have a real MSP-grade solution. So in our case, obviously, we are handling really sensitive data, the client’s data, and also passwords, right? As a documentation tool, we have password management as part of that, a rich document creator and asset management. So it’s as sensitive as it gets. What we do is zero-trust security from day one. So Robert, I was the CEO of another MSP-first vendor before I joined Lexful, and what we did was Secure Access Service Edge, which is a SASE solution, right? So I’m so security-first because I’ve seen firsthand all the horrible consequences when security is optional. Security is a must-have. It has to belong in an MSP stack, and MSPs actually shouldn’t even deal with clients if the client says, “Oh, security is optional for me.” So I am very, very security-first. So from day one, what we’ve done at Lexful is we said that we’re going to be SOC 2 Type 2 compliant. So the whole thing that we’re building is built in that framework. We are already in SOC 2 audit, by the way, so hopefully we’ll get the SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. That’s the earliest you can get, by the way, as a young company, by the end of this half. Yeah, so we have a never trust, always verify framework, and we do take it very seriously. Robert Dutt: And similar issue, but from a different point of view, many MSPs, especially those outside the US, care about where data lives or even is in transit, or are required by regulation to care about where data lives or is in transit, whether that’s in-country, region-specific, or even locked down to the level of on-prem. I guess, how are you guys thinking about data residency and deployment flexibility as you scale and as your customer base scales? Pinar Ormeci: Oh, yeah, 100%. So as part of the SOC 2 Type 2, we are GDPR compliant. We are California CCPA compliant. So from a data residency perspective, similarly, we use AWS because we’re a global cloud-native platform. So we have data centers in the US, but also in Europe, in Canada, in Australia. So based on need, we have no problems having data centers locally in the region the MSP resides. Robert Dutt: You touched on this a little bit earlier, but I think for a lot of MSPs who are changing something like a documentation system that’s core to the business, it feels like there’s a risk there. Even if you see potential benefits, there’s also the challenge of leaving familiar systems, even if they aren’t your favorite things in the world. Can you elaborate a little bit on how you guys approach migration and early adoption so that partners can evaluate Lexful and still keep the business running at the same time? You touched on kind of having that parallel migration path. How exactly does that look for an MSP? Pinar Ormeci: Oh, yeah. As an operational tool, you cannot disrupt the MSP operations. That’s fundamental. So that’s why we say migration without mayhem, and it’s actually one of our core features. The other thing is we are very API-first, meaning even the product that we built is built on APIs. Our front end and back end are decoupled. Everything we do is via APIs. We have a RESTful API already out there for the MSPs to utilize. And for the migration as well, we have an API that automates the migration from an existing tool into the Lexful schema. But while we do that, we also have the MSP continue to use their existing tool while we bring that knowledge into Lexful. And then in that two-week trial, the MSP can use both platforms at the same time, really make sure all that data is there. They can validate that everything is to their liking and all of that. And at the end of that trial, if they continue to move with Lexful, then they can let go of their existing tool. So yeah, migration is very important. And like I say, we automate the migration to the extent possible using the API. Of course, migration is not trivial in any tool, let alone a documentation tool, especially if the MSP has so much documentation. So we always suggest, do this after Friday. Your workday is over, or during the weekend. So just don’t do it Monday 9 AM, just in case, because it might take one hour, two hours or whatever. But having said that, hopefully the migration is the easiest part of switching to Lexful. Robert Dutt: You’re working with AWS. I think you’re thinking on sort of a global scale, and why wouldn’t you, since it’s all online, it’s all technology. But as you think about global expansion, and I’m going to be biased here and say Canada in particular since that’s where this audience lives, how are you thinking about global focus? And also, I’m curious, as you’re talking to MSPs, what differences do you see in how MSPs think about and approach documentation, compliance, AI across the various regions that you’re talking to partners in? Pinar Ormeci: I think Canadian MSPs are pretty amazing and very innovation-forward. They’re definitely thinking about AI, their clients. They’re not that different from the North American ones, obviously. So we have very mature MSPs in Canada. And I don’t see massive differences when it comes to Canadian MSPs versus American MSPs, honestly, because the level of maturity in both countries is similar. So from a distribution perspective, we want to go wherever the pain points exist today when it comes to knowledge and documentation. And that is literally everywhere, right, Robert? So we are a global player and we also want to make it easy for the MSPs to get access to Lexful. We are working with Sherweb, we are working with Pax8. So the hope is that we will be part of those marketplaces definitely within this year. So by the way, a lot of our developers are in Vancouver. So we have great ties to Canada. I’m actually flying on Sunday to Vancouver for some internal meetings next week. So from our perspective, everything we do, everything we envision, our vision, we are a global player. We want to be the de facto central intelligence layer the MSPs trust for years to come. Robert Dutt: And along those lines, kind of looking forward, for an MSP who comes on board early days, as you guys are launching, how do you hope their business looks different a year from now after they’ve fully realized what you guys are doing and what you guys will do with Lexful over the course of that year? Pinar Ormeci: Yeah, excellent question. So we are a paradigm shift. I really see us, remember those days, for people who are old enough, like we used to have no internet, man. Like we used to have encyclopedias and the books, and like, my background is in engineering, I’m an electrical engineer. If I didn’t know something, I had to go open a book and like, it was these weird times without the internet. And then suddenly there was the internet, where this collective information and you can search for anything and, you know, then Google and so on. So that’s the paradigm shift that we are trying to bring the MSPs into. Instead of manual keyword-based search, manual updates and so on, now you live in that knowledge. Knowledge is always up to date. You do in-context troubleshooting. The technicians, they can be in co-pilot, they can be in their PSA, they can be in their Teams and they can just ask Lex to get the right answer contextually. The next steps, and then whatever is new discovered in that discussion is automatically detected if there is a gap and then trickled down to the right SOP, right KB. So this is the paradigm shift that we are talking about, so that MSPs can focus on not the mundane, like, “Hey, we need to update this document,” try to incentivize technicians on actually what makes the money, what delights their customers. They can be so much more strategic with their clients because just imagine now all the insights you can bubble up utilizing an AI and LLM that knows all your clients, that knows all the trends, that knows all the compliance needs. It is just a different game. So we’re really trying to bring the MSPs into an AI-first world because otherwise people will get left behind, right? The old ways don’t scale. Robert Dutt: And finally, probably the most important question we’re going to ask today, and that’s good journalistic practice, right, to wait till the very end to ask the most important question. I do have to ask though, is it true that your AI is also your channel chief? And if so, how sure are you that Lex isn’t coming for your job? Pinar Ormeci: Yeah, so I was like, you know, if you’re an AI-native company, we need to have some teammates that are not just human, but humanoid, let’s say. So we have as our channel chief a humanoid robot that has an LLM, has an NVIDIA chip. We have trained him on all the right things. Although at Right of Boom, people told me, “Oh, we thought he was a female,” but so yeah, Lex is amazing. And he is very clumsy though, so I don’t know that he’s coming after our jobs that fast. But yeah, we’re living in some amazing times. It’s just really fascinating as a technical person myself who’s been in the tech industry for 20-plus years. It’s fascinating to be living in these times where everything is moving exponentially. And yeah, so we do have a channel chief that is not a human. And he is with us at all the events that we go to. You can come to our booth and say hello, and then you can converse with him as well, right? Ask him like, “Hey dude, what do you think the MSP’s pain points are? Is Lex doing a good job? Is Pinar a good boss?” So he’ll have an opinion for you. Robert Dutt: All right, so flesh-and-bone channel chiefs have been put on notice. They are in fact on the list of roles that can be replaced. But jokes aside, no matter how good Lex and his AI pals get, what’s kind of the one role in all of this that you think humans will always play no matter where the technology goes? Pinar Ormeci: I think the judgment layer, at least for the, let’s say, near term, right? I honestly don’t know, 20 years… the thing is moving so fast. I keep reading Anthropic’s CEO and it’s just, things are changing a lot. But in the near term, the human judgment is still paramount. Human in the loop is paramount. And with AI, you have to always trust, but verify. So at Lexful, we make it such that we give all the reasoning the AI is doing to reach that conclusion, all the links where it’s going. So we make sure that the hallucinations, if there are any, are minimized and the humans can verify everything. So the human in the loop is ultimately critical and they are the judgment factor. And especially in the MSP channel, relationships are key. One of the things I love about the MSPs and this ecosystem is the community aspect, people helping each other. Then there’s MSPs being like, “Hey, we’re all on the same team” attitude. So I don’t think you can replace that for small, medium businesses. Ultimately, the best we can be is human. We are not AI, we are not robots. Humans, we’ve evolved to be social animals and community is such an important part of the MSP ecosystem. I don’t think that’s going anywhere soon. So we are here, as we say at Lexful, not to replace expertise. We’re just here to expose it to more people so that the technicians can do more important jobs other than just wasting hours documenting or finding the right information. Robert Dutt: I appreciate your taking the time. Good luck on rolling out and evolving Lexful. It will be exciting to see where things go from here. Thank you very much. Pinar Ormeci: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. There you have it, a look at how AI may change your documentation system and maybe even provide a new business platform for your managed services business in the long run, courtesy of Lexful’s Pinar Ormeci. I’d like to thank Pinar for joining us and thank you for listening. That wraps up this week on the podcast. We’ll be back on Monday with In Case You Missed It, our weekly roundup of channel news and trends that you need to know about. And next week and into the near future, we’ll be taking a look at why modern IT environments are increasingly hard to monitor and have a chat with our frequent guest, Tony Anscombe, about the security forces you need to know about. Between now and then, please do subscribe to or follow the podcast in your podcast app of choice. And if it allows you to do so, please consider leaving a review or rating for the show. Have a great weekend. I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca and I’ll see you around the channel.

AI is overal, maar hoe zorg je voor échte adoptie binnen je organisatie? In deze aflevering gaat Jochem in gesprek met Eric Mink, VP AI Adoption bij Pax8. Eric is iemand die mentaal al in 2027 of 2028 leeft, maar deze toekomstvisie ijzersterk weet te vertalen naar de realiteit en de uitdagingen van vandaag. We duiken diep in de ‘Intelligence' van AI en wat de razendsnelle ontwikkelingen betekenen voor productontwikkeling. In deze aflevering bespreken Jochem en Eric: Hoe zorg je ervoor dat de hele organisatie (de hut!) écht 'AI-first' gaat denken en werken? De evolutie van onze rol: Hoe ziet het werk van de Product Owner er over een paar jaar uit? AI Agents: Vanaf wanneer is het de normaalste zaak van de wereld dat iedereen dagelijks samenwerkt met autonome agents? Een absolute must-listen voor iedere Product Owner die niet wil achterlopen en zich wil voorbereiden op de AI-revolutie die nu gaande is. De Product Owner Podcast is een initiatief van Productowner.nl

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

In this episode of Planning Aces, host Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore how finance leaders are approaching AI's early returns—balancing efficiency, experimentation, and human judgment. CFO Craig Foster of Pax8 discusses how AI enablement is driving measurable productivity gains. CFO David Obstler of Datadog reflects on finding ROI amid rapid innovation and market demand. And CFO Ben Gammell of Brex shares why forecasting still requires human intuition despite data-driven progress. Together, their insights reveal a spectrum of FP&A strategies defining the modern CFO's mindset toward AI adoption and business transformation.Brett Knowles' Key TakeawaysBrett Knowles observes that finance leaders are positioning themselves along a broad continuum—from bold experimentation to cautious skepticism—when it comes to AI in planning. He notes a shift in tone: CFOs are now openly discussing productivity gains and cost efficiency rather than avoiding them. Knowles cautions against overreliance on ROI metrics, emphasizing instead disciplined cost management, pragmatic experimentation, and the evolving role of finance in navigating technology-driven transformation.

In this episode of Planning Aces, host Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore how finance leaders are approaching AI's early returns—balancing efficiency, experimentation, and human judgment. CFO Craig Foster of Pax8 discusses how AI enablement is driving measurable productivity gains. CFO David Obstler of Datadog reflects on finding ROI amid rapid innovation and market demand. And CFO Ben Gammell of Brex shares why forecasting still requires human intuition despite data-driven progress. Together, their insights reveal a spectrum of FP&A strategies defining the modern CFO's mindset toward AI adoption and business transformation. Brett Knowles' Key Takeaways Brett Knowles observes that finance leaders are positioning themselves along a broad continuum—from bold experimentation to cautious skepticism—when it comes to AI in planning. He notes a shift in tone: CFOs are now openly discussing productivity gains and cost efficiency rather than avoiding them. Knowles cautions against overreliance on ROI metrics, emphasizing instead disciplined cost management, pragmatic experimentation, and the evolving role of finance in navigating technology-driven transformation.

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.

Pax8 Beyond EMEA 2025 is less than a week away, and I wanted to take a minute to talk about the cyber sessions. What Matt Lee, of Pax8, is doing (today's guest), specifically his AI and CTF session. We might drift a bit in our conversation and go down a deep rabbit hole when setting up a home lab on the cheap. Enjoy!

The Counsel Podcast is back for Season 5! In this opening episode, Mel Storey shares a deeply personal update: leaving her role as Head of Legal (APAC) at Pax8 to step into self-employment for the very first time. Mel reflects on: Why she chose to resign after 15 years in the law The breadcrumb trail of signs that told her it was time for a reset What it feels like to de-institutionalise from corporate life The messy but exciting process of building a portfolio career How this podcast planted the seed for coaching, content and speaking What's coming up in Season 5, including incredible guests and honest solo episodes This is an honest behind-the-scenes look at career change, identity and learning to back yourself even when you don't have the whole map. Resources and Links: Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code Big Sis Energy for a special discount) All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/ Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/ Instagram & TikTok: @theinhouselawyer Subscribe so you don't miss upcoming episodes featuring in-house leaders, founders and lawyers taking unconventional paths.

When Craig Foster talks about artificial intelligence, he begins with scale. Pax8, the enterprise marketplace where he serves as CFO, connects vendors like Microsoft and CrowdStrike with 43,000 managed service providers. Those MSPs, he tells us, serve between 700,000 and 800,000 small and midsize businesses worldwide.Against that backdrop, Foster describes how AI is reshaping both internal operations and external opportunities. Inside Pax8, teams are experimenting across functions—from customer support to accounting—to automate what was once manual. The company, he tells us, has set a target “to do 20% more with 20% less,” relying on AI tools that are already available. Efficiency gains are not hypothetical; they are part of the current planning cycle.Externally, Foster sees what he calls “agentic marketplaces” emerging—ecosystems where AI modules act as labor components. Vendors are already building such agents, and Pax8 is designing its own. “We're a marketplace,” he tells us, “so we need to incorporate those different… AI components and enable our downstream clients for efficiency.” He believes this wave, unlike earlier technology cycles, is reaching SMBs with unusual speed.The finance leader is also watching economics evolve in real time. Data aggregated across Pax8's network shows strong interest, but pricing remains unsettled. Foster compares today's uncertainty to the early days of API marketplaces, when usage-based models became standard. The question now, he tells us, is how to split value between provider and customer—whether by consumption, per interaction, or shared outcomes. “That's probably the biggest challenge in industry right now,” Foster says.

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.

What if the key to unlocking peak performance is not pushing harder but mastering the art of mental focus and well-being? I traveled to LA to be at Mastery Labs to unlock the secrets of high performance with Michael Gervais, a renowned expert in mindfulness and psychology. This is our annual Holiday episode of Ultimate Guide to Partnering and my gift to you, our amazing listeners, followers, and community. Michael shares how mental training can revolutionize personal and professional approaches to challenges, from his roots in elite sports to shaping corporate cultures. He explores the pivotal moments that sparked his passion, revealing how psychological skills like confidence and focus can be trained to thrive in any environment. This episode highlights actionable strategies for balancing well-being with ambition, applying insights from sports to business, and using mindfulness to direct focus effectively. With stories ranging from surfing competitions to Microsoft's cultural transformation under Satya Nadella, Michael offers a holistic perspective on performance psychology and sustainable success. Thank you for supporting Ultimate Partner and the Ultimate Guide to Partnering Podcast. Please tell your friends, subscribe, and leave us up to a 5-star Review, as it helps us get more amazing guests.

What would a visit to Pax8 Beyond be without a conversation with the legendary Rob Rae? In this episode, Rob joins us to discuss the latest developments at Pax8 and trends shaping the IT services industry. We also dive into why this is the final Pax8 Beyond event in Denver. Full Video Podcast Link: https://youtu.be/wjb3-pSyUb8 --------------------------------------------------- Connect with us! --------------------------------------------------- MSP Unplugged https://mspunplugged.com/ Paco Lebron from ProdigyTeks  Email: paco@mspunplugged.com Rick Smith from Renactus Technology  Email: rick@mspnplugged.com Corey L Kirkendoll from 5K Technical Services https://linkedin.com/in/coreykirkendoll/ Rob Rae from Pax8 https://www.linkedin.com/in/robtrae/

In this on-site episode of MSP Unplugged, we're live from PAX8 Beyond with special guest Dave Meister, Global Channel Leader at Check Point Software Technologies.   We sit down with Dave to talk about the evolving cybersecurity landscape, how Check Point is enabling MSPs to stay ahead of modern threats, and what's coming next in partner enablement, AI, and threat prevention. It's a candid, high-value conversation from the expo floor — packed with insight for today's security-focused MSPs. Full Video Podcast Link: https://youtu.be/o6OebkAIETY --------------------------------------------------- Connect with us! --------------------------------------------------- MSP Unplugged https://mspunplugged.com/ Paco Lebron from ProdigyTeks  Email: paco@mspunplugged.com Rick Smith from Renactus Technology  Email: rick@mspnplugged.com Corey L Kirkendoll from 5K Technical Services https://linkedin.com/in/coreykirkendoll/ David Meister from Check Point Software Technologies https://www.linkedin.com/in/davemeister1/  

In Part 2 of What the Tech: Unpacking Pax8 Beyond, FIT Technologies' CEO Adam Tubbs and COO Ali Amato Tubbs join VP of Client Partnerships Becky Cross to unpack major themes from the Pax8 Beyond Conference. They discuss how AI is accelerating change in the managed services space from the early days of break-fix support to the shift toward recurring services and now toward strategic advisory roles focused on AI and automation. Plus, hear their thoughts on the evolving role of MSPs, building peer connections, and what it was like meeting keynote speaker Neil deGrasse Tyson!

Send us a textIn this high-gear episode from Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz speaks with Colin Britton, COO of Devicie, about everything from Formula One engineering to Microsoft Intune optimization for MSPs. Colin brings decades of experience scaling tech firms across the globe, and he breaks down how Devicie is helping MSPs finally extract full value from Microsoft 365 — especially Intune.Colin explains why MSPs face friction using Microsoft-native tools at scale and how Devicie's automation layer bridges the operational gaps Microsoft leaves open. If you're an MSP tired of jumping between tenants, manually configuring endpoints, or underutilizing Business Premium, this episode hits home.They also explore how AI is rapidly reshaping SMB agility, why consumption-based pricing could shake up business models, and how personal data (from Whoop bands to GitHub Copilot) is becoming a decision-making edge. 

Send us a textIn this thoughtful and grounded episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, Joey sits down with Ken Tripp of Netwrix to discuss the evolving challenges MSPs face — and how true partner-led collaboration can help solve them. Recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, this conversation weaves cybersecurity, personal transformation, and the need for industry-wide unity.Ken explains how Netwrix helps MSPs secure and profit from Microsoft, especially in relation to Copilot rollouts, compliance obligations, and scaling client environments without adding technical overhead. He discusses the shared responsibility model and how Netwrix streamlines identity, permissions, and data classification through AI — reducing labor costs and delivering predictable value to MSPs managing dozens or hundreds of tenants.The conversation also turns personal: Ken shares his 120-pound weight loss journey following a major health scare and how discipline and routine helped him reshape his life. That same clarity, he says, is needed in the MSP space — not just from vendors, but through shared change and joint accountability across the ecosystem. 

Send us a textIn this thoughtful and grounded conversation recorded at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz sits down with Chance Weaver, a seasoned MSP veteran and executive at High Wire Networks, to unpack the intersection of growth, wellness, and sustainable leadership in tech.Chance shares his personal journey through multiple acquisitions, the burnout that followed, and how introspection and intentionality helped him realign with what really matters. They talk openly about the toll that tech leadership can take — especially in the fast-paced world of MSPs — and how High Wire's growth strategy aims to be bold without breaking people.This episode also explores the High Wire partner model, how they scale complex cybersecurity services like SOC-as-a-Service, and the importance of enabling MSPs to lead with their brand, not the vendor's. Chance emphasizes that the secret isn't more tools — it's more clarity.If you're running an MSP or leading a tech team, this episode will resonate. It's about listening to yourself, empowering your partners, and knowing when it's time to let go — or gear up again. 

Send us a textIn this refreshingly candid episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, Joey sits down with Drew Schlussel, Director of Technical Product Marketing at Wasabi Technologies, to talk about simplifying cloud storage and scaling the right way. Recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, this episode cuts through the jargon and gets to the core of what partners truly want: predictability, transparency, and performance that actually delivers.Drew breaks down Wasabi's flat-fee storage model, its refusal to charge for egress or API calls, and why they've ditched tiered pricing entirely. It's not just a technical decision — it's a cultural one. He dives into the psychology behind data usage, vendor relationships, and what it means to truly earn the trust of MSPs.The conversation also covers why Wasabi is doubling down on channel-only sales, how the company avoids fear-based marketing, and Drew's personal perspective on building tech brands that scale without selling out.If you're in the MSP space and tired of the nickel-and-dime model from traditional hyperscalers, this episode will feel like a much-needed reality check. 

Send us a textIn this high-impact conversation at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz sits down with Rob Rae, legendary MSP advocate and VP at Pax8, to talk about platforms, peer groups, and the pulse of the managed services community.Rob shares what sets Pax8 apart from traditional distributors — its MSP-only focus, commitment to partner success, and its evolution into a true marketplace, not just a catalog. He explains how the newly launched public storefronts allow MSPs to create digital buying experiences for end clients, and how Pax8's AI-powered recommendations are reshaping vendor discovery and security posture.The heart of the episode dives into community — from Rob's deep belief in peer groups and soft skill development, to how the post-pandemic MSP landscape has changed. He opens up about Pax8's internal billing transition and how staying responsive during disruption is an act of discipline.Rob also shares the emotional story of how a simple piece of advice transformed an MSP's business — a reminder of the long-term impact one voice can have. 

Send us a textIn this wide-ranging episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, cybersecurity leader Joe Saunders of Check Point shares his journey—from Cuban cigars to global IT strategy. Recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, this conversation blends personal passions with serious insights on cybersecurity, leadership, and AI.Joe kicks things off with a deep appreciation for cigars, explaining how a Cuban cigar gifted at a Pax8 event sparked his fascination. From flavor profiles to Connecticut Maduro wrappers, Joe uses the cigar world as a metaphor for personalization and nuance—something he also values in business relationships.The conversation shifts to Check Point's major Infinity Platform launch, a consolidated suite of AI-powered security tools designed to better serve MSPs and SMBs. Joe highlights the importance of MSP-focused features like multi-tenancy, API integrations, and compliance frameworks (SOC, ISO), all tailored for modern partner operations.He also reflects on the role of discipline and self-awareness in his own growth, echoing Joey's own health journey. Joe closes by inviting MSPs to visit the Check Point booth, try the platform with free licenses, and embrace AI-driven security innovation. 

Send us a textIn this candid and energizing conversation, Joey Pinz sits down with Ryan Ettridge, co-founder and CEO of CyberCert, for a deep dive into martial arts, cybersecurity, and the power of self-awareness. Recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, the episode kicks off with a discussion on Ryan's lifelong relationship with martial arts, including earning multiple black belts, a serious neck injury, and how jiu-jitsu taught him humility, confidence, and long-term mindset.The conversation transitions to business as Ryan shares his vision for CyberCert and the global launch of the SMB 1001 certification standard. Tailored specifically for small and medium-sized businesses, this standard is designed to be MSP-led, making the managed service provider an essential part of the certification process. Cyber insurers recognize it, reducing friction and increasing trust for SMB clients.Ryan also opens up about his personal journey through burnout, executive coaching, and the realization that every leader must confront their internal fears. He's now building an AI executive coaching app to help others do the same.Whether you're an MSP, a cybersecurity pro, or someone chasing alignment in life and business — this episode is packed with strategy, storytelling, and substance. 

Send us a textIn this laid-back yet deeply insightful conversation recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz sits down with Charlie Tomeo, CRO of Rewst, to talk automation, community, and catching kingfish.Charlie shares how his love for fishing helps him reset from the startup grind, offering a rare glimpse into the human side of high-stakes leadership. But the conversation quickly dives into strategy as he explains how Rewstempowers MSPs to automate both the obvious (onboarding, offboarding, password resets) and the often-overlooked “high-hanging fruit” — tasks MSPs haven't automated because they've never done them at all.Rewst isn't just saving time — it's transforming automation into a revenue source and making MSPs indispensable to their clients. Charlie explains how their open canvas approach lets both beginners and tech artists build powerful, customized workflows.We also dig into how leadership is evolving, especially for younger tech teams. Charlie discusses mentorship, motivation, and the value of listening — whether on a Rewst open mic call or in the field with a fishing rod. 

Send us a textIn this energizing episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, Damo Vasudevan of SuperOps joins us from Pax8 Beyond 2025 to talk about AI, mindset, and meatless gains. From Mark Wahlberg-inspired fitness routines to building next-gen PSA/RMM tools, Damo reveals how discipline drives transformation — in both body and business.Damo shares his journey of sticking to a vegetarian diet while maintaining strength and balance, comparing it to the deliberate, incremental innovation behind SuperOps. With over 2,500 features shipped and a channel-focused roadmap, SuperOps is helping MSPs modernize operations, automate intelligently, and scale with confidence.The conversation dives deep into Pathfinder AI, SuperOps' AI engine that analyzes client data, identifies bottlenecks, and offers strategic recommendations to help MSPs grow. Damo also tackles MSP skepticism around AI, encouraging partners to embrace augmentation over replacement.If you're an MSP leader thinking about future-proofing your stack — and your habits — this episode delivers a motivating blend of technology and personal mastery. 

Send us a textIn this flavorful and focused episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, Tanya Alfonso — chef-trained tech executive and cybersecurity leader at Vicarious — joins us from Pax8 Beyond 2025 to talk about precision, process, and performance in the kitchen and in business.From her IBM days to knife skills in culinary school, Tanya shares how her love for cooking fuels her leadership style. Organization, attention to detail, and routine aren't just part of her home kitchen — they're baked into her approach to cybersecurity, MSP partnership, and life.At Vicarious, Tanya helps Managed Service Providers streamline vulnerability remediation, not just detection. She explains how Vicarious goes beyond patching to include patchless protection and scripting — essential in a landscape where 50% of threats won't have a patch available.We also dive into Tanya's take on discipline, mental focus, and personal joy. From 5:30 a.m. workouts to weekly fridge cleans, she shares how consistency fuels both her work-life balance and professional growth. 

Send us a textIn this energetic and introspective episode recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz talks with Gene Kim, VP of Sales at Absolute, about what MSPs truly need from their security vendors — and how personal resilience echoes in business strategy.Gene opens with reflections on surfing at San Onofre State Beach, how the ocean provides a space for introspection, and how tracking progress — even in hobbies — helps him stay motivated. This passion for metrics carries into his work, where he supports MSPs navigating the challenges of brand visibility, cybersecurity threats, human capital gaps, and delivering operational excellence to SMB clients.The episode also explores Absolute's application persistence and resilience tools, which help MSPs ensure critical software stays active — even after catastrophic failures. With 600M+ devices already embedded at the BIOS level, Gene explains how Absolute provides continuity at a scale few can match.In a powerful moment, Joey shares his 120-pound weight loss journey, prompting Gene to reflect on how discipline, metrics, and mindset shape both personal and business transformations. 

Send us a textIn this deeply reflective episode recorded at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz chats with legal-tech leader, artist, and founder of Cloud Contracts 365, Kim Simmonds. From songwriting at the piano to transforming legal AI for MSPs, Kim opens up about the intersections of creativity, leadership, and transformation.The conversation begins in melody and moves into mission — how Kim's self-taught songwriting parallels her bold move to launch an AI-powered legal tool designed just for MSPs. She shares her views on the ethical risks of careless AI use (including lawyers being debarred for citing fake case law), and how her platform avoids hallucinations by not relying on LLMs.They explore differences between US and UK work culture, the undervaluation of MSP services in England, and why shifting from revenue-chasing to meaningful service is the ultimate mindset upgrade. 

Send us a textIn this heartfelt and high-impact episode recorded at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz sits down with Christopher Marquez of IronScales for a powerful conversation that blends vendor strategy, personal resilience, and community leadership.Christopher kicks off by sharing his goals for the week: learning from partners, improving services, and helping MSPs strengthen their security posture. He breaks down how IronScales uses adaptive AI to protect against phishing and email attacks, offering efficient deployment, automation, and education as part of their channel-first approach. MSPs benefit from tools like free email health checks, coaching support, and NFR licenses for internal use.But this episode goes beyond tech. Christopher opens up about his past struggle with alcohol abuse, the wake-up call from his doctor, and his journey to recovery and lasting wellness. He and Joey reflect on the power of discipline, coaching, and community in transforming both business and life.From pork green chili to partner enablement to self-awareness, this conversation is a rich mix of grit, gratitude, and growth — for anyone navigating the MSP space or a personal reset. 

Send us a textIn this deep and forward-looking conversation, Joey Pinz sits down with Chris Day, founder of TopLeft and creator of IT Glue, to explore how technology, intention, and transparency intersect in leadership. Recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, this episode is a must-listen for any MSP founder or operator navigating rapid scale, system chaos, and AI disruption.Chris shares what it was like to build IT Glue from scratch, how TopLeft was born from his own pain points in task management, and what he's learning as he transitions from building tools to building teams. He dives into the current AI landscape, unpacking what's real, what's fluff, and what MSPs actually need to be paying attention to.The conversation also turns personal: Chris discusses the pressure of past success, the challenge of staying grounded post-exit, and how transparency — in business models, client interactions, and personal growth — has become a guiding principle.Whether you're scaling a platform or scaling yourself, this episode delivers clarity, candor, and strategic foresight from one of the MSP industry's most influential builders. 

Send us a textIn this dynamic episode from Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz sits down with Pinar Ormeci, CEO of Timus Networks, for a refreshingly personal and strategic conversation about the future of MSP security—and the mindset shifts that fuel real change.From her love of Legos and pickleball to her experience shedding 120 pounds and redefining identity, Pinar shares how life outside of work deeply informs her leadership inside it. She opens up about her journey from enterprise sales to leading a fast-growth cybersecurity startup committed to replacing outdated VPNs with always-on encrypted access.Pinar explains how Timus Networks empowers MSPs by giving them back control of the network stack, improving client intimacy, and transforming security from a cost center into a growth enabler. She emphasizes the importance of listening to partners, iterating based on feedback, and showing up as a vendor that truly cares.This episode weaves together cybersecurity, mental clarity, and personal evolution—with humor, grit, and actionable insight. Whether you're building your business or building a 5,000-piece Lego set, Pinar shows why focus and flexibility are everything. 

Send us a textIn this soul-rich episode recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz welcomes Darrin Swan — a cybersecurity strategist, vinyl collector, and espresso aficionado — to explore the habits and mindsets that drive both personal clarity and professional performance.Darrin opens up about his nightly ritual of selecting vinyl records to guide his mindset the next morning, the art of mastering an Italian espresso machine, and how these moments of intentionality ripple into his leadership at Total Helps. He shares how setting the tone for the day—creatively and energetically—has shaped his approach to solving problems and leading high-performing teams.On the business side, the conversation gets tactical as Darrin lays out the MSP challenges he's tackling: client security, talent retention, and the need to move from reactive to proactive cybersecurity strategies. He also highlights how mid-market acceptance of MSPs is growing—and how partner trust, cultural transparency, and gamification are key to success in this next phase of growth.It's a unique blend of music, mindset, and cybersecurity that delivers both strategic insight and personal inspiration. 

Send us a textIn this flavorful and thoughtful conversation from Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz sits down with Louis Bagdonas, a leader at Moovila, to explore how cooking, culture, and clarity shape both personal growth and project management in the MSP world.The episode opens with culinary banter — from turkey veal meatballs and single-source olive oil to Lithuanian heritage and the power of finishing what you start. But this isn't just about recipes — it's about how life in and out of the kitchen reveals the habits that lead to success.Louis shares Moovila's mission to help MSPs take control of project management before things go off the rails. He breaks down how MSPs can assess their internal readiness, define what a “project” really means, and avoid letting one person carry the entire load.The conversation shifts to family, discipline, and mindset — from Louis's decision to quit drinking, to making space for impact and balance. Whether you're managing projects or personal pivots, this episode is about owning your process and finding satisfaction in both the work and the results. 

Send us a textIn this candid and energizing episode, Joey Pinz sits down with Tom Harshbarger, cybersecurity leader at Red Sift, who shares how everything from Metallica concerts to chronic illness in his family has shaped his approach to leadership, health, and vendor strategy.Recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Tom reflects on cycling for mental clarity, building trust with MSPs, and the mission behind Red Sift — a company founded by the creators of Shazam to deliver misconfiguration remediation at scale. Their platform empowers MSPs to secure the attack surface while freeing up senior engineers — all while staying invisible to the end customer.Tom also discusses his own health and mindset journey, navigating caregiving for loved ones with POTS, and the mental reprogramming it took to prioritize self-care, sustainable work habits, and meaningful partnerships.From stories of seismic concerts to seismic shifts in MSP cybersecurity, this episode is both vulnerable and visionary — a must-listen for anyone working to scale without burning out. 

Send us a textIn this candid and compelling episode from Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz sits down with Rex Frank, VP of Academy at Pax8 and founder of C-Level. From classic Mustangs to modern AI strategies, Rex shares what it really takes to lead MSPs through their next transformation.Rex explains how agentic AI marks a turning point — as disruptive as the cloud, managed services, or the PC. He urges MSPs to stop waiting and start leading by becoming “customer zero” and mandating AI training within their orgs. But this episode isn't just about technology. It's about structure, mindset, and motion.Drawing on decades of coaching experience, Rex breaks down the “rule of 7,” the hidden costs of undertraining, and why scaling requires letting go of what once worked. He also shares his personal weight loss journey tied to climbing Mount Rainier — and why public goals, peer groups, and urgency drive real change.If you're leading an MSP and wrestling with growth, people, or purpose, this episode delivers rare insight and actionable guidance. 

Send us a textIn this inspiring episode recorded at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz sits down with Marco La Vecchia, a tech leader, cancer survivor, and co-founder of Produce 8 — the only digital work analytics platform purpose-built for MSPs. Marco shares how personal transformation and business evolution are deeply connected.Produce 8 offers something rare: easy-to-understand, aggregated data reports that allow MSPs to guide strategic client conversations. From unused licenses to AI impact metrics, their platform arms providers with the insights needed to go beyond break/fix and become true business partners.Marco also opens up about his health journey, the importance of mental clarity, and why driving his kids to school every day defines success more than any revenue goal. Whether he's DJing in his basement, building recurring revenue models, or helping MSPs scale, Marco shows what it means to lead with purpose and clarity. 

Send us a textKathleen Lord shares a rare blend of personal grit and professional insight in this dynamic episode recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025. From her early passion for equestrian sports to her executive leadership at Zensai, we explore how personal connection, smart systems, and human-centric tech drive real change.Kathleen dives into the realities of horse training, animal instincts, and performance ethics before pivoting into Zensai's mission: helping MSPs deliver post-sale value with ease. Her team's LMS, deeply integrated with Microsoft Teams, offers an elegant solution to a messy problem — keeping end-users engaged and trained without draining MSP resources.We also unpack how AI is reshaping sales funnels and why human connection still matters most — whether in the saddle or the boardroom. 

Send us a textIn this action-packed episode, Joey Pinz sits down with cybersecurity executive and youth baseball coach Aaron Peterik, recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025. From the dugout to the datacenter, Aaron shares what coaching six-year-olds taught him about communication, patience — and how those same lessons apply to securing networks and running channel programs.The conversation kicks off with rule changes in Major League Baseball ⚾ and transitions to the state of youth sports today, emphasizing how multi-sport participation builds better athletes — and people. Aaron also shares sharp takes on parenting in youth leagues and how modern coaching is often hijacked by commercialization.But it doesn't stop there — we dive deep into Aaron's work at Zero Networks, a startup redefining MSP security with agentless micro-segmentation and MFA at the port level

Send us a textIn this episode recorded live at Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz speaks with Shlomi Gian, a tech veteran driving the next chapter of email security with Inky. From anti-phishing to international expansion, Shlomi offers candid insight into how Inky is reshaping the MSP channel with a channel-only model and a coaching-first security approach.We cover Inky's evolution from an enterprise solution to a platform built exclusively for MSPs, leveraging AI, QR-code detection, and banner-based user feedback to block threats and educate users in real-time. Shlomi unpacks the “block and coach” model, Inky's proprietary LLM deployment, and why they run GenAI in-house for both privacy and cost control.He also shares his view on pricing transparency, vendor consolidation, and why MSPs should stop buying “50-cent security.” It's a conversation packed with real value for tech leaders navigating modern threats. 

Send us a textThis heartfelt and high-energy episode from Pax8 Beyond 2025, Joey Pinz speaks with Lorna Burman, a global MSP leader at YouSecure and proud horse owner of Malibu. From riding trails in the UK to leading compliance innovation across EMEA and APAC, Lorna blends courage, confidence, and care into everything she does.Lorna shares her journey of taking up horseback riding at age 42 — and how the adrenaline and peace of the trail helped fuel her leadership style. She opens up about managing remote teams, gathering real-time MSP feedback, and simplifying security and compliance through automation.This episode also explores the mental health benefits of being around animals, the importance of trust in business, and how her team's culture of honesty and rapid response has earned global respect. Whether it's avoiding complex pricing models or making clients feel heard, Lorna explains how empathy scales.If you care about people, process, and purpose — this conversation delivers both inspiration and actionable insight. 

Recorded live at the Pax8 Beyond conference, this special edition dives into the power of endless possibilities when leaders embrace a growth mindset—one that values curiosity, resilience, and a relentless drive to evolve. In Part One, we feature Jeffrey Newton, Founder of Cyft, who shares his inspiring journey from the network closet to becoming a transformational voice in the MSP space. With his book, The MSP's Sales Code, and his podcast The MSP Insider, Jeffrey champions the concept of Service Intelligence—redefining how MSPs leverage AI not just for efficiency, but for strategic, data-driven service delivery. He challenges leaders to go beyond their comfort zones, embrace "push to fail" learning, and ask better questions to unlock desired outcomes. For Jeffrey, it's not about riding the AI wave—it's about guiding the MSP ecosystem toward lasting, meaningful change. In Part Two, we turn to Kathleen Lord, Chief Revenue Officer at Zensai, who is leading the charge to transform compliance and employee learning through a Human Success Platform that integrates directly within Microsoft 365 and Teams. With a deep belief in coaching and the understanding that traditional compliance training is “broken,” Kathleen is advocating for a smarter, AI-powered, personalized learning experience—making development accessible, measurable, and adaptive. Announcing a major new partnership with Pax8, she highlights how Zensai will empower MSPs to go beyond just attaining licenses and deliver true employee impact. A passionate leader and Stanford guest lecturer, Kathleen reminds us that real innovation happens when we stop checking boxes and start creating environments where people can thrive. Follow Jeff and Kathleen on LinkedIn and be sure to visit their organization's websites, Cyft.ai and zensai.com Capture this spirit as the possibilities are endless. Timestamps: [02:15] Part 1 - Jeffrey Newton [27:30] Part 2 - Kathleen Lord --- 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

How can MSPs scale, evolve, and thrive through the power of strategic enablement? David Schafran, Vice President of Partner Enablement at Pax8 provides insight into equipping MSPs with the tools necessary for achieving operational maturity and long-term value. From navigating mergers and acquisitions to shifting perceptions from “break-fixers” to “trusted advisors,” David outlines how enablement is not just about learning, but about deep, sustainable transformation. Highlights include: Behind-the-scenes look at Pax8 Beyond, the channel's premier event, and David's session entitled. ‘M&A for the MSP: How to Build Your Winning Strategy.' Buyers are more risk-aware than ever. 4 Academy delivery learning models. Quickfire lighting round of questions. His passion for photography. Follow David on LinkedIn, visit Davidschafran.com to learn more about this photography, and visit pax8.com to stay connected with the community and marketplace. Timestamps: [09:27] Value Creation Coaching [18:49] Guided Growth to Academy [21:57] Academy learning models [26:35] Weird & Interesting Fact --- 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 What the Tech, we're bringing you a front-row seat to Pax8 Beyond 2025 .Join FIT's own Becky Cross (VP of Client Partnerships), Fred Franks (Chief Strategy Officer), and Jason Collins (Chief Information Security Officer) as they unpack:What agentic AI actually is — and why it matters for MSPsHow shared experience fuels innovation in the MSP communityKey takeaways from Microsoft's sessions and the energy of the event

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: [07:17] Dispel the fear around AI [07:59] The 5 Generation Workforce [14:32] Developing talent around the globe [22:13] 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

"Goals should scare and excite you." That's the mindset Lane Brannan, EVP & GM Americas at Pax8, brings to leadership—and it's exactly what's propelling Pax8 to become one of the most innovative cloud marketplaces in the channel. Lane dives into the company's mission of helping MSPs grow smarter, become more efficient, and reduce risk—while reinforcing the importance of trust, enablement, and delivering real business outcomes. Key Highlights: Pax8 is transforming how MSPs scale and serve clients through education, innovation, and enablement. Vision must be clear from the top and reinforced at every level. Internal onboarding and leadership development are core to growth. Lane's philosophy: align strategy to individual contribution with a closed-loop feedback system. Connect with Lane on LinkedIn and visit Pax8.com to stay informed about the community. Timestamps: [06:51] Evangelize the why [07:46] Internal enablement [14:06] Conference expectations [25:19] Friday Night Lights --- 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

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