The content team at the MSP Summit site tracks stories of interest to the managed services provider community. Anyone selling managed services or partnering with MSPs will want to know about these developing stories or catch up on stories they have missed. All links are current as of Oct. 19.
The Pace of AI Is Breaking Channel Economics
Artificial intelligence is changing everything in technology, including how quickly innovations reach the market. Anthropic and OpenAI release new models several times a year. Software companies roll out new features and capabilities every quarter. This pace, unprecedented in the tech industry and the channel, is threatening to break the economics of partnership. Read the Channelnomics story.
Gartner Says Trillions of AI Infrastructure Spending Could Face Impairment by 2031
More than $3.5 trillion of AI infrastructure spending could be exposed to impairment by the end of 2030 if AI providers continue their current pace of capital spending, according to Gartner. By then, Gartner predicts, cost pressure and a lack of a differentiating business model will force over 80% of neocloud providers to cease independent operations. Read the Gartner press release.
AI Security Tools Trigger Alert Fatigue
AI is disrupting enterprise cybersecurity environments, according to a survey of nearly 600 cybersecurity decision-makers and practitioners from IT management provider N-able. Among a cohort of managed service providers, small and midsize businesses and midmarket organizations, more than 80% said they had experienced a confirmed or suspected AI-assisted attack in the past year. Read the Channel Dive story.
Shield Technology Partners Builds Something New in Managed Services
Shield Technology Partners, an MSP platform company on the receiving end of a $100 million investment from Thrive Holdings Unit and ZBS Partners, fuses software, services, and a ton of venture capital under one roof. That combination of culture, tech, and capital is the crux of the strategy Thrive and ZBS are pursuing with Shield, as it combines each firm’s core competency. Read the Channelholic story.
McChord Moves Into Slide CEO Role
Slide founder Austin McChord has taken over as CEO of the business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) company built exclusively for managed service providers (MSPs). McChord, who also founded Datto, succeeded co-founder Michael Fass, who has stepped down from his position as CEO. Read the Slide press release.
Sophos Aims to Help MSPs Become Better CISOs
As organizations struggle to implement cyber defense capabilities, managed services providers are answering calls for assistance. Demand for trusted advisors with the resources and knowhow to run cybersecurity operations is expanding, according to a recent Sophos report. Read the Channel Dive story.
VergeIO Promises Unhappy VMware Users with 120% Faster Migrations
VergeIO is tempting customers of its rival VMWare with promises of 120% faster migrations away from the Broadcom-owned business. The pledge was part of the latest update to its flagship VergeOS, version 26.2. The vendor claims its dedicated VMware migration service now features asynchronous I/O to its network block device (NBD) transfers. VergeIO said that can make both stages 120% faster while also reducing cutover. Read the SDxCentral story.
The AI Happy Path is Easy, but Enterprise Reality is Hard
The easiest AI system to build is the one that works in a demo. The user asks a clear question. The data is available. The prompt is well-formed. The model has sufficient context. The integration returns the correct response. The answer looks polished. The executive team nods, and everyone leaves the room believing they have seen the future of enterprise productivity. Read the TechTarget story.
GTIA Launches Managed Intelligence Alliance to Help IT Service Providers
AI is rapidly emerging as the next major service category for the IT channel, but the practices needed to support it are still taking shape. To address this need, the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) launched the Managed Intelligence Alliance, a vendor-neutral program designed to help IT service providers deliver artificial intelligence to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) securely, responsibly and at scale. Read the GTIA press release.
Canalys Channel Forum: Circular Computing’s Moment
With customers struggling to afford or source hardware, and the pressure to keep energy costs down multiplying, there is a clear case for an alternative approach. Speaking at the Canalys Channel Forum, Omdia senior analyst Ben Caddy said market pressures had bought the circular computing conversation center stage. Read the MicroScope story.