One factor that separates the MSP 501 from the total MSP universe is that 501 companies are far ahead of the pack when it comes to AI adoption.
That’s according to a detailed analysis that PartnerOptimizer CEO Dina Moskowitz presented at the MSP Summit last week in Orlando, FL. PartnerOptimizer research shows 52% of the 2026 MSP 501 are considered Frontier AI partners. That’s up from 40% in 2025. Meanwhile, only 19% of the overall MSP universe are Frontier AI partners – up from 16% last year. Moskowitz defines Frontier partners as MSPs sending strong signals to indicate AI is deeply embedded in their capabilities, offerings, technology ecosystem, or go-to-market positioning. These are the most advanced MSPs when it comes to AI adoption and readiness.
The statistics come from PartnerOptimizer’s proprietary NeuralPartner data optimizing engine that compared 46,000 MSPs to the MSP 501.
MSP 501 companies are “leaning into the AI world and AI practices, and that means talking about all sorts of things related to AI -- not just an AI assistant or a specific brand, but how to use AI, how you adopt it, and how you help your customers take it in,” Moskowitz said.
As for the overall MSP sector, she said: “It appears many MSPs are on the fence. Things are moving a little slower overall for partners. It is getting adopted more and more, but you must be proactive about it if you want to look more current.”
AI adoption and readiness is one of four types of data PartnerOptimizer mines. The other types are technology practices, industries and customers, and vendors and products.
Another area where the is a big difference between the MSP 501 and the overall MSP market is in technology practices. For example, MSP 501 companies are more than four times more likely to offer end point device management than other MSPs. They are also more than twice as likely to offer backup/disaster recovery, MDR/XDR/NDR, and email security, and nearly twice as likely to offer cloud storage backup.
An overwhelming amount (77%) of MSP 501 companies focus on one or two verticals, with financial services (34%) and government/public sector (25%) leading the way.
Paco Lebron, founder of Chicago-based MSP ProdigyTeks, helped Moskowitz present her findings during an MSP Summit keynote and breakout session. He stressed the importance for MSPs to become specialists in the vertical markets they target.
“The question for those of you who provide IT support and speak to an industry or two is whether you're truly meeting them where they are or just advertising to them because they happen to be your client base and portfolio,” he said. “Consider whether there's an opportunity to drill down.”
Moskowitz reminded MSPs that their websites define who they are to customers.
“What you signal truly matters out there in the cybersphere, and that's what we're bringing to you [with her research],” she said. “What you signal is who you are to your customers, like it or not.”