MSP Evolution

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    Retrieved from Channel Partners Conference & Expo on May 15, 2026
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    Partners pick up on mixed customer signals amid Microsoft’s E7 push

    As $99 per user annually, the AI-infused 365 bundle may be too pricey for immediate mass adoption.

    By • May 15, 2026
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    AI inference is a channel opportunity hiding inside an infrastructure problem

    Latency, egress and sovereignty issues are pushing workloads into distributed architectures, according to Akamai. Partners can guide the shift.

    By Kelly Teal, Channel Dive contributor • May 15, 2026
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    Kaseya tempts MSPs with wait-and-see agentic platform pricing

    “We need to really better understand the cost of goods sold, and the best way to do that is to see usage over a few months,” Kaseya CPO Jim Lippie said.

    By • May 13, 2026
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    Opinion

    How platform consolidation eases AI adoption

    Organizations simply don’t have the governance and compliance support needed to scale use cases.

    By Scott Sacket • May 13, 2026
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    SonicWall doubles down on MSP strategy with firewall platform upgrade

    The launch parallels Palo Alto Networks, Proofpoint and other vendors streamlining managed security services offerings.

    By • May 13, 2026
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    Enterprise AI execution gaps open a path for partners

    Despite growing confidence in AI capabilities, most companies still can’t deliver returns on their investments, according to ERP vendor Infor.

    By Kelly Teal, Channel Dive contributor • May 12, 2026
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    VC firm bets $28M that MSP software is the market’s missing middle

    Top Down Ventures closed its first fund above target. Now it’s making a case for the software layer supporting MSPs.

    By • May 11, 2026
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    OpenAI spins up standalone consulting business

    The model builder acquired applied AI engineering firm Tomoro to help staff the $4 billion venture.

    By • May 11, 2026
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    TD Synnex signs BCM One as its partners turn to telecom

    The deal will give VARs and MSPs the IT and connectivity service bundles they're looking for.  

    By • May 8, 2026
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    AvePoint salutes partners for record software revenue gains

    The channel now accounts for roughly half of the data management platform’s recurring business, executives said during a Thursday earnings call.

    By • May 8, 2026
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    Netrio rolls out midmarket AI advisory unit with Accenture vet at the helm

    “To us, AI consulting feels like table stakes because if we don’t address it, somebody else will,” the MSP’s CEO Mark Clayman said.

    By • Updated May 8, 2026
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    Meter launches $100M partner fund to take on traditional networking vendors

    The managed infrastructure vendor is betting big on the channel with rebates, spiffs and MDF as enterprise networking demand picks up.

    By Christine Horton, Channel Dive contributor • May 6, 2026
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    Huntress secures foothold in distribution channel

    The company forged reseller alliances with Ingram Micro, Vertosoft, Liquid PC and QBS Software as it expands beyond the MSP market.

    By • May 5, 2026
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    MSPs need AI to fight AI-fueled cyberthreats: Guardz

    Entry points haven’t changed but the speed and scale of attacks have intensified, the security vendor found.

    By Kelly Teal, Channel Dive contributor • May 4, 2026
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    The MSPs set for rapid growth have stopped counting tickets

    Break-fix built the MSP industry, but it won’t sustain it. A new generation of providers is finding out what comes next.

    By Craig Galbraith, Channel Dive contributor • May 1, 2026
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    Cognizant buys Astreya to bolster its AI builder strategy

    The 25-year-old managed services provider deepens Cognizant’s bench of infrastructure talent amid unprecedented levels of data center investment.

    By • April 29, 2026
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    Kaseya delivers agentic AI support for MSPs

    The IT management software provider trained autonomous AI assistants on more than a billion help-desk tickets.

    By • April 28, 2026
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    AI raises the bar for IT service providers: Bain

    Two reports from the consulting firm highlight the opportunities and challenges facing channel partners.

    By Kelly Teal, Channel Dive contributor • April 28, 2026
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    Hyperscalers don’t need partners — their customers do

    Big Tech infrastructure investments bypass the channel, yet there’s $78 billion in data center spending out there for managed service providers.

    By • April 27, 2026
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    Channel Partners Conference & Expo. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Spectrotel, AireSpring merge into a major telco force

    Two of the largest network MSPs combined forces to take on Granite and MetTel.

    By • April 23, 2026
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    Why system integrators are outsourcing managed services

    Xtium’s scaled up offering has made it a target for advisor and integrator partners.

    By • April 22, 2026
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    Matt Ashare

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    Channel leaders confront the trilemma of AI

    Partners should be ready to help businesses tame a three-headed beast: outdated infrastructure, spiraling cloud costs and VMware dependency.

    By • April 20, 2026
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    Wipro buys Alpha Net service contracts to fuel AI push

    The India-based global consulting firm paid $70.8 million for the acquisition, which is expected to close June 30, it stated in a BSA filing.

    By • April 17, 2026
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    The MSP AI gap is about governance, not skills

    Fewer than half of IT service providers are ready to deliver compliance at scale, according to research by Omdia and AvePoint.

    By Christine Horton, Channel Dive contributor • April 17, 2026
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    AI, automation restart MSP growth engines: report

    Nearly three-quarters of managed service providers are struggling to find new customers as existing contract values shrink, Kaseya found.

    By • April 16, 2026