MSP Evolution

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    Channel vendors have an account management problem

    The delicate balance between direct sales and partner-driven deals is under strain, especially in the telco sector.

    By • May 20, 2026
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    Zendesk deploys customer service agents, raising the bar for its channel partners

    The CRM vendor wants to put an end to chatbots with automation that requires deep industry knowledge and governance support from trusted advisors.

    By Christine Horton, Channel Dive contributor • May 20, 2026
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    ERP vendor Infor goes all in on the channel

    The company saw partner growth outpace direct sales last year, according to Jeanne Newberry, Infor SVP of ecosystem and business development.

    By Christine Horton, Channel Dive contributor • May 20, 2026
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    Sean Gallup / Staff via Getty Images
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    Microsoft licensing ignites a midmarket battle

    The elimination of bulk enterprise agreement discounts and aggressive customer deal shopping have sparked channel conflict.

    By • May 19, 2026
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    istockphoto.com / gorodenkoff

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    Sponsored by Watchguard

    The MSP security problem isn’t what you think it is

    Meet RAI: AI built to scale MSP security operations.

    By Linda Kerr • May 18, 2026
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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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    Permission granted by Joel Abramson
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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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    Justin Sullivan / Staff via Getty Images
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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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    Permission granted by BCM One
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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