The Channel's Search for AI Monetization

Exclusive Canalys research delivered by leading analysts Jay McBain and Robin Ody showed data that quantified the enormous business opportunity around AI that could be in the trillions of dollars. They also showed how the MSP channel is starting to move more upstream into selling services to the enterprise for a variety of reasons, but mostly because providers of managed services are seen as the most knowledgeable business technology leaders in the industry. Arby’s slog may be “we have the meats," but the channel’s slogan should be, “we have the answers.” 

Lenovo, which is investing heavily in the MSP channel, held a closed-door session to help educate partners on how to tap into the AI opportunity. Some individuals who attended the event said partners discussed customer confusion around Microsoft Copilot and Open AI’s ChatGPT, and many other basic principles of using AI. MSPs' customers are using generative AI in a variety of ways and in some cases exposing company information or falling out of compliance. Many providers are talking about monetizing AI, but here was Lenovo, traditionally viewed as a hardware provider, taking the lead in training partners.  

Some early, guiding voices of how channel partners can advance their AI practices are emerging, and they did so here at the MSP Summit. New Charter Tech’s Chance Weaver, who oversees the company’s Microsoft practice, mapped out how partners should be building AI practices specifically around data governance, compliance and management. Among other strong voices on AI monetization included Ron Lovern of Triton Networks and Len DiCostanzo, CEO of MSP Toolkit. New Charter’s CEO Peter Melby and executive chairman Mitch Morgan helped train partners on how to improve business models to free up more dollars to invest in AI services. 

The CEOs of companies that truly focus on the MSP market spent time in the trenches at this event talking to partners about their challenges adopting and leveraging AI. Our CEO keynoters bolted from the stage to work the crowd to ask pertinent questions so, as company leaders, they can start forecasting AI-related sales and invest in channel partner programs to support MSPs.  

The CEOs of NinjaOne, Sophos, Blackpoint and Kaseya engaged with partners onsite to understand how they are using AI to improve their business efficiency and explain how they are incorporating AI-based technology. It was refreshing to hear them not position their companies as AI companies vs. what happened during the cloud era, but as companies with a handle on the AI opportunity and how it is improving their software, operations or processes. 

Perhaps the most sobering advice was delivered by Paul Epstein, former senior executive with the NFL and NBA, who told the audience given today’s business conditions they need to make decisions faster and presented a road map for how to be more decisive. Anyone sitting in the audience wondering if they should move forward, clearly got motivated to make a decision about their AI strategy, then move forward. Delaying such a decision is likely a formula for disaster. 

As one customer said to the partners assembled, his organization deployed multiyear, multimillion-dollar AI projects. “I am living proof that investment is worth it,” he said.