Digital transformation, cybersecurity and AI are all essential components to future-proof the MSP business model. The next generation MSP will certainly be empowered by AI but the key challenge for MSPs is how to adapt their businesses to thrive in this new AI-driven era.
Ultimately, the goal is to continuously leverage the evolving capabilities of technology and services powered by AI to improve business outcomes for both the MSP and its customers.
A future MSP org chart may look something like this (below). Note that AI agents can also have AI Agent Assistants. An eight person MSP could operate like a 20 person MSP at less than half the cost and manage 5X more business. A massive jump in productivity, sales, service quality and profitability!
In the previous world that was void of today’s AI, many developers were able to build tools to help traditional MSPs work more efficiently. Today, these tools are all leveraging some AI to increase productivity and decrease complexity. That may breathe new life into these tools but will that be enough for tomorrow?
MSPs will likely morph into some form of Managed Artificial Intelligence Services (MAIS). As AI automates many current managed services, entry-level tasks, and business processes, MSPs will need to take a leadership role in AI transformation of business.
Successful MSPs are already building their own private AI ecosystems and agents.
A word of caution for MSPs looking to adopt the latest crop of purpose-built AI solutions for managed services that either work as a stand-alone or integrate with other traditional MSP platforms to augment its current capabilities. While this may sound like a good alternative to what you currently have, AI is evolving so fast that you should expect a brand new crop of AI-powered tools for MSPs. Most will not be built by current MSP tool developers.
Everything is back on the table. A new wave of AI tools is coming and will change the MSP model to be more automated AND integrated with the tech-stack, security and AI needs of their end-customers. There are big reasons for this, but simply put, MSPs will be driven by the speed and type of AI adoption on top of the usual technology and cybersecurity needs of their clients so they will need to really understand and be plugged into the real-time AI journey of their clients – it’s a different skill set and most likely driven by third-party AI consultants. I will dig deeper into this in another article.
Focus on building out your own AI super-powers.
Traditional search engines are being replaced by AI search. Soon “google it” will change to “Ask AI”. Even searching for information on vendor PRMs is going to succumb to prompts generated outside of the PRM. Deal registration with any vendor will be able to be generated by AI prompts within a customizable AI platform and then sent, negotiated and executed with an AI Agent. Researching clients is easily done today with AI prompts. And, that is just a taste or what’s to come…
How your clients use AI and how you support that is the #1 mission for the next generation of MSPs.
Since effectively utilizing AI doesn’t come naturally to most, comprehensive and ongoing education is essential to learn how to harness its power to achieve desired outcomes and uncover unforeseen possibilities. That said, AI is getting easier to use and with voice prompts, who knows what that experience will look like in the future.
Realizing AI’s full potential will likely involve the creation of specialized, privately trained AI agents for a variety of purposes. These agents may eventually interact and even integrate autonomously. Furthermore, the interaction of AI agents with external agents and large language models introduces more complex considerations, including potential security Risks. Securing everything is a basic requirement. Your AI ecosystem will constantly require monitoring, management and innovation.
Embarking on your AI journey involves three basic steps:
- For those relatively new to AI, begin by setting up and becoming proficient with basic accounts on various large language models. Familiarize yourself with their interfaces and the process of prompt engineering. Experiment with different inputs and analyze the outputs, always being careful not to include sensitive information in your AI queries to protect your privacy.
- If you are more intermediate, enhance your understanding of LLM functionality and how third-party tools can improve their utility for your specific needs by learning and enrolling in advanced AI courses. While self-learning is possible, formal training can accelerate your progress and help you avoid costly mistakes. Expert-led courses offer valuable insights for navigating the rapidly changing AI landscape. Observing others in these courses can often reveal innovative applications and efficiencies, highlighting the potential for substantial improvements even for experienced LLM users. Some may find it necessary to revisit previous work after discovering more effective tools and methods.
- At the advance level, the selection of AI tools will depend on your individual skills, requirements, and desired results. Each AI agent that you build can be tailored to align with your business and personal preferences. Building, custom coding, testing and refining these AI agents will require time and effort. Keep in mind that AI Agents can do as much as you want it to do – it can even complete an actual transaction. At this point AI governance will be mission critical.
What are we doing to help our channel community leverage the benefits of AI?
We are learning and digesting a lot of AI-powered solutions every day before bringing the best ideas to our community. A special thank you to all the MSPs and AI experts for continually sharing their insights with us as we could not have imagined more than 10% without that help. As promised, we are not disclosing any of your secrets but so appreciate your willingness to help the entire channel community to do better. Your words “there is a lot more business to feed all of us and more”
- We currently offer 15 ways to assist you on your AI Journey by independent providers. Each can empower your MSP business today (more to come): https://www.e-channelnews.com/ai-inquiry-form/ This simple entry point to inquire about AI solutions will be constantly adjusted as we learn and expand. Soon we will be adding managed services solutions as many MSPs are currently re-orchestrating their traditional solution stack with AI. That said, keep an eye on the next generation of PSA/RMM platforms to get a glimpse of what’s coming (see eChannelNEWS for interviews with some vendors).
- In today’s everything-with-AI, eChannelNEWS continues to analyse and interview many companies and experts to uncover those that actually demonstrate significant outcomes with AI. Explore www.e-channelnews.com to learn more 365 days a year
- Get in-person insights, participate in workshops and collaborate with your peers to get your questions answered while accelerating on your AI journey www.channelnext.ca
In the absence of an unregulated MSP business where so much mission critical work is being done, we have to rely on the community to self-govern and share best practices to raise the tide to lift all boats. If you would like to contribute, you know how to reach us.
