Most of us understand that the traditional model of Value Added Resellers (VARs) and Distributors, where transactions were king, is long over. We are also now coming to the end of the traditional MSP model.
The IT channel needs a new playbook to thrive in 2026 and beyond.
Selling pure Software as a Service (SaaS) is no longer a viable path to significant profit for channel partners. Vendors are the primary beneficiaries, capturing the recurring revenue, while the partners’ cut shrinks. AI coding is also putting pressures on SaaS companies and their stock prices. The prevailing advice is to build high-value managed services around the SaaS to achieve the promised 10X downstream revenue—a concept that is often easier said than done.
While valuable to certain companies, marketplaces may have compounded this problem, consolidating purchasing and redirecting margins away from most partners. Furthermore, the rise of AI, VIBE coding, and increasingly accessible tools for building custom software have begun to democratize the creation of technology. While this brings new opportunities, hurdles remain, including security, protection from attackers, and the complexities of hosting and application maintenance, potentially ushering in a new era of DIY “legacy” software.
As a journalist observing the industry from all stakeholder angles, I recognize the interconnectedness of the forces and challenges and am dedicated to uncovering the truth to help my channel community. If you want my daily dose, subscribe to eChannelNEWS.
On May 28-29, we will be laying out the blueprint for the next generation MSP… I will be hosting ChannelNEXT Central in Toronto with my two co-hosts Paolo Del Nibletto and Randal Wark to discuss the future of the channel starting with 4 industry leaders who know the truth as much as anyone else – Rob Rae, Dan Wensley, Chris Day and Chris Fabes. If I were building an MSP or wanted to future-proof my business today, I would listen to and pick the brains of these gents.
But we are not stopping there as you never know what we will miss so we will also be joined by some powerhouses in the MSP business to help guide the discussions and debate. They include Andy Larin, Vince Fung, 🍁Barbara Paluszkiewicz, Michael Contento, CEPA, Nim Nadarajah, C.CISO, PMP, MBA, SSGB, CSM , Evgeniy Kharam, Simon David Williams, Giuseppe Ussia, Miguel Ribeiro, and Mike Pearlstein. When you add this group into the equation, you will get to the bottom of the truth and you will clearly see the future of the channel community and how you fit.
The #1 Goal is to deliver a solid fact-based roadmap for partners, providing them with clear direction on where to focus their efforts. Because giving advice on where to go without providing directions on how to get there is a constant frustration, here are the 10 key takeaways to help build the blueprint for the future MSP.
Keep in mind that it’s heavily infused with the ethos of AI, so with it’s rapid pace of change, there will be new discoveries that can cause adjustments along the way…
How will ChannelNEXT26 will empower partners with practical knowledge and actionable strategies to gear up, starting now?
- AI for Empowerment: The CEO of HOVR, a ride-share company with an innovative, driver-first business model powered by AI, will demonstrate how technology can deliver genuine, positive financial impact and high “happiness ROI” for countless individuals, who you may not think could significantly benefit from the AI economy.
- The Digital Waterfall: Prepare to have your expectations blown by our resident expert on AI-powered sales and marketing, showing you the absolute future of the AI-empowered sales rep and digital marketing. You won’t need anything else.
- Modern Leadership: Three experts will share the combined perspectives necessary for leadership in the AI era—your old ways won’t work anymore.
- Maximize Business Valuation: Learn from one of the best in the industry how to assess your current situation and implement the levers—profitability, stability, predictability, and value—to maximize your business’s worth, whether you plan to sell or not.
- The Power of Peer Groups: Experience a session where the collective knowledge of eight like-minded people will help you literally solve any business problem. Choose from 10 different topics and realize you are not alone. Group-Force is real!
- Build Your AI Playbook: Ten experts have been assembled to help you fine-tune your specific AI strategy, which is paramount to the future success of you and your clients.
- Cybersecurity in the Age of AI: The next generation of cybersecurity requires being AI-ready for accelerated cyber warfare, as bad actors are leveraging automated AI Agents to be smarter, faster, and wider-reaching. Speed to stop breaches and recover is everything and that timeline is currently pegged at under 10 minutes.
- The Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem: Explore this always-open resource designed to help you solve any cybersecurity problem on demand, including vCISO, compliance, incident response and cyber insurance.
- Health and Mental Wellness: Without a focus on mental and physical health, the game is over. I almost bit the dust so I know first-hand. Some awesome MSPs and experts will share personal stories and strategies to help you navigate difficulties and improve relationships.
- Double Down with Workshops: To ensure we don’t miss anything, we’ve added seven break-out workshops, allowing you to focus deeply on solving the challenge closest to your heart.
If you want one of the best channel conference experiences while you explore the future of the MSP, then attend ChannelNEXT on May 28-29 in Toronto. If nothing else, come meet and exchange ideas with your peers to build your own network.
