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The Business of Tech Podcast
My Daily Podcast, The Business of Tech. 5 minutes of news and comments, asking “Why Do We Care?” for IT services companies
Vendors are rewriting the rules on MSPs faster than anyone can track — pricing, partner programs, liability, and now AI. Business of Tech is the daily MSP news briefing that tells you what changed and what it means for your business.
Every weekday, channel veteran Dave Sobel picks the MSP and IT services news that actually moves your margins, contracts, and risk, and answers the one question that matters: Why do we care? No vendor cheerleading and no press-release rewrites — independent analysis for managed service providers, IT services leaders, and the vendors who sell to them.
Short daily episodes keep you current in about 15 minutes. Longer interviews go deep with MSP owners, investors, analysts, and channel executives on where the managed services market is heading.
What this MSP podcast covers:
• AI for MSPs — AI pricing and consumption billing, AI liability and governance, and AI agents in the service desk
• MSP pricing and profitability — per-user vs. usage-based pricing, margins, service agreements, and vendor rebates
• MSP M&A and private equity — acquisitions, roll-ups, valuations, and what consolidation means for independent MSPs
• MSP vendors and partner programs — Microsoft, Kaseya, ConnectWise, N-able, Pax8, and how channel programs shift risk onto providers
• MSP cybersecurity and liability — cyber insurance, compliance, regulation, and the security-stack decisions that expose a managed service provider
• MSP operations — automation, PSA and RMM, hiring, and the operational maturity that separates growing MSPs from stalled ones
Questions we answer:
• How should an MSP price AI services when vendors move to consumption billing?
• Who carries the liability when AI acts inside a client environment?
• What does private equity consolidation mean for MSP valuations?
• Which vendor partner program changes quietly cut MSP margins?
• What do insurers and regulators now expect from managed service providers?
Business of Tech is produced by MSP Radio, the independent media company for the managed services and IT channel community. Hosted by Dave Sobel, MSP industry analyst and longtime channel veteran. Written versions of every episode, with full source links, at businessof.tech.
The core structural shift identified is the widening gap between increased AI spending by MSPs and measurable business value. According to TD SYNNEX’s global survey of over 1,500 technology resellers, two-thirds are accelerating AI investment, but only one in five derives meaningful revenue. The value of AI does not come from buying licenses but from rebuilding specific processes—something most MSPs have yet to achieve at scale.
A key development is consolidation-driven investment: Lyra Technology Group, backed by Evergreen, is embedding over 50 AI engineers within its MSP portfolio by 2027. This enables rapid in-house process redesign and service innovation, a tactic most independent MSPs cannot financially match. Lyra’s approach leverages access to permanent capital to fund upfront engineering efforts before client revenue materializes.
Supporting evidence confirms that few AI pilots reach production—only 13% according to TD SYNNEX—and that discussions within MSP circles remain subdued, with most usage limited to simple applications like email drafting. Practical success stories, such as custom tools that significantly cut internal processing hours, required extensive internal investment and experimentation rather than simple license acquisition.
For MSPs and IT service providers, these trends shift accountability and risk to the operator. Simply selling AI seats or access does not result in demonstrated value or renewal justification. Sustainable advantage depends on successfully implementing and documenting AI-driven process changes internally before offering them as client solutions. This raises the bar for governance, internal investment, and credibility in AI-related projects.
00:00 Where’s the AI Payoff?
03:58 The Value Lives in the Process
06:37 Who Can Afford to Go First
10:00 Why Do We Care?
Supported by:
Guardz
CouchDrop.io (Oveka)
About Business of Tech: The daily MSP news and analysis podcast for managed service providers and IT services leaders. Host Dave Sobel covers AI for MSPs, MSP pricing and profitability, MSP M&A and private equity, vendor partner programs, MSP cybersecurity and liability, and MSP operations — and answers the question every story raises: Why do we care? Produced by MSP Radio.
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