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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 key market dynamic is the decline of feature differentiation among MSP software platforms, driven by AI making new features inexpensive and quick to replicate. This has led incumbent vendors to focus on securing long-term customer commitments, while challengers enter with lower prices and more integrated offerings. Market power now increasingly concentrates at renewal, where MSPs can negotiate flexibility rather than feature sets.
Omdia reported the global RMM and PSA market reached $600 million in Q2, up 15.6% year-over-year. NinjaOne grew its market share to 20%—matching ConnectWise—after a 53% increase in RMM revenue, while Kaseya fell to 18.8%. Flamingo is offering an integrated platform with AI agents at $1 per device, claiming hundreds of MSPs in use and thousands on a waitlist. Meanwhile, N-able’s growth slowed with reduced full-year outlooks, citing customers seeking lower prices or shifting to competitors.
Supporting developments show vendors embedding previously premium AI features into standard packages and pressing MSPs toward long-term contracts with price adjustments. Studies indicate clients now prioritize evidence of security and recovery capability over purchasing more tools, but few MSPs currently provide the attestation and documentation insurers demand.
For MSPs and IT leaders, contract flexibility, data portability, and renewal timing have become higher risk factors than feature lists. Operational planning should emphasize short-term contracts, clarity on exit options, and readiness to provide recovery evidence—reducing lock-in just as pricing pressure and functional parity increase.
00:00 The Leader Changed in One Quarter
04:04 Cheap Features, Costly Commitments
06:43 Your Clients Are Buying Proof
10:05 Why Do We Care?
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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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