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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 episode highlights a fundamental shift towards automation and agentic workflows in IT service delivery, as described by Slide and its leadership. This shift is exemplified by the move from traditional, manual “what” work in IT and software engineering to task automation at a machine or agentic level. Slide’s adoption of internally developed SaaS backup for Microsoft 365 and accelerated product roadmaps—enabled by recent AI advancements—reflects this industry-wide movement toward leveraging technology for operational speed and efficiency.
The most consequential development discussed centers on the patent litigation between Slide and Kaseya/Datto. According to public records and statements from Slide, Kaseya and Datto expanded their infringement claims to cover 16 patents, now adding three more, and are seeking an injunction against Slide’s BCDR platform. Slide, led by interim CEO Austin McChord, maintains that it did not infringe on patents or misuse trade secrets, asserting confidence in its legal position and product differentiation. Slide has not filed any patents of its own as of now. The litigation brings uncertainty for MSP partners, as Kaseya’s complaint includes claims that customer usage may also constitute infringement.
Supporting developments include leadership changes at Slide, with Michael Fass stepping down and no direct link to the ongoing litigation, as confirmed by Slide. The episode also details Slide’s rapid internal technology adoption, with AI-driven acceleration of development cycles, reorganization of development teams, and an emphasis on reducing human synchronization bottlenecks. Internally, Slide is measuring engineering progress through deliverable output and reduction in support tickets rather than traditional process metrics, reflecting a shift in operational accountability.
For MSPs and IT service providers, the practical implications include growing exposure to supplier legal disputes and potential contract risk, especially where customer usage is implicated in ongoing litigation. The move toward automation introduces new governance challenges as responsibilities shift from manual to machine-driven processes. Leaders should closely monitor vendor claims about agentic technology readiness, manage costs as AI tools are not always cost-effective at current scale, and ensure safeguards are in place when outsourcing operational tasks to automated systems. Ongoing adaptation will be required as both legal environments and technology capabilities continue to change rapidly.
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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