AI isn’t coming for the MSP channel—it’s already here, reshaping customer expectations, revenue models, and the way technology is bought and consumed.
In this fast-paced MSP GLOBAL 2025 session, Pax8’s Rob Rae cuts through the noise to explain how AI, marketplaces, and shifting buyer behavior will redefine what it means to be an MSP in the years ahead.
Five takeaways for MSPs
- AI will power the next major revenue stream—managed intelligence—and early adopters gain the biggest advantage.
- SMB tech spend has overtaken enterprise spend, creating the strongest growth window the MSP channel has ever seen.
- Customer buying behavior has changed permanently—buyers want digital experiences, not demos.
- MSPs will shift from solution providers to builders, creating customized AI-driven workflows, agents, and integrations.
- Monetization must evolve, moving from per-seat models to outcome-based pricing.
Watch the session or check out the summary below:
Key sections to watch
0:50 – Why MSPs must rethink their role in an AI-first market
3:47 – How marketplaces change buyer expectations
7:12 – Storefronts and the rise of customer-led research
10:07 – What AI inside the marketplace enables today
12:46 – The “managed intelligence” opportunity
17:30 – Monetizing AI-driven outcomes
22:17 – The SMB spend shift that changes everything
Insight Summary
AI is changing how technology is bought, delivered, and valued. MSPs now operate in a market where customers research solutions long before they speak to a provider. Buyers expect digital autonomy. They want clarity, speed, and the ability to explore options without sitting through demos. MSPs must adapt to stay visible early in the buyer journey.
Marketplaces are becoming central to that shift. Today’s Cloud marketplaces do far more than list products. They:
• Highlight upsell opportunities.
• Reveal gaps in customer deployments.
• Surface data that guides more targeted conversations.
Storefronts take this further. An MSP can embed its own marketplace directly into its website. Customers browse at their own pace. Providers see what clients are comparing, reading, and considering. Sales discussions become sharper and better informed.
AI accelerates everything. It is being built into every tool and workflow. The role of the MSP is expanding:
• From reselling tech to building intelligence on top of it.
• From deploying solutions to creating customised automations and agents.
• From standard service models to outcome-based value.
This emerging category—managed intelligence—opens a new revenue stream. It creates deeper customer stickiness by delivering something unique, not easily replaced, and tailored to each business.
The opportunity is huge. SMB technology spend has now overtaken enterprise spend for the first time. That means more demand. More budget. More room for MSPs to grow.
Success will come to those who move early. Focus on:
• Building AI capability within your team.
• Improving digital buying experiences.
• Using marketplace data to guide decisions.
• Reworking pricing models around outcomes, not seats.
The next phase of the MSP industry has already begun. The fastest movers will define it.
AI is accelerating fast, but the MSP community is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation—if you start preparing now.
Watch the replay, download the reports Rob discusses, and take the next step toward building AI-ready services that customers can’t live without.
Stay connected to the international MSP community
For more sessions, insights, and free event registration updates, sign up for the MSP GLOBAL newsletter.
