MSP Chat

Erick and Rich discuss what research from CompTIA implies about the year ahead for the channel in AI, plus three proven strategies for navigating client budget constraints. Then they’re joined by compliance guru Mike Semel for a deep dive look at what the recently published CMMC final rule means for MSPs. And finally, one last thing: The lamest excuse ever given for failing to return a rental car on time. 

Discussed in this episode:
Happy Days Are Here Some More!
CompTIA’s IT Industry Outlook 2025 report
Mike Semel’s free CMMC 2.1 Desktop Reference Guide
Woman arrested in Spokane after saying she was too busy to return rental car

Welcome to 2025! Erick and Rich kick off the year by discussing research from last month showing just how much MSPs value platforms, explaining how to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to generate leads without cold calling, and sharing New Years resolutions for themselves and the channel. And finally, one last thing: A look back at last year’s predictably chaotic Santa Claus bar crawl. 

Discussed in this episode:
MSPs Love Platforms
Eighty Percent of Security Leaders Prefer Platform-Based GenAI, Finds Crowd
Strike State of AI Survey
Significant changes reported in the managed services software market (PSA/RMM) today
Thousands of Santas and a few Grinches hit the streets for annual SantaCon bar crawls

Erick and Rich discuss what agentic AI will mean to MSPs and three techniques for getting more from your vendor relationships. Then they’re joined by attorney Brad Gross for a conversation about legal New Year’s resolutions every MSP should adopt. And finally, one last thing: a report on who won this year’s Microsoft Excel World Championship. 

Discussed in this episode:
The Agents Are Coming
Brad Gross’s Website
Canadian man wins Microsoft Excel World Championships in Las Vegas

Don’t worry. Listening to this week's episode of MSP Chat will be insightful rather than painful. Erick and Rich discuss what a new collaboration agreement between Ingram Micro and AWS Marketplace says about marketplaces and MSPs generally, plus three tips to get end users bought into purchasing advanced security services by keeping them apprised of the latest cyber threats. Then they're joined by Nadir Merchant, general manager of the IT Operations Suite at Kaseya, for a conversation about AI in managed services and managed service platforms. And finally, one last thing: Why “brain rot” is the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year. 

Discussed in this episode:
Nadir Merchant’s Haymakers for Hope donation page
Ingram Micro Signs New Agreement with AWS to Drive Channel Partner Services Capabilities and Scale
Channelholic Hot Take: Ingram Micro and AWS Double Down on Marketplace Collaboration
Which Marketplace? Wrong Question.
Think ‘brain rot’ summed up 2024? Oxford agrees it was the word of the year

Did you know that the average MSP bundle includes 13 product categories? Erick and Rich discuss that and a host of other research insights in this episode with Colin Knox, CEO of Gradient MSP. They also dive into the hype and reality of agentic AI and three critical nuances to delivering co-managed IT services. And finally, one last thing: proof that generative AI is the slimiest marketer on Earth when it comes to designing websites. 

Discussed in this episode:
KnowBe4’s Artificial Intelligence Defense Agents To Combat AI-Generated Phishing Attacks and Measure Cyber Risk in Humans
Colin Knox’s research LinkedIn posts:
Post 1
Post 2
Post 3
Post 4
Post 5
ChatGPT was tasked with designing a website. The result was as manipulative as you’d expect

In what’s fast becoming an annual Thanksgiving week tradition, Erick and share three semi-serious things they’re each thankful for in 2024, from the job security provided by bad password hygiene to having a job not imperiled by AI. And finally, one last thing: The shocking number of people who have had a major appliance quit on them while preparing a holiday dinner (and why you might want to think twice before ordering your Thanksgiving spread from Marie Callender’s).

Discussed in this episode:

77% of MSPs Juggle as Many as 10 Cybersecurity Point Solutions to Protect their SMB Customers, Guardz Survey Finds
Gartner Forecasts Global Information Security Spending to Grow 15% in 2025Gartner Forecasts Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 9.3% in 2025
OECD report: Who will be the workers most affected by AI?
New Survey Finds 67% of Americans Have Had a Kitchen Appliance Break Down While Preparing a Holiday Meal

Don’t worry, Rich hasn’t acquired a serious smoking habit recently. It just sounds like he has, because after five straight weeks on the road his voice has quit on him. That didn’t stop him and Erick from diving into how communities like TD SYNNEX CommunitySolv can accelerate go-to-market ecosystem growth, though, and why every MSP should fire their worst customers regularly. Then Rich is joined by John Holland of Corporate Finance Associates for a look at the M&A landscape for MSPs coming out of 2024 and heading into 2025. And finally, one last thing: A hard rock concert held over 8,000 feet underground, surrounded by in-real-life heavy metal.  

Discussed in this episode:

John Holland on M&A: “Cybersecurity, Consolidation, IT Services Driving ‘Robust’ M&A in 2024”
Canadian rock band plays world's deepest concert in a mine

Live from the ChannelPro Defend West event in Newport Beach, Calif., Erick and Rich discuss a quietly weighty new “Automation as a Service” offering from RPA vendor Rewst and how rigorous documentation can pay off big during M&A negotiations. Then Rich is joined by MSP and brand strategist Lisa Shorr to explore five key lessons you’ll learn from her new book, Your B.R.A.N.D. Unleashed: 9 Proven Strategies That Build Trust and Maintain Lasting Client Loyalty. And finally, one last thing: Does it matter if you’re polite to AI? 

Discussed in this episode:
Your B.R.A.N.D. Unleashed: 9 Proven Strategies That Build Trust and Maintain Lasting Client Loyalty
Should I Be Polite to AI?" Study Reveals Most Adults Say Yes

No actual cussing on this episode. Just Erick and Rich discussing Pax8’s new partner program and essential service quality KPIs every MSP should track. Then they’re joined by Rayanne Buchianico of ABC Solutions for a conversation about CFOs and why way more MSPs should have one. And finally, one last thing: An AI hallucination that left a lot of Dubliners disappointed on Halloween.

Discussed in this episode:
AI hoax causes thousands to show up in Dublin, Ireland, for non-existent Halloween parade

Live from DattoCon 2024 in Miami, Erick and Rich discuss the new Kaseya 365 User security solution and three hiring practices that will set new employees up for long-term success. Then they’re joined by Mike Puglia, the general manager of Kaseya’s security suite, to talk some more about Kaseya 365 User, the new DNS and web filtering features in Kaseya 365 Endpoint, AI, and more. And finally, one last thing: an oddly satisfying Halloween tradition from Stillwater, Minn., that involves dropping one-ton pumpkins from a 100-foot crane. 

Discussed in this episode:
Bonus Video Post: Kaseya 365 Does User Security Now Too
Oddly satisfying video of the Stillwater Harvest Fest pumpkin drop