Telecom Reseller / Technology Reseller News

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Pierre Donyegro, CEO of CyberFortPro, about why penetration testing is becoming a necessary—and often overlooked—part of cybersecurity for small businesses.

Donyegro explained that CyberFortPro focuses on delivering penetration testing services to smaller organizations such as law firms, medical offices, and restaurants. Penetration testing, he noted, is a short but intensive process that analyzes a customer’s network traffic and configurations to uncover vulnerabilities before they are exploited. “Even when you feel healthy, a doctor runs tests—this is the same idea, but for cyber health,” Donyegro said, framing penetration testing as preventative cybersecurity rather than a reaction to a breach.

While certain industries face higher risk due to sensitive data, Donyegro emphasized that cybersecurity is not limited to regulated verticals. Any business with a network, outdated firmware, or misconfigured equipment can be exposed. The value of penetration testing, he said, lies not only in identifying weaknesses but in clearly explaining them to business owners and outlining remediation steps—from firmware updates to infrastructure changes—so risks can be addressed proactively.

For MSPs, Donyegro positioned CyberFortPro as a natural partner rather than a competitor. “For every technology, you need experts to explain to the customer what their exposure really is,” he said. MSPs can bring CyberFortPro into customer engagements to provide specialized penetration testing, creating additional value, strengthening client trust, and opening new revenue opportunities tied to security assessments and remediation.

Visit https://www.hellophello.com/hi/pierredonyegro

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Steven Hess, Co-Founder and CEO of Deep Fathom, about the rising importance of compliance—particularly CMMC—and why it represents a significant opportunity for managed service providers.

Hess explained that Deep Fathom is an AI-native compliance platform designed to help organizations not only achieve compliance, but maintain it over time. A central focus of the discussion was the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), the U.S. Department of Defense’s enforcement framework for securing the defense industrial base. “CMMC is the regulatory enforcement layer the federal government put in place to secure the defense industrial base,” Hess said, emphasizing that without certification, suppliers can lose their ability to do business with the Department of Defense.

A key takeaway for MSPs is that CMMC extends far beyond large defense primes. Hess noted that the defense ecosystem includes hundreds—sometimes thousands—of downstream suppliers, many of which may not even realize they are part of the defense supply chain. “You might actually have defense customers and not even know it,” he said, highlighting why MSPs are often the first call when compliance questions arise and why preparedness can unlock new, recurring revenue streams.

Hess concluded by encouraging MSPs to approach compliance as a dedicated, strategic practice rather than an add-on service. By leveraging automation and AI-driven platforms, MSPs can scale compliance services without dramatically increasing headcount. “Compliance is not something you should just spin up on the side,” he cautioned, adding that the right tools and commitment can turn regulatory pressure into long-term growth.

Visit https://www.deepfathom.ai/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Julie Thiel, Founder of Thiel Talent Strategy, about the growing complexity of human resources, compliance, and people management for MSPs and technology-driven businesses. The conversation highlighted why HR has become a critical—yet often underestimated—risk area as service providers scale.

Thiel pointed to employee classification as one of the most common and costly mistakes business owners make. “The one decision people keep getting wrong is employee status,” she explained, referring to missteps around contractor versus employee classification and exempt versus non-exempt roles. With employment laws varying widely across states and even municipalities, she noted that well-intentioned decisions can quietly create compliance exposure over time, especially for MSPs operating in multi-state or hybrid work environments.

The discussion also covered additional HR pain points, including background checks, hiring practices, and increasingly complex time-off policies driven by local regulations. Thiel emphasized that many owners underestimate how quickly these issues compound as headcount grows. “You can’t Google your way into good judgment when it comes to people,” she said, underscoring the limits of ad hoc approaches to HR in a fast-changing legal landscape.

Thiel concluded by encouraging MSP owners to view HR as a strategic partnership rather than a necessary burden. By working with experienced advisors, MSPs can reduce risk, protect their teams, and free leadership to focus on growth. Her core message to MSPs at the event was clear: you don’t have to carry the weight of people issues alone.

Visit https://thieltalentstrategy.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Mike Ryan, CEO of SpiceX, about how low-code and no-code platforms are reshaping automation, integration, and revenue opportunities for MSPs and channel partners. The conversation focused on how SpiceX enables organizations to connect data, systems, and AI tools through visual workflow design rather than traditional software development.

Ryan described SpiceX as a platform designed to remove complexity from integration and orchestration. “We make it stupid simple for an organization to connect and structure all of their data and then use drag-and-drop workflows to automate it,” he said. Built to be business-user friendly, the platform allows MSPs to design and deploy solutions without requiring deep coding expertise, accelerating time to value for both service providers and their customers.

For MSPs, Ryan emphasized that the real opportunity lies in applying domain expertise rather than writing code. MSPs bring industry-specific knowledge—such as healthcare, background screening, or public sector workflows—and use SpiceX to build repeatable, branded solutions that can scale across multiple customers. According to Ryan, some partners have leveraged this approach to expand rapidly, even acquiring competitors by productizing their automation offerings.

The discussion also touched on AI and the growing challenge of “shadow AI” inside organizations. Ryan noted that SpiceX enables MSPs and enterprises to safely connect approved AI tools into structured workflows, helping future-proof operations while maintaining control. As adoption accelerates, he positioned low-code automation as a practical way for MSPs, channel partners, and enterprises to turn complexity into scalable services and new revenue streams.

Visit https://www.spicex.com/

In a special podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Shawn Stockman, Vice President of Sustainability Solutions at Onepak, about the evolving role of reverse logistics and IT asset disposition (ITAD). The conversation was recorded as part of ASCDI programming, reflecting Onepak’s active involvement in the ITAD community as an ASCDI member.

Stockman explained that modern ITAD is no longer just about recycling hardware, but about managing a complex reverse-logistics ecosystem that connects enterprises, ITAD providers, remarketers, recyclers, and leasing companies. He emphasized that enterprise customers—particularly large organizations—expect ITAD partners to integrate seamlessly into their existing systems and workflows. “If you’re giving enterprises spreadsheets that don’t fit into their asset management platforms, you’re making it hard to work with you,” Stockman said. “That can be an easy way to lose a large account or miss the opportunity to scale.”

The discussion also focused on sustainability and the growing importance of the circular economy in IT. Stockman noted that ITAD providers play a critical role in extending the life of technology assets through resale, refurbishment, parts harvesting, and, when necessary, responsible recycling. “ITAD is what makes the circular economy possible in the electronics industry,” he explained, highlighting concepts such as “urban mining,” where valuable materials are recovered from existing devices rather than newly extracted from the earth.

Stockman concluded by encouraging MSPs, enterprises, and ITAD providers to rethink reverse logistics as a strategic capability rather than a back-end function. By aligning sustainability goals, enterprise expectations, and scalable logistics processes, ITAD organizations can unlock new business opportunities while reducing environmental impact and supporting long-term technology reuse.

Visit https://www.onepak.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Doug Barbin, Chief Growth Officer at Schellman, about how rapid AI adoption is reshaping compliance requirements for MSPs, cloud providers, and technology companies. Barbin outlined Schellman’s role as one of the largest independent providers of technology, risk, and AI-related compliance assessments, serving organizations across highly regulated industries.

Barbin explained that AI adoption is accelerating far faster than previous technology shifts such as cloud computing, leaving many organizations scrambling to keep pace with evolving regulatory expectations. “The adoption of AI has come out four or five times as fast as what we saw with cloud,” Barbin said. “Organizations are now trying to keep up not just from a technology risk perspective, but also from a compliance and governance standpoint.” He pointed to emerging standards such as ISO 42001 as critical frameworks helping companies manage AI governance at scale.

The conversation also explored the complexity of audits and how Schellman works to simplify the process. Barbin described a “collect once, use many” approach that allows organizations—particularly MSPs—to streamline compliance across multiple frameworks such as SOC 2, HIPAA, CMMC, and federal requirements. By reducing redundancy and aligning audits to customer needs, MSPs can more efficiently expand into regulated verticals they otherwise could not serve.

Barbin concluded by emphasizing the opportunity compliance creates for MSPs as they grow into more regulated markets. By helping MSPs inherit and validate customer controls, Schellman enables service providers to scale responsibly while turning compliance into a business advantage rather than a barrier.

Visit https://www.schellman.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Andy Abramson, CEO & Founder of Comunicano, about the evolving role of AI in communications, media, and business decision-making. The discussion focused on why context, judgment, and human accountability matter more than ever as synthetic content and automated tools become commonplace.

Abramson stressed that AI should be viewed as an assistive tool—not a replacement for human responsibility. While he actively uses multiple AI platforms to shape ideas and refine perspective, he cautioned against fully automating decision-making or content creation. “At the end of the day, you need IPO—not initial public offering, but insight, perspective, and opinion,” Abramson said. “AI can help you shape thinking, but the human still has to decide what’s true, relevant, and worth sharing.”

For MSPs and channel partners, Abramson framed AI monetization as a maturity curve. Simply using AI to summarize metrics or reports, he noted, is entry-level capability. Real value comes when providers understand customer context and use AI to guide outcomes rather than just analyze data. That shift enables MSPs to move from commodity services to trusted-advisor roles rooted in relevance, narrative, and problem-solving.

The conversation concluded with a look at Abramson’s work through Comunicano, including his high-engagement newsletter and multimedia storytelling approach. By blending original analysis, cultural references, and selective use of AI-generated visuals, Abramson aims to surface insights that traditional analyst reports often miss. His message to the audience was clear: embrace AI thoughtfully, stay grounded in human judgment, and focus on delivering meaning—not just information.

Visit https://www.comunicano.com/

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Rob Allen, Chief Product Officer at ThreatLocker, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss why MSPs must rethink traditional cybersecurity approaches. Allen outlined how ThreatLocker’s zero-trust platform flips the conventional detect-and-respond model by blocking everything by default and allowing only explicitly approved activity.

Allen explained that detection-based security tools inevitably fail against unknown threats, leaving MSPs exposed to ransomware and lateral network attacks. ThreatLocker’s approach combines application allow-listing, behavior control, and dynamic network restrictions to dramatically reduce attack surfaces. By limiting not only what applications can run—but also what they can do once running—ThreatLocker prevents common techniques such as “living off the land” attacks and remote encryption scenarios that bypass traditional endpoint protection.

From a channel perspective, Allen stressed that cybersecurity is not optional and should never be positioned as an add-on. “If the thought of your customers getting hacked doesn’t keep you up at night, you’re not doing it right,” he said. “MSPs need to be confident in their advice and willing to make security mandatory, not negotiable.” That confidence, he noted, is what separates trusted advisors from providers who inherit blame after an incident.

The discussion concluded with a call for MSPs to adopt balanced security stacks that combine detection with proactive control. By implementing zero trust as a foundational architecture rather than a reactive measure, ThreatLocker enables MSPs to protect customers more effectively while reinforcing long-term trust—an outcome Allen described as both a technical and business win for the channel.

Visit https://www.threatlocker.com/

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Dinakar Munagala, CEO & Co-Founder of Blaize, and Joseph Sulistyo, SVP of Corporate Marketing, about Blaize’s push to make AI inference practical outside the data center—and why a new strategic collaboration with Nokia is designed to accelerate that shift, especially across Asia Pacific.

Blaize positions itself as an AI computing company built around a purpose-built, fully programmable processor architecture it calls a graph streaming processor, paired with software intended to simplify development of “real-world” AI. Munagala framed the company’s focus as practical AI inference for environments like smart factories, smart cities, agriculture, defense, and other edge and hybrid deployments where latency, power, thermal limits, and operating conditions are non-negotiable.

A centerpiece of the discussion was Blaize’s announcement that Nokia is strengthening edge AI capabilities through a strategic collaboration with Blaize to deliver hybrid inference solutions across APAC. Munagala and Sulistyo described the move as a signal that AI’s next phase isn’t only about large-scale training in centralized data centers, but about deploying inference where outcomes are realized—near cameras, sensors, machines, and field infrastructure. In their view, Nokia’s global reach in networking, automation, and integration creates a path to deliver end-to-end solutions that combine connectivity and compute for real deployments, not demos.

Sulistyo emphasized the economics driving hybrid inference: cost-sensitive, power-constrained environments often cannot justify a single “monolithic” compute approach. Instead, he argued, the market is moving toward heterogeneous architectures—mixing different compute types to hit performance targets while controlling total cost of ownership. In APAC, he noted, the scale of deployments makes marginal savings meaningful, and hybrid designs become an operational requirement, not a preference.

The conversation also connected edge inference to public-sector and community outcomes. Both executives highlighted smart-city use cases—such as traffic management, tolling, and first-responder automation—where real-time inference can improve accuracy and responsiveness while reducing labor-intensive processes. They extended that point to rural and underserved regions, arguing that “smart city” also includes municipalities and regional governments, where automation and analytics can unlock revenue (e.g., tolls and fines) while improving safety.

Doug pushed on definitions and practicality, prompting Munagala to describe edge inference as compute performed as close as possible to the sensor—for example, processing video near a camera mounted on a pole, at a toll booth, or in a factory—so systems can detect events and respond with low latency. He added that some deployments may route inference to nearby on-prem servers or regional data centers, depending on architecture and proximity, and Blaize aims to support these variations with a common hardware/software platform.

Blaize also addressed the “AI energy speed bump” impacting communities and operators—particularly where power availability and cost are constrained. Munagala said low power is foundational to Blaize’s design goals and argued that purpose-built inference architectures can reduce the burden associated with power-hungry AI approaches. Sulistyo added that the broader infrastructure conversation increasingly includes cooling realities (air and liquid) and the need to match the deployment environment to the right compute profile.

To ground “real-world AI” in examples, the guests pointed to deployments including license plate recognition in complex, variable conditions and traffic anomaly detection (identifying behavior that deviates from normal flow). They described these as compute-intensive workloads that must run reliably outdoors and under harsh conditions, where latency and endurance matter as much as accuracy. They also discussed retail analytics as another example of edge inference delivering measurable business outcomes by connecting what happens in-store to revenue-driving decisions.

Looking ahead, Munagala described the Nokia collaboration as a model for additional partnerships that bring inference solutions into production environments at scale. Sulistyo noted APAC is the initial focus, with other regions expected to follow based on demand, proof points, and the prioritization of specific use cases.

To learn more about Blaize and its technology, visit https://www.blaize.com/.

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Samantha Mabey, Director of Digital Solutions Marketing at Entrust, to discuss new research revealing that most organizations remain unprepared for the coming post-quantum era—despite mounting evidence that the clock is ticking. The podcast, supported by slides, walks through findings from Entrust’s latest global study, 2026 Global State of Post-Quantum and Cryptographic Security Trends, and unpacks what they mean for MSPs, telecom providers, and enterprise security leaders.

Mabey explained that Entrust focuses on identity-centric security, with cryptographic technologies—such as PKI, hardware security modules (HSMs), certificate management, and key lifecycle management—forming the backbone of modern digital infrastructure. These technologies underpin everything from secure web traffic and APIs to device identity, software updates, and machine-to-machine authentication. The challenge, she noted, is that today’s widely used public-key cryptography, including RSA and elliptic curve cryptography, will eventually be breakable by cryptographically relevant quantum computers.

According to the research cited in the discussion, more than half of organizations believe quantum systems capable of breaking current encryption could arrive within five years, yet only 38 percent say they are actively transitioning toward post-quantum readiness. Mabey emphasized that the transition will be far more complex than previous cryptographic migrations, such as the long-running move from SHA-1 to SHA-2, because cryptography is embedded across nearly every system and workflow.

The risks of inaction are significant. Mabey outlined three major areas of exposure: loss of data confidentiality as encrypted information becomes vulnerable in the future; erosion of trust and integrity if digital signatures can be forged; and operational disruption, since many organizations lack full visibility into where cryptography is deployed. The report found that fewer than half of organizations have complete visibility into their certificates and keys, even before factoring in post-quantum requirements.

To become post-quantum ready, Mabey described a phased journey that begins with discovery and inventory—understanding where cryptography is used, who owns it, and how it is managed. From there, organizations must build crypto agility, enabling them to change algorithms without disrupting operations. This includes people, processes, centralized policy, and automation, not just technology. Only then can organizations safely introduce post-quantum cryptography, often through hybrid approaches that combine existing algorithms with quantum-safe methods.

The conversation also highlighted the urgency created by emerging standards. Guidance from NIST indicates that traditional public-key cryptography is expected to be deprecated by 2030 and fully disallowed by 2035, timelines that are likely to be followed globally. For telecom providers in particular, Mabey noted that long-lived infrastructure, embedded systems, and constrained devices increase exposure to “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, making phased migration and vendor alignment critical.

As the discussion concluded, Mabey stressed that organizations making progress treat post-quantum readiness as a program, not a one-time project. Those moving forward are aligning teams, investing in visibility and automation, and working closely with vendors that have clear post-quantum roadmaps. Those falling behind, she warned, are underestimating the operational burden and waiting for a “perfect moment” that has already arrived.

View the report at https://www.entrust.com/resources/reports/ponemon-post-quantum-report-2026

Visit https://www.entrust.com/