In this special episode of the All Things MSP Podcast recorded live at Pax8 Beyond, host Eric Anthony sits down with channel veteran Rex Frank, the Americas Academy Leader at Pax8. Over the last four decades, the IT services industry has navigated waves of raw hardware invention, system integration, and complex management. Now, artificial intelligence is arriving at an unprecedented speed, turning decades of traditional evolution into a matter of mere years.  

Rex breaks down the concept of the Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP), a term coined by Pax8's Scott Chasin to describe the future state of IT service providers. Unlike previous technical transitions where MSPs led their clients into new paradigms, AI tools are entering businesses sideways—frequently adopted by clients without the provider's direct guidance. This rapid dispersion introduces unique challenges, including data sprawl and the rise of "shadow AI". Rex highlights how Pax8 Academy is tackling these issues by developing actionable frameworks like the MIP Playbook to guide partners through discovering client processes, deciding between building or buying AI agents, and successfully managing a digital workforce.  

The conversation offers a practical roadmap for MSP owners looking to become "customer zero". Rex introduces a critical unlock strategy: configuring a personal CoPilot or AI "Chief of Staff" to automate executive workflows, distill email, and deliver concise daily action reports. By mastering internal AI implementation first, IT providers can successfully demonstrate and scale these game-changing efficiencies for their own business clients.  
Connect with Our Guest and HostsGuest: 
Rex Frank (Pax8) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexfrank
Pax8 Website: https://www.pax8.com
Host: Justin Esgar (Virtua Computers) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinesgar/
Host/Producer: Eric Anthony (All Things MSP) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/esanthony/

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