Channel Brief: The MSP AI challenge: Sell it, price it, make it profitable

The week started with Black Hat 2026 and ChannelCon 2026 - and both the events brought may conversatons to the surface - and yes, AI was everywhere again. No surprise there. But the conversation actually seems a little different this time. It is no more about whether MSPs should be using AI, but a lot more about what they are actually going to do with it as a business. What does an AI service look like? What do you charge for it? Is it a one-time project, or can you turn it into something customers pay for every month?

Then you get into governance, which is becoming a pretty big part of this. Employees are already using ChatGPT, Copilot and a bunch of other tools, sometimes before IT even knows about it. So now MSPs have an opening around shadow AI, data access, policies, risk assessments and ongoing monitoring. And vendors clearly see that opportunity too because more of them are starting to build tools specifically around helping MSPs deliver those services.

There is another side to this as well. MSPs are also trying to figure out what AI does to their own business. Vendors are pushing AI agents into ticketing, troubleshooting, security operations and customer support, basically with the promise that technicians can get through more work and MSPs can support more customers without adding people at the same pace.

And that is really the question I keep coming back to. Can MSPs make money selling AI services to customers while also using AI to improve their own margins? Because there is plenty of AI activity right now. The harder part is turning all of that activity into a service model that customers understand, MSPs can price, and both sides actually get value from.

This Week's Tech, Channel, and MSP News

ConnectWise and SentinelOne announce managed cybersecurity strategy for MSPs: ConnectWise and SentinelOne announced a shared strategy to advance managed cybersecurity for MSPs and the customers they support. The companies are positioning the work around tighter integration between security operations and the platforms MSPs already use to manage customers, tickets and services. The announcement builds on the companies’ existing relationship and focuses on helping MSPs deliver managed endpoint and security services with more automation, while keeping human oversight and partner choice in the model.

Trustifi extends Microsoft 365 security: Trustifi launched Collaboration Shield for Microsoft 365, extending its security coverage into Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint. The company is positioning the product for MSPs and MSSPs that support regulated customers and need to protect collaboration activity across more than email. The platform includes policy enforcement, data loss prevention, threat detection, analytics and audit visibility, giving partners another way to package Microsoft 365 security services around file sharing and team collaboration.

Lexful brings AI-native documentation platform to MSPs: Lexful announced general availability of its AI-native documentation platform for MSPs, with a focus on modernizing how providers manage client knowledge, assets, documents and passwords. The platform is built around a knowledge graph so technicians and AI agents can get sourced answers about client environments instead of relying on outdated notes or tribal knowledge.

8x8 adds Tiered Partner Program for direct resellers: 8x8 launched a new tiered partner program for direct resellers, adding a four-tier structure tied to customer growth, retention, rebates and dedicated account support. The program is more traditional channel than MSP-specific, but it still matters for partners selling unified communications, contact center and customer experience services. 8x8 is tying partner rewards to expansion and retention, not only new business activity, which reflects where more vendor programs are heading.

Edgecore adds API Toolkit for MSP Network Management: Edgecore introduced API support tied to its ecCLOUD platform, giving MSPs a way to connect Edgecore network data with third-party dashboards and existing service workflows. The company’s ecCLOUD API supports common actions such as device registration, configuration changes and report generation, and Edgecore has also pointed to support for third-party dashboards tailored for MSP customers.