Building Real Microsoft Practices
Most MSPs already sell Microsoft licenses. What they need is a roadmap for turning that into a real business practice. That’s the idea behind OneCloud Guided Growth, a phased enablement framework that walks partners through how to plan, sell, and deliver across Modern Work, Azure, Dynamics, Security, and Copilot.Craig Donovan, Chief Experience Officer at Pax8, told ChannelE2E that this initiative is about providing partners with structure and confidence, not just another training series.“OneCloud Guided Growth is designed to help partners go beyond just selling licenses,” Donovan said. “It’s a hands-on enablement experience that gives MSPs a structured, personalized path to building real Microsoft practices across Modern Work, Azure, Dynamics, Security, and Copilot. What makes it different is that it doesn’t assume every partner is starting from the same place. Instead, it begins with a Solution Area Assessment that benchmarks their current capabilities and aligns them to a tailored growth journey. From there, partners receive curated learning paths, go-to-market toolkits, and access to Pax8 Matchmaker and Professional Services to help them shape, sell, and support complete solutions. It’s not about pushing tools; it’s about building confidence and capability to deliver high-value outcomes.”
Meeting Partners Where They Are
OneCloud Guided Growth starts with an assessment across five areas - strategy, operations, technical readiness, sales, and go-to-market - and places partners into one of four stages: Beginning, Developing, Established, or Experienced. From there, the path is customized.“The framework is intentionally built to meet partners where they are,” Donovan said.
“Whether a partner is just beginning to explore Microsoft solutions or already has an established practice, the assessment identifies their growth stage and maps out a relevant enablement path. Each stage comes with tailored content, business cases, and delivery options. For newer or smaller MSPs, this means they’re not overwhelmed or left behind. They get access to the same resources—Microsoft certification vouchers, curated learning journeys, and solution-specific guides—but at a pace and depth that matches their readiness. It’s about democratizing growth and making sure every partner has a clear, achievable path forward.”
Keeping Pace with Microsoft’s AI and Security Push
Microsoft’s ecosystem is shifting quickly toward AI and Security, and Pax8 wants to make sure partners stay aligned. Donovan said Guided Growth is evolving to match that direction.“Guided Growth is evolving right alongside Microsoft’s priorities,” he said. “We’ve already launched a dedicated Data and AI Guided Growth track to help partners overcome adoption barriers and lead with confidence in AI conversations. As Microsoft doubles down on Copilot and security, we’re equipping partners with the tools, training, and positioning strategies to move from transactional selling to trusted advisory. That includes helping them understand how to lead Copilot adoption, build secure-by-design solutions, and guide customers through broader AI transformation. It’s not just about technical enablement—it’s about helping partners become strategic leaders in their clients’ digital evolution.”
The Agent Store: Making Agentic AI Practical
While OneCloud Guided Growth helps partners build strong cloud foundations, Pax8’s new Agent Store is about the next leap forward: bringing agentic AI into real SMB workflows.Libby McIlhany, Chief Product Officer at Pax8, told ChannelE2E that the goal is to make AI usable, not theoretical.“Agentic AI is more than just automation - it’s about deploying intelligent agents that can reason, act, and collaborate to drive real business outcomes,” McIlhany said. “At Pax8, we’re helping partners bridge the gap between hype and value by giving them a structured, outcome-first approach.”
“What sets us apart is our focus on the Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP) model,” she said. “We’re not just offering tools - we’re building the infrastructure for partners to become orchestrators of intelligence.”
Ownership, Monetization, and a Level Playing Field
A key piece of Pax8’s design is ownership.“The Pax8 Agent Store is designed to be a launchpad for innovation and equity,” McIlhany said. “Partners retain ownership of the IP they build, whether it’s a custom agent, workflow, or bundled solution. We’re enabling them to monetize that IP directly through the Store, with flexible options for co-branding, white-labeling, or full attribution.”
“Every partner, regardless of size, gets access to the same commercialization tools, storefront integration, and recurring revenue models,” McIlhany explained. “We’re also curating the Store to highlight high-impact, high-value solutions—not just those with the biggest marketing budgets.”
