Pax8 is on a roll. The company is using its Beyond 2026 conference to connect several parts of its AI strategy for MSPs. The company announced new
Marketplace features,
a Managed Intelligence Provider Program, and Managed Intelligence Services for partners. It also released
a report on how AI is changing the way small and midsize businesses grow.SMBs are using AI, but ROI is missing
SMBs are already using AI, but many still need help turning that use into real business results. Pax8 says nearly nine in 10 SMBs are using or experimenting with AI, but few are reporting ROI right now. That gap creates a service opportunity for MSPs that can help customers with planning, governance, security, workflow automation, and AI agent management.
A Pax8 spokesperson told ChannelE2E, “Our own research on AI adoption recently found that nearly nine in ten SMBs are using or experimenting with AI, but very few are reporting ROI right now. This doesn’t mean there is diminishing value to using these tools. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Rather, there’s a critical gap between AI adoption and execution emerging.”
Pax8 wants MSPs to build managed intelligence practices
Pax8 is trying to address that gap through its
Managed Intelligence Provider Program. The program starts with an AI maturity assessment and then moves partners through role-based enablement. The company wants to give MSPs a repeatable way to identify AI opportunities, deploy agentic tools, and build services around managed intelligence.
“Pax8’s MIP Program allows MSPs to close that gap, providing a clear and actionable framework for businesses to shift from simply experimenting with AI to actioning the technology to drive measurable revenue and outcomes,” the spokesperson said. “The framework is specifically designed to be repeatable and replicable across all MSPs, drawing a realistic path for them to leverage automation and deliver Managed Intelligence to their clients in a way they can handle.”
For MSPs that need delivery support, Pax8 is offering Managed Intelligence Services through its Professional Services team. Those services can be delivered with the partner or as a white-labeled extension of the partner’s team. The first services include Copilot readiness assessments, transformation discovery assessments, workflow automation and agent builds, and Microsoft 365 data protection.
The spokesperson said the model is designed to let partners decide how much AI work they want to handle themselves and where they need Pax8 support.
“MIS is designed with customization and flexibility at its core to meet partners’ unique market needs and empower them to transition into their role as a Managed Intelligence Provider, going beyond selling basic services to providing full-scale AI optimization and integration,” the spokesperson said.
This is especially relevant for smaller MSPs that may not have the budget to hire a full AI delivery team. Pax8 says partners can use MIS to meet customer demand now, while building their own capabilities over time. The partner keeps the customer relationship and revenue, while Pax8 provides the technical depth to execute.
Pricing may shift as AI work gets closer to business outcomes
For MSP, pricing may also change as partners move deeper into AI work. Traditional MSP pricing often centers on devices, users, licenses, or managed services bundles. Managed intelligence services are closer to business process work, because they touch workflows, automation, data, security, and business outcomes.
“When MSPs shift from merely selling technology to delivering outcomes that their clients can see, measure, and act on, the value of their services will inevitably change,” the spokesperson said. “Traditional pricing frameworks may not recognize the impact of AI, so it is likely that partners may shift their pricing models to evolve alongside the expanded value of the work they do in providing intelligence and AI optimization.”
Marketplace updates focus on visibility and less manual work
Pax8 is also expanding its Marketplace so partners can see more of what is happening across their business. New features include Subscription Insights, Partner Analytics Hub, Reports, and Integration Guides. These tools are meant to help partners track renewals, subscriptions, revenue, client activity, and reporting from one place.
The company said the goal is not to replace PSA, billing, or business intelligence tools that partners already use, but to reduce the manual work that comes from moving between systems and assembling reports by hand.
“The goal with these added capabilities isn’t to eliminate the tools that partners already rely on,” the spokesperson said. “With these Marketplace enhancements, Pax8 is helping partners reduce the operational friction, manual reporting, and data manipulation that comes with working across their own tool stack.”
The Marketplace update also gives partners more information they can act on earlier. Subscription Insights can help MSPs stay ahead of renewals, manage Microsoft trial conversion and configuration, and catch upcoming changes before they create problems for customers or billing teams.
“Pax8 now provides partners with a centralized view of subscription activity, helping them stay ahead of renewals, manage Microsoft trial conversion and configuration, and anticipate upcoming changes before they create downstream issues,” the spokesperson said.
APIs, MCP, and automation enter the partner workflow
Pax8 is also adding Integration Guides tied to Pax8 APIs and Model Context Protocol Server. The company said its MCP server acts as a secure bridge that allows AI assistants to access Pax8 data and perform actions on a user’s behalf. An AI prompt generator is also designed to help partners create prompts for routine tasks such as customer provisioning, license management, and billing inquiries.
This also involves security because automation can create new risks if it is not controlled. Pax8 says authentication is one of the guardrails. Its Integrations Hub uses OAuth-based authentication, event subscriptions, and webhooks to help partners connect tools and trigger automation in a controlled way.
What this means for MSPs
Pax8’s new SMB AI report helps explain why the company is moving in this direction. The report says AI is starting to change how SMBs grow. While businesses may be able to get more work done without hiring at the same pace, it is a big shift that comes with risk. Pax8 says 49% of SMBs still do not have AI-specific security policies, even though 83% believe AI has increased their exposure to threats.
That is where MSPs come in. A customer may start the conversation by asking about AI tools, but the real work usually gets bigger fast. It moves into data protection, governance, workflow design, reporting and security. Pax8 is building its Marketplace and managed intelligence services around that reality, giving partners a way to meet AI demand without having to build every skill, service, and delivery model on their own right away.
