The Cloud Marketplace of the Future

The smashing success of Beyond 2026, Pax8’s annual partner conference, inspired managed service providers (MSPs) to adopt bold new strategies. Perhaps the most important is evolving from MSP to MIP, or managed intelligence provider, and adopting new managed intelligence practices.

That was the focus on day one at the Microsoft Agent Build Lab. Instructors led a hands-on technical skilling session that showed partners how to build, deploy, and operate AI solutions. The intensive session gave partners the tools to create agents and discover how they work with Microsoft Copilot across real technical workflows.

How does offering managed intelligence services help partners increase profits?

Pax8 CEO Scott Chasin describes the current environment as a “once-in-a-generation technology transformation.” Helping partners capitalize on this opportunity is Pax8’s primary focus. To make good on that promise, Pax8 introduced an array of new AI-focused offerings, including:

• A new Managed Intelligence Provider Program to help MIPs build repeatable AI practices. The program offers maturity assessments, role-based enablement, and operation guidance around recurring revenue streams for AI services like Copilot, Azure, Microsoft Dynamic 365, and more.
• Managed Intelligence Services that invite partners to engage with Pax8 Professional Services teams to deliver AI engagement directly or through white-label arrangements. Those services include Copilot readiness assessments, AI-powered transformation discovery engagements, workflow automation, and custom AI agent development, as well as Microsoft 365 data protection services built around Microsoft Purview technologies.
• The Pax8 Agent Store, which provides partners with access to AI solutions like Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, and ConnectWise Sidekick. These offerings—and many more—are available through the Pax8 Marketplace to help MIPs simplify procurement, billing, and deployment.
• An upcoming Agent Gateway to help partners govern and monetize AI agents.

What it means to be an MSP in the Agentic AI era

Helping SMBs deploy AI, ensure their security and realize a solid ROI is easier said than done. So, Day 2 of Beyond 2026 focused on the question, what does this mean for your business right now?

Throughout the day, the answer crystalized into five important takeaways:

1. Build AI Internally before you sell it externally.
2. The AI market is shifting now. MSPs can’t wait.
3. AI is making SMB cybersecurity more complex and more urgent.
4. Operational efficiency is the path to Managed Intelligence.
5. Sustainable MSP growth requires systems, not hustle.

The final day of Beyond 2026 included a series of awards. Among the most notable, Microsoft was crowned Vendor of the Year. That makes sense when you consider the tightly woven relationship between the two technology providers.

Did you miss Pax8 Beyond this year? No problem. You can catch up on the most important information by checking out these Pax8 Blogs:

• Beyond 2026 is Here! Day One Recap
• Full Send at Beyond 2026. Five Ideas That Stood Out on Day Two
• Beyond 2026 Day Three: The Four Ideas That Defined Day Three of Beyond 2026

You’ll also want to watch the Innovation Keynote featuring Elizabeth McIlhany, CPO, and Craig Donovan, COO of Pax8.

Pax8 is already looking ahead to Beyond 2027. Don't miss it. Register now.