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The Place to Start-up and Start Over!
Caught a few mins with Mark Alayev, Chief of Magic and Co-Founder of Thread at its recent Fall conference in Seattle at the Museum of Pop (MoPop) next to the Space Needle at the Seattle Center. Much more on the vent later but, hurry, let’s get goin’ as this New Yorkers takes steps two at a time. So hang on fast.
Let’s set the table: from his keynote the prior evening, my brain was frickin full.
Project management is an evergreen in any industry and Managed Services Providers are no different. Wim Kerkhoff, the CEO of Top>Left, recently talked his MSP project management solution that I can honestly say has been brought to market but Wim and his team (MSPs). And these fellas are Canadians so you know they are COOL! Homebase is outside Vancouver BC in Chilliwack.
We talk about how he got into tech as a young kid at 13yo.
Let’s set the table. We both go back to the good old days. We’ve known each other 15+ years (it goes quick youngins) starting with the Windows Small Business Server era (SBS). Dale got involved with Voice over Internet Protocol ( VoIP) in early 2010. ”The business of being a Managed Services Provider (MSP) in the Small and Medium Business (SMB) space changes constantly so its good to be an entrepreneur.” Cooper shared.
Finding your “WHY” in Business: Microsoft Elevate
At yesterday’s IAMCP (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners) quarterly lunch (at Microsoft Austin), the Microsoft Elevate program was presented by Justin Sheedy. The net-net is that Microsoft Elevate “...is a global initiative by Microsoft designed to expand access to artificial intelligence (AI) skills, tools, and digital inclusion for the workforce, educators, and nonprofits.” There are several Managed Services Providers (MSPs) in our space that serve nonprofits and do the right thang and make an honest profit.
Two thangs to kick off PC Matic’s MSP Coming Out Party 2.0 at the recent GTIA ChannelCon event in San Diego! You could say the heart grows fonder in an absence. Or your absence at MSP event is more conspicuous than your presence. Both statements are not un-true as PC Matic took a half step back to reboot is MSP Channel Partner strategy in order to leap frog two steps ahead.
Two notable shifts at GTIA since its split from CompTIA 1+ years ago and the arrival of Dan Wensley as CEO were: (1) Attract more MSPs and Channel Partners into its membership and attract younger entrants into the SMB channel. It’s a work in progress but I witnessed both motions in play at the recent ChannelCon event in San Diego. I submit Exhibit A as evidence Amelia Chen, Vendor Therapist, Senteon. It was the first trade show for this Silicon Valley smartie and her strategy was to work the floor meeting MSPs when not performing her booth duties.
Texas-based technologist Brandon Cross has both a background as an MSP and most recently DevOps. With the IT paradigm shift to AI, there is both a convergence and divergence of MSP workflows. Brandon has crossed the bridge to the DevOps side and is experiencing significant professional success. This 10+ minute podcast explores both sides and what SMB Nation MSPs can do TODAY to, in most cases, reboot the traditional MSP model to include AI on the DevOps side.
It’s a compelling conversation so refill your coffee and soak in the sunshine!
Reconnected recently with Austin-based Tim Brown (who I knew back in the SolarWinds days). He’s out and about doing new things as well all do in tech. In my conversation, Brown articulated the clearest actionable strategy for SMB MSPs about making AI “real” beyond ChatGPT cartoon characters. He is suggesting you take a step back, go old school and engage in tried-and-true penetration testing (PEN TESTING) with your clients. This adds real value to the relationship.
Head nerd Marc-Andre Tanguay, Sr. Manager at N-able, shared the history of the nerds program at N-Able. It was created six years ago by Tanguay to help people with troubleshooting and training as examples. The cultural paradigm for the nerds was “when other’s say no we say yes.” Tanguay shared. He said that the nerds program is committed to reinventing itself every year to stay relevant. This program has eight nerds on staff which is a hellva investment commitment to something that can’t be easily measured.
Looking forward to the second half of 2026, the nerds are committed to even more events.
Ed. Head Nerd Chris Massey is keeping the lights on at N-Able driving it’s partners to think beyond bit and bytes and speeds and feeds with its executive programs as part of the business transformation initiative. His five-year effort has resulted in these pillars:
I will repeat! This was my first time at Zero Trust World. I learned a thang or three hehe. It focuses on teaching security professionals how to implement Zero Trust security and defend against modern cyberattacks. The event was held in early March 2026 in Orlando at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel and conference center.
Harry Brelsford and Danny Obaseki discuss Danny's role at K Zero, a company focused on passwordless authentication for MSPs and their clients. Danny explains K Zero's all-in-one authentication suite, which aims to improve password hygiene, integrate password managers, and eventually eliminate passwords through biometrics. K Zero offers NFR (Not for Resale) licenses to partners, allowing them to use and understand the product better. Harry expresses interest in trying the product, particularly for its mobile support. Danny provides contact information for further inquiries and mentions K Zero's recent activities, including attending a hockey game in Montreal.