Business Speak

We got together at the recent D&H Next+ event in Austin, it’s first multi-day show – smaller. Colin Blair has been in the technology biz for 30-years with 25-years (primarily Avent) in distribution. Went to the Thunderbird School of Global Management (a jewel in the desert) where he attained his Masters.  The center of gravity today is where VARs need to look more at MSPs. Don’t miss that CapEx vs. OpEx conversation. Has everything become “…as a service?” Blair lives in nearby San Antonio (so he’s a next door neighbor for me in Austin. PS – He loves Mexican food at LaFogata if you want the inside track with him!

A two-day thought leadership conference in Austin week exposed something I haven’t seen enough of in the small and medium business (SMB) Managed Services Provider (MSP)niche. It was akin to attending Saturday sessions in grad school as part of an MBA program

Caught up with a jammed Vikram Ramesh recently at the N-able Evolve Conference in Fort Lauderdale. Turns out he is my neighbor here in Austin, Texas so I have a new BFF.

Highlights

Head Nerds. What are the head nerds? This concept is unique to N-able. This program helps overcoming two challenges, according to Ramesh. First – MSP partners were asking who can I talk to at N-able to answer my customers technical challenges. The head nerds are available to answer any technical questions.

Second, the head nerds are a stability injection in overall relationship in the MSP and customer ecosystem.

What if you built it and they didn’t come? That’s basically my assessment of the current state of the carbon credit marketplace as we have launched well into 2026.

I have been involved with four organizations in this area offering carbon credits to the private sector. The results were underwhelming to say the least. I have two primary observations.

Tough political climate. Not to get political, but somewhere along the way sustainability became a four-letter cuss word just like DEI. etc. This waning appetite to embrace carbon credits has been devastating to the cause. Not sure when or if this will improve.

Harry Brelsford and Ann Westerheim discuss their experiences at the Zero Trust World event in Orlando, highlighting the importance of community and networking in the tech industry. Ann, a veteran in the field, emphasizes the value of attending events to stay updated, meet new vendors, and strengthen partnerships. They touch on the stress and burnout in the tech sector, comparing it to high-stress military roles. Ann mentions her upcoming participation in the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) events in Chicago and San Diego, where she will discuss cybersecurity and receive an award for their new trust mark based on CIS controls.

During the last major recession (2007-2009 financial crisis) I profiled Regus in Cupertino CA in the Silicon Valley and it's a sweet spot for companies downsizing (and it was also a social gathering for tired old guys that wanted to get away from momma and play business by day). And it was right next to a Indian lunch buffet!!!

In the old days when knights were bold and kings owned all the gold, the co-worker space pitch in my eyes was to avoid the sticky Starbucks table syndrome. 

SMB Nation (Austin, TX) has partnered with Technology Reseller (Vancouver, WA) to expand their joint portfolio to offer more solutions for Small and Medium Business (SMB) partners who are Managed Services Providers (MSP).

The partnership effectively doubles the audience with a strategic pen stroke. That consolidation results in more efficient solution delivery for the SMB MSP community sponsors to get better results and greater awareness. This is a new way to reach a qualified audience. 

Harry Brelsford interviews Matt Linn, co-founder and COO of Thread, an AI service desk that automates non-billable resources on the service desk, making them billable and reducing service costs through agentic workflows. Linn shares his background from a 10-year career with an MSP in New York City. Thread is announcing a new round of fundraising at the Series A stage to accelerate R&D and build faster. The company emphasizes its unique brand and customer-centric approach, showcasing this through creative booths at events. For 2026, Thread plans to enhance product offerings with better context for agents, more auto resolutions, and zero-touch tickets.

Mike Hanauer, a consultant specializing in MSPs, discussed his recent activities, including his role as Chief Revenue Officer at Total and the relaunch of his consulting firm, Green Lake. He focuses on interim leadership for MSPs and post-acquisition integration, emphasizing the importance of retention and proper pricing and packaging. Harry Brelsford, a board member of a community private equity group, shared his experiences with post-acquisition integration and the resilience of the MSP sector. They both highlighted the critical role of MSPs in protecting small and medium businesses, especially during economic uncertainties.

Dan King, from Clever Path IT in Wyoming, discussed his company's recent acquisition, transforming from K2 Technologies (not the skis lol) to a much broader mission, aiming to establish a platform in the Northwest United States. They focus on a diversified client base, including healthcare, accountants, attorneys, architects, and engineers. King emphasized the importance of adapting to technological changes, such as AI, and the ongoing consolidation in the industry. He also mentioned their participation in IT Nation and the Evolve event, highlighting the significance of these gatherings for MSPs. King plans to attend Channel Con again in July 2026 and the Right of Boom conference in February 2026.

Harry Brelsford and Peter Kujawa discussed the IT Nation Global Connect 2025 event, highlighting its success in venue, content, and food. Peter detailed the Service Leadership benchmarking reports, including the annual profitability report and the new compensation benchmarking report. He emphasized the importance of primary research and accurate data. Peter also outlined his expanded role, including running Service Leadership and managing IT Nation events. The conversation covered the event's focus on AI and practical applications, positive feedback on event changes, and ConnectWise's focus on platform delivery and AI integration. Peter concluded with plans for upcoming Evolve meetings in Portugal.

We’ve seen this movie before in the small and medium business (SMB) managed service provider (MSP) community: economic anxiety based on emotion. One example? The 2007-2009 Great Recession financial crisis. But here’s the deal, as you will see below, the data doesn’t lie and the short story above the pay line is that MSPs anticipate growth in 2026. We’re essentially a counter cyclical niche in the technology economic segment. Hopefully by the end of this report, rational behaviors will defy those 3am scary panic attacks.