Business Speak

Harry Brelsford, at Channel con in Nashville, interviews Carrie Erwin, National Sales Manager of ImageStar, a wholesale distributor of IT business hardware, including print consumables, scanning software, AV equipment, and computers. ImageStar, based in Middletown, Connecticut, with a warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee, has been in business for 35 years. Carrie discusses the impact of tariffs on pricing and the shift in the market towards diversification, particularly in the print industry, as businesses adapt to the end of Windows 10 and the rise of Windows 11. She also mentions Dynabook's new channel partner program for MSPs.

Harry Brelsford and Dave from Montreal discussed their experiences at Channel Con 2025 in Nashville. Harry shared his brother's background at McGill University and his own diverse tech portfolio. Dave, with a background in technology since 1995, now represents Defense X, a company focused on browser protection in cybersecurity. They highlighted the unique family-friendly atmosphere of the conference, contrasting it with more traditional tech events. Dave emphasized his role on the advisory board, working on documentation to help MSPs and participating in charitable activities like building guitars for aspiring musicians in Tennessee. Both agreed on the importance of community and giving back.

Harry Brelsford and William Kapes discuss their experiences at a conference held at the NASA Space Center. William's company, Integra Tech, is part of the Lyra ecosystem, which includes over 120 companies under the Evergreen Services Group. They focus on professional services organizations, particularly in industries like accounting, legal, and medical. Integra Tech has offices in Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Eau Claire, and supports clients both remotely and geographically. William praises the Thread AI event for its useful service desk tools and rapid product updates. He appreciates the smaller, interactive conference format over larger, less engaging events.

Meet Nic Ferraro from PIA (Thread AI Unleased Conference)

Harry Brelsford and Nick Ferraro discuss the growth and impact of Pia, an Intelligent Automation Company for MSPs, which originated from the Virtual IT Group in Australia. Pia's AI-led automation platform, developed in-house over seven years, was released in 2022 and has since attracted over 400 partners, with 80% now based in the US and North America. They highlight the benefits of smaller shows for networking and will be at upcoming events like

Category Creator to Category Killer 

By Harry Brelsford 

While the macro-economy is full of nervous Nellie fretting the future, the next technology epoch winers are quickly emerging. If you ever played woulda shoulda coulda (I wish I had bought MFT shares ten years ago in the $50s / today its just of $500) then read on cause this is a guide to teaming with a up-and-coming ISV in our space. It’s radical disruptive approach to a new category is turning heads and an opportunity to MSPs to do more with less, not excess  

Meet Thread

It’s already perfected AI Service Desk for MSPs and along the way created a new category as its launch pad – and it did it on the back of pirates (more on that in a hot minute).  It’s approach is to scale making your technicians more energetic and efficient when it comes to managing customer service tickets. The pillars Thread is leveraging are well established: Inbox, Agents, Automation and Chat. That’s not necessarily news but I’ll share the secret sauce with you in a sec.

At Channel Con 2025, Harry Brelsford interviews Dan Wensley, the new CEO of the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA), formerly CompTIA. Wensley highlights the success of the new GTIA brand, 200 days into the transition, and discusses the organization's growth and support for the tech industry. Despite being based in Canada, Wensley emphasizes GTIA's global reach and remote operations. He shares his experience with rebranding, citing Level Platforms and Warranty Master as examples. The roadmap for GTIA includes investments in people, resources, community, and advancement, with plans to expand Channel Con to EMEA and enhance community engagement.

I’m reading “Far From Home” that my Alaskan childhood/lifelong friend “Coolie” (aka Charles Wohlforth) co-authored with Senator Lisa Murkowski. As the really old Life cereal TV ad said “...he likes it (yay kids won’t get thatl). 

I’m starting Chapter 5. Here are some highlights from the last few chapters for your consideration. 

Ryan Ettridge, co-founder and CEO of CyberCert, discussed the company's cybersecurity certification for small businesses, which is unique outside the UK and Singapore. CyberCert fills a gap for SMBs lacking standardized cybersecurity measures, offering certifications starting at $95. The program relies on MSPs to guide SMBs through the certification process. Ettridge highlighted CyberCert ‘success in Australia and New Zealand, with 300 partners and over 3,000 certified businesses. The company recently launched in the US through a partnership with Pax8, aiming to activate many MSPs and partners. Ettridge emphasized the importance of scalable training methods for MSPs.

Eric Torres, an evangelist at PAX8, discussed his role in community engagement and upcoming events, including the Partner Conference Beyond in Denver with 3,000 attendees. PAX8 differentiates itself from traditional distribution models by focusing on cloud marketplace services and providing value-added training programs, which have led to significant EBITDA growth for MSPs. Torres emphasized that PAX8's cloud-based services are not directly impacted by tariffs, unlike traditional MSPs. He also praised the NerdioCon conference for its growth and impact in the industry.

You are not imagining it. It’s getting emotionally spongey out there for MSPs processing the current economy. In this blog and podcast, I document this assertion with “facts” from Canalys analyst Jay McBain and ConnectWise/Service Leadership EVP Peter Kujawa in his new research (stick with me and listen to our podcast about this matter). 

First - Jay McBain’s take. His team has documented using their research methods. I really don’t curate content ala “copy and paste” but I do the old CTRL-C and CTRL-V this time ‘cause I couldn’t say it any better if I tried: 

The expert panel discussed the 2025 forecast, focusing on key topics including DMARC, Microsoft Action Pack deadlines, and sustainable technology. Andre Leroux emphasized the importance of DMARC for email deliverability, highlighting the need for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Alex Fields and Nakia Carter explained the transition from Microsoft Action Pack to new partner benefits, including cloud and on-prem software licenses, CRM, and marketing tools. They also discussed the challenges and benefits of AI, particularly Co-Pilot, in enterprise and SMB environments, stressing the need for proper training and data protection.

Howard Cohen discussed the importance of understanding costs in MSPs, emphasizing that many fail to accurately compute their costs, which impacts profitability. He highlighted the shift towards specialization in MSP services, similar to the medical field, and the need for MSPs to partner with specialists for non-core services. Cohen also stressed the importance of effective marketing, advocating for networking and community building over traditional methods like email blasts. He advised MSPs to focus on their core strengths, often their own expertise, and to consider themselves as professional practices rather than just businesses.