Growing an MSP in the past has involved hiring more technicians to support more customers, devices and service requests. AI is transforming that equation faster than anticipated. MSPs need help keeping pace, and that’s exactly what ConnectWise wants to do.
Executives shared that message during the IT Nation Connect Global 2026 keynote. CEO Manny Rivelo and Chief Product and Technology Officer David Raissipour outlined a future in which AI helps MSPs move beyond reactive support, automate complex workflows and anticipate customer needs.
The discussion also highlighted growing security risks associated with AI agents and opportunities for MSPs to help customers manage them.
Key takeaways for MSPs
Much of the strategy ConnectWise focused on from the stage has been in the works throughout the year. The keynote offered a clearer picture of how MSPs can translate that vision into business value.
Here are five areas for service providers to consider.
1. Improve profitability without adding headcount at the same rate
One of the biggest opportunities for MSPs is breaking the traditional relationship between business growth and staffing costs.
Rivelo emphasized that AI can help providers handle more work without increasing their workforce at the same rate.
Manny Rivelo (right) steps off the main stage to interview MSP Blake Bath.
ConnectWise executives stepped off of the main stage to talk with MSPs about what that looks like in practice. For example:
- Blake Bath of Real Bytes reported processing more than 13,500 tickets through AI-powered workflows in less than two months, saving more than 300 hours.
- Stefan Wilson of Allevia Technology reported saving approximately six minutes per ticket across 4,823 tickets.
The financial implications could be significant. During the keynote, Service Leadership’s Peter Kujawa shared benchmarking data showing that top-performing MSPs have been generating more service revenue for every dollar spent on service wages.
The figures suggest that improving productivity can create room for growth, although they don’t establish how much of the improvement comes directly from AI.
What MSPs can do:
- Identify repetitive service desk tasks that consume the most technician time.
- Measure the time and costs associated with those activities.
- Prioritize automation that can increase capacity without sacrificing service quality.
2. Move from reactive support toward predictive IT
ConnectWise’s longer-term vision goes beyond resolving tickets faster. The goal is to prevent problems before customers experience them.
Raissipour described how connected monitoring, operational data and AI could identify a developing endpoint problem, diagnose the cause and initiate remediation before the issue disrupts the user.
“Technology enables the business model. This isn’t about selling tech anymore. This is really about rethinking the way services are delivered to your customers and how you grow your business,” Raissipour said.
David Raissipour encourages MSPs to rethink how they deliver services.
The distinction matters. Faster ticket resolution improves efficiency, but preventing incidents could improve customer satisfaction and reduce the volume of support requests altogether.
ConnectWise demonstrated agentic capabilities that can already execute service workflows. However, fully predictive operations remain a longer-term goal rather than a capability MSPs should expect to implement overnight.
What MSPs can do:
- Evaluate how effectively their PSA, RMM and documentation systems share information.
- Look for recurring problems that could be detected or resolved automatically.
- Establish approval processes and safeguards before allowing AI to take more autonomous actions.
3. Use customer knowledge as a competitive advantage
As AI becomes more widely available, the ability to automate routine IT tasks may become less of a differentiator.
What general-purpose AI tools don’t necessarily have is the operational knowledge MSPs accumulate through years of supporting their customers. That includes ticket histories, device configurations, business requirements, established workflows and an understanding of how technology affects each customer’s operations.
Rivelo emphasized the importance of that information and the relationships MSPs have already built. The opportunity is to combine AI’s efficiency with the expertise that makes an MSP a trusted adviser.
Real Bytes’ Bath offered advice that captured the point. “Don’t build the AI, go and build your relationships with your customers. Go and build on the fact that you’re the trusted advisors and be the human in the loop for their agentic journey. Time is the one thing we can’t buy, so we all need to use it a bit more wisely.”
What MSPs can do:
- Improve documentation so AI tools can use accurate customer information.
- Redirect time saved through automation toward customer strategy and business reviews.
- Identify opportunities to help clients use AI to improve their own operations.
4. Help customers manage the security risks of AI agents
AI agents introduce security challenges that traditional tools and policies may not fully address.
During the keynote, SentinelOne Co-founder and CEO Tomer Weingarten warned that organizations may be giving AI applications access to sensitive systems and information without understanding what those applications can do. Unlike conventional software, AI agents may be able to take actions, interact with other systems and access information with limited human involvement. That creates new questions about permissions, monitoring and accountability.
Weingarten emphasized that organizations need visibility into which agents are operating in their environments and what those agents can access. For MSPs, this presents an opportunity to expand security conversations beyond conventional endpoint protection and identity management.
What MSPs can do:
- Ask customers which AI applications and agents employees are using.
- Review what information and systems those tools can access.
- Help establish policies for AI usage, monitoring and human oversight.
5. Turn AI security into new service opportunities
The growing need to secure AI also creates opportunities for MSPs to expand their service portfolios.
Rivelo and Weingarten discuss the ConnectWise-SentinelOne partnership.
ConnectWise and SentinelOne are building on their existing partnership to bring additional managed security capabilities to market. During the keynote, Raissipour discussed plans for managed extended detection and response (XDR), identity threat detection and response (ITDR), data loss prevention (DLP) and AI security capabilities. Some offerings were already available, while others were planned by first-quarter 2027.
The broader opportunity extends beyond any individual vendor’s products. As SMBs adopt AI, many will need guidance on identifying risks, setting policies and monitoring how AI systems operate. MSPs already managing those customers’ infrastructure and cybersecurity are well-positioned to provide that assistance.
What MSPs can do:
- Consider adding AI discovery and risk assessments to existing security reviews.
- Explore recurring services for AI governance, monitoring and data protection.
- Evaluate vendor partnerships that can provide specialized security capabilities without requiring an in-house security operations center.
The bigger opportunity
ConnectWise’s vision points toward a different way of delivering managed services. Rather than relying primarily on technician hours and reactive support, MSPs could increasingly compete on their ability to prevent problems, improve business outcomes and help customers adopt new technologies safely.
The transition won’t happen overnight. However, MSPs don’t have to wait for fully predictive IT to begin improving their operations. The immediate opportunity is to put AI to work where it can produce measurable results, then use the time and resources recovered to build a more profitable and valuable business.
Anjali Fluker is managing editor of The ChannelPro Network, where she covers news, trends and best practices for the MSP community. She specializes in telling the stories that matter to IT providers serving the SMB market. When she’s not reporting, writing or editing, she’s connecting with channel pros at industry events across the country.
Images: Anjali Fluker/ChannelPro
