AI is rapidly reshaping how businesses operate—from internal workflows to customer-facing experiences. For small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), this transformation brings both opportunity and uncertainty. They’re looking to their MSPs not just for technical support, but for strategic guidance on how to navigate this shift. That’s where a new model is emerging - one that reframes what it means to deliver value in the age of intelligent automation.

Channel Leader Pax8's Vision for Agentic AI and MSP Transformation

, CEO Scott Chasin emphasized the rapid evolution of AI, noting that "AI capabilities are doubling every four to six months." He highlighted the transformative potential of AI, stating, "We’re on the cusp of AI reaching human-level intelligence and beyond." This acceleration is not just about technological advancement but also about redefining the role of MSPs in the AI era.

, introduces the concept of the Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP), positioning MSPs as strategic partners who curate, orchestrate, and govern intelligent agents to drive business outcomes for SMBs. This shift underscores the need for MSPs to evolve from traditional service providers to proactive enablers of AI-driven transformation.

The hypothetical ‘Managed Intelligence Provider’ is about more than just managing tools—it’s about providing visibility, strategy, and structure as AI becomes embedded in daily work. According to Pax8, MIPs will:

Help clients orchestrate AI solutions across workflows

Monitor and optimize AI usage and adoption

Deliver business results, not just uptime or ticket resolution

Their upcoming Managed Intelligence Toolkit will support this shift, offering a framework for managing AI at scale across SMB clients.

How MSPs Can Start the Shift to Intelligence Providers

You don’t need to wait for new tools to start becoming more strategic. Here are four ways to help clients adopt and manage AI—right now.

1. Measure Adoption of GenAI Tools using Work Analytics from Produce8

Whether it’s ChatGPT, Jasper, or other emerging tools, most organizations are experimenting with GenAI. But without visibility, it’s hard to know what’s sticking.

A dataset that illuminates the adoption curve of new tech that helps companies support (without stamping out) employee innovation efforts.

This helps shift the conversation from anecdotal to structured and measurable insights.

2. Measure the Impact of Embedded AI on People

Tools like Microsoft Copilot or embedded AI features in apps are harder to track. But their impact shows up in employee work patterns:

Is the related app’s (i.e. Microsoft Word) usage changing?

Are employees spending more time in different applications indicating that time has freed up?

Is the digital workday becoming more efficient?

Pre- and post-rollout comparisons with Digital Work Analytics can reveal whether embedded AI is helping or just adding more tools and inefficiencies in the way work gets completed.

Many clients lack AI policies altogether. MSPs can support policy efforts by:

Identifying which AI tools are in use (even unapproved ones)

Helping draft clear guidelines for usage and access

Flagging Shadow AI that could pose a risk

 help MSPs give clients measurable, privacy-respecting insights into digital work patterns:

Understand usage of collaboration and productivity tools

Detect inefficiencies like meeting or messaging overload

Measure whether AI is improving productivity or creating distractions

These insights can kickstart better QBRs, spark license audits, and help teams improve how they work.

Clients aren’t just asking “What AI tools should we try?” They’re asking:

These are questions the proposed MIP concept could answer with data, structure, and strategy. This isn’t about reinventing your business. It’s about extending your current value into a new era of work.

, we are here to help MSPs lead these conversations. For some concrete examples of our tools at work on AI-related use cases, check out our recent 

 or info on our MSP (or maybe I should say ‘MIP’ :P) partner program.

AI is rapidly reshaping how businesses operate—from internal workflows to customer-facing experiences. For small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), this transformation brings both opportunity and uncertainty. They’re looking to their MSPs not just for technical support, but for strategic guidance on how to navigate this shift. That’s where a new model is emerging - one that reframes what it means to deliver value in the age of intelligent automation.

Channel Leader Pax8's Vision for Agentic AI and MSP Transformation

At the recent 2025 Pax8 Beyond conference, CEO Scott Chasin emphasized the rapid evolution of AI, noting that "AI capabilities are doubling every four to six months." He highlighted the transformative potential of AI, stating, "We’re on the cusp of AI reaching human-level intelligence and beyond." This acceleration is not just about technological advancement but also about redefining the role of MSPs in the AI era.

Pax8's research report, The Agentic Inflection Point, introduces the concept of the Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP), positioning MSPs as strategic partners who curate, orchestrate, and govern intelligent agents to drive business outcomes for SMBs. This shift underscores the need for MSPs to evolve from traditional service providers to proactive enablers of AI-driven transformation.

What’s an ‘MIP’ in Practice?

The hypothetical ‘Managed Intelligence Provider’ is about more than just managing tools—it’s about providing visibility, strategy, and structure as AI becomes embedded in daily work. According to Pax8, MIPs will:

Help clients orchestrate AI solutions across workflows

Monitor and optimize AI usage and adoption

Deliver business results, not just uptime or ticket resolution

Their upcoming Managed Intelligence Toolkit will support this shift, offering a framework for managing AI at scale across SMB clients.

How MSPs Can Start the Shift to Intelligence Providers

You don’t need to wait for new tools to start becoming more strategic. Here are four ways to help clients adopt and manage AI—right now.

1. Measure Adoption of GenAI Tools using Work Analytics from Produce8

Whether it’s ChatGPT, Jasper, or other emerging tools, most organizations are experimenting with GenAI. But without visibility, it’s hard to know what’s sticking.

Use analytics tools to track:

Frequency of use across departments

Drop-offs or signs of abandonment

Team-level engagement patterns

A dataset that illuminates the adoption curve of new tech that helps companies support (without stamping out) employee innovation efforts.

This helps shift the conversation from anecdotal to structured and measurable insights.

2. Measure the Impact of Embedded AI on People

Tools like Microsoft Copilot or embedded AI features in apps are harder to track. But their impact shows up in employee work patterns:

Are focus hours increasing?

Is the related app’s (i.e. Microsoft Word) usage changing?

Are employees spending more time in different applications indicating that time has freed up?

Is the digital workday becoming more efficient?

Pre- and post-rollout comparisons with Digital Work Analytics can reveal whether embedded AI is helping or just adding more tools and inefficiencies in the way work gets completed.

3. Guide AI Policy Creation

Many clients lack AI policies altogether. MSPs can support policy efforts by:

Identifying which AI tools are in use (even unapproved ones)

Helping draft clear guidelines for usage and access

Flagging Shadow AI that could pose a risk

This Writer.com article offers a great starting point.

4. Use Work Analytics to Demonstrate ROI

Tools like Produce8 help MSPs give clients measurable, privacy-respecting insights into digital work patterns:

Understand usage of collaboration and productivity tools

Detect inefficiencies like meeting or messaging overload

Measure whether AI is improving productivity or creating distractions

These insights can kickstart better QBRs, spark license audits, and help teams improve how they work.

Why This Matters

Clients aren’t just asking “What AI tools should we try?” They’re asking:

Are we wasting money on apps?

Are we using AI safely?

Is it helping us get more done?

What should we stop or start doing?

These are questions the proposed MIP concept could answer with data, structure, and strategy. This isn’t about reinventing your business. It’s about extending your current value into a new era of work.

At Produce8, we are here to help MSPs lead these conversations. For some concrete examples of our tools at work on AI-related use cases, check out our recent partner webinar or reach out for a demo or info on our MSP (or maybe I should say ‘MIP’ :P) partner program.

The Dawn of the ‘Managed Intelligence Provider’: Helping Your Clients Manage Transformation in the Digital Workplace

Never miss an update from us. Join our community of business leaders and professionals navigating work and life in the digital-first era.

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Register for the our next webinar 'The Future of MSP Work Episode 3: The Next Generation of MSP Software'

Time blocking is a time management method that involves dividing your day into blocks of time, with each block dedicated to accomplishing a specific task or group of tasks. This technique helps in organizing your day more efficiently, ensuring that you allocate time to important activities without the day slipping away into less productive tasks.

Effective time blocking will manifest as a well-structured timeline, fewer distractions from low-priority apps, and a higher focus score, demonstrating better productivity and focused work. These KPIs are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of your time management approach.

Time Blocking Challenge Outcome 

Want to have better workdays? We can help!

Time Blocking Challenge

Want to have better workdays? We can help! 

Great Workdays Kickoff for Organizations

Monotasking, also known as single-tasking, is the practice of focusing all your attention and effort on one task at a time, rather than trying to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously. This approach stands in contrast to multitasking, where individuals attempt to manage several tasks at once, often leading to decreased productivity and increased chances of errors. Monotasking is about deepening focus, enhancing the quality of work, and improving mental engagement with the task at hand.

You should observe longer durations in productive apps, fewer interruptions from non-essential apps in your timeline, and an enhanced focus score, reflecting improved monotasking efficiency.

Monotasking Challenge Outcome

Monotasking Challenge

The "Eat the Frog" technique is a time management strategy that encourages tackling the most challenging or crucial task of your day first thing in the morning. The concept is derived from a quote often attributed to Mark Twain, suggesting that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that's probably the worst thing that's going to happen to you all day.

Successfully adopting the Eat the Frog habit will be evident through early and focused engagement in productive apps, reflected in your heatmap, timeline, and top apps report within Produce8.

Eat the Frog Challenge Outcome 

Eat the Frog Challenge

Monk Mode is a productivity approach where you deeply focus on your work by minimizing distractions, akin to the focused and minimalistic lifestyle of a monk. This mode involves dedicating extended periods to work intensely on a single task or project, often in isolation, to maximize productivity and quality of output.

With successful Monk Mode application, anticipate extended periods of focused app usage, minimal distractions from irrelevant apps, and better digital intensity and focus scores, all signaling increased productivity.


Monk Mode Challenge Outcome

Monk Mode Challenge

Episode 4: Is a 4-Day Work Week for MSPs a Fever Dream?  The Future of MSP Work is a monthly thought-leadership series discussing strategies for growth and what's coming next in the Managed Services industry. This month we are talking with Joe O'Connor, CEO and Co-founder of Work Time Reduction, a consulting and research organization that specializes in reduced-hour, outcomes-focused work models. We will be discussing the possible fever-dream of a 4-day work-week for MSPs and touching on:  How would a 4-day-work-week even work for MSPs?  Are your clients adopting it?  What would need to happen to enable it?

The Future of MSP Work: Is a 4-Day Work Week for MSPs a Fever Dream?

Introducing Essential Insights: Unlocking the Power of Digital Work Analytics (for MSPs & their Clients)

The Future of MSP Work: The Next Generation of MSP Software

Why Produce8 for MSPs?

The Future of MSP Work: 5 Reasons the IT Services Market Can Re-accelerate in 2025

Find out more about Essential Insights reporting

Produce8 Launches Essential Insights: Revolutionizing Digital Work Analytics for Businesses and MSPs

Engage Your Entire Business in Productivity Initiatives 

Types of Meetings Affecting Focus Time

Are you ready to supercharge your productivity and unlock your full potential?

It doesn’t have to be all synchronous or all asynchronous. Find the balance for your team. Measure what is or isn’t working.

It’s also worth repeating that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can blend asynchronous work with synchronous work.

Managed Intelligence Provider

The Dawn of the ‘Managed Intelligence Provider’: Helping Your Clients Manage Transformation in the Digital Workplace

Never miss an update from us. Join our community of business leaders and professionals navigating work and life in the digital-first era.

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