Podcast
Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights
Hosted by MSP Radio · EN
In 10 minutes daily, The Business of Tech delivers the latest IT services and MSP-focused news and commentary. Curated to stories that matter with commentary answering 'Why Do We Care?', channel veteran Dave Sobel brings you up to speed and provides resources to go deeper. With insights and analysis, this focused podcast focuses on the knowledge you need to be effective, profitable, and relevant.
74episodes
Episodes
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AI Integration Into PSA and Security Platforms Forces New Governance Demands on MSPs
3d ago00:11:53Tap to summarizeThe core structural shift described in this episode is the integration of AI as an active workflow actor within managed service environments, not simply as an isolated tool. This mechanism alters the governance and accountability requirements for MSPs, as AI now interacts directly with core business platforms and operational data. Companies like Microsoft are embedding AI features—such as Copilot and a legal AI agent—across productivity and security environments, while reports from Axios Future of Cybersecurity and The Register highlight that AI activity is increasingly touching managed identity, email, data, and security infrastructures. The episode’s primary evidence centers on the adoption of AI-driven productivity and legal tools within Microsoft 365, with broad rollout timelines targeting early June. Microsoft’s deployment of legal AI agents in Word—as outlined by The Register and Thoreau—demonstrates that AI is being implemented to review contracts, draft language, and check citations, embedding itself into sensitive business workflows. Additionally, Proofpoint's formation of an MSP business unit around 365 security further reflects this shift, consolidating risk and workflow management where client data, identity, and security converge. Supporting developments reinforce this trend of workflow centralization and accountability ambiguity. Vendors are introducing dashboards—such as Anthropic’s Claude code agent view—that offer improved visibility into AI-driven processes; however, as noted, visibility alone does not constitute governance. The emergence of platforms like Halo PSA and features from JumpCloud exemplify the market response, where vendors and MSPs are being forced to tighten control and monitoring around AI-driven work, including automation, ticketing, and remediation workflows. The episode notes that unmanaged automation creates governance risks that operators must close. The practical implication for MSPs is a set of new operational burdens: rising margin pressure from unpriced AI governance work, contract risk if responsibilities for AI-generated actions remain undefined, and new demands for auditability, evidence retention, and workflow documentation. Providers must build inventories not only of AI tools but also the workflows they touch, define explicit service scope, and establish pricing models for governance functions. The operational tradeoff is an increasing need for infrastructure and process maturity, as the expectation of transparent, accountable AI-driven work is now a baseline for client trust and risk management. 00:00 Managed AI Risk 03:50 Scope or Absorb 06:03 Four MSP Pressures 08:35 Why Do We Care? Supported by: MoovilaHaloPSA JumpCloud 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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AI Accelerates Exploit Creation and Evidence Burden for MSPs, Says Google and Proofpoint
5d ago00:13:55Tap to summarizeThe central structural shift identified is the acceleration and scaling of cyber risks due to artificial intelligence, which turns formerly expert-driven security processes into repeatable, rapid workflows. Major threat intelligence units, including Google's Threat Intelligence group, are now documenting the use of AI in both identifying and weaponizing software vulnerabilities. The landscape is further shaped by the proliferation of AI-generated and AI-assisted online content, contributing to an environment where traditional verification and control mechanisms are less reliable. The episode presents concrete evidence: Google reported criminal hackers leveraging AI models—explicitly noting the use of non-Google technology—to discover a previously unknown zero day, while The Verge and Wired highlighted AI-assisted attempts to bypass multi-factor authentication and the impact of synthetic content even within cybercrime forums. Research covered by 404 Media documented that by mid-2025, a third of newly published websites were AI-influenced. These observed changes drive threat intelligence teams to treat AI as a working hypothesis in live investigations. Additional supporting developments reinforce the broadening security and operational impact. Tools such as Proofpoint's Prism Investigator and OpenAI’s Daybreak show the push toward automated threat detection, investigation, and reasoning pipelines, altering expectations from detection to defensible reconstruction and evidence generation. Analysis of supply chain compromises—such as tampered software installers and malware leveraging already-exposed cloud systems—demonstrates how automation reduces defender response windows while increasing operational pressure on providers. Reports from Small Biz Trends and channel Life show significant implementation gaps, with only a minority of small businesses deploying password managers, and a wide disparity between optimism and readiness for AI-powered security. For MSPs and IT leaders, these trends tighten operational accountability. The tradeoff shifts from focusing on technology stacks to delivering concrete evidence of patch application, identity verification, data retention, and audit support. Providers face increasing pressure to standardize verification workflows, reduce patch validation cycles, and make evidence retention a default process. The operational complexity intensifies—either the MSP develops controls to govern automation and evidentiary rigor, or becomes the default risk absorber for ambiguous, fast-moving attack paths shaped by both client and attacker use of automation. 00:00 Zero-Day 04:06 Speed Gap 06:25 Prove It 10:27 Why Do We Care? Supported by: Moovila Zero Networks 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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AI Agents Create New Accountability Risks for MSPs Managing Cloud Environments
6d ago00:14:25Tap to summarizeAI systems are increasingly embedded as non-human participants within managed environments, driving a structural shift in operational responsibility and exposure for MSPs. This shift is characterized by the integration of AI-powered tools—such as note takers, copilots, connectors, and agents—into core business workflows and SaaS platforms. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and ServiceNow are formalizing AI governance with platform features such as agent registries, policy enforcement gateways, and cross-platform audit trails. Reports from industry sources, including Wired, Rubrik, and regulatory bodies in the EU, substantiate these developments and highlight changing expectations for accountability and control. A key finding, according to security research by Red Access and covered by Wired, is that over 5,000 publicly exposed AI-generated web apps were found on the open web, with about 40% leaking sensitive data ranging from medical records to corporate strategy documents. Rubrik’s Zero Lab survey of over 1,600 IT and security leaders further reports that 86% expect AI agents will surpass existing security controls within a year, while only 23% feel they have full visibility into these agents’ activities. The New York Times and legal organizations note increasing legal and evidentiary risks posed by AI transcription tools in business meetings, warning that ungoverned AI outputs may be subject to discovery in litigation and could compromise attorney-client privilege. Additional developments reinforce the governance and risk gap. Platform vendors are building more granular control and auditing features, but most client environments still include unregulated AI tools, third-party connectors, and manual overrides outside these native boundaries. Regulatory frameworks are evolving to place explicit bans on specific AI outputs and to delay implementation of high-risk AI oversight, as seen in the EU’s provisional AI Act. The integration between Black Kite and Sayari exemplifies how vendors are seeking to connect risk intelligence across supply chains, but operator-level exposure often remains distributed and ambiguous. For MSPs and IT leaders, the practical implication is an immediate requirement to inventory and classify AI participants and outputs within managed domains, clarify contractual scope, and establish evidence-ready policies for audits, incidents, and legal review. Relying solely on vendor platform controls is insufficient, as clients and auditors will expect clear documentation of AI activity, data access, and policy enforcement. Many agreements are not priced or structured for AI governance and may require explicit scope adjustments, upcharges for AI inventory and policy services, and contractual exclusions for unmanaged AI activity to avoid unpriced liability. 00:00 Agents Unchecked 04:49 Control the Bot 06:58 AI Audit Risk 10:38 Why Do We Care? Supported by: Nerdio TimeZest 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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New AI Metering Forces MSPs to Rethink Contracts and Prove Control Over Usage
1w ago00:13:52Tap to summarizeThe episode reveals a structural shift in the technology landscape: artificial intelligence is becoming a new layer of managed consumption, with measurable impact on infrastructure, contract terms, and operational accountability. This shift is illustrated by leading technology platforms explicitly metering AI usage through compute tokens, storage footprints, and local model deployments. Companies such as Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are integrating AI not only as features but as quantifiable workload layers, leading to economic and governance questions regarding who controls consumption and who assumes the risk of overage or misuse. The most consequential development discussed is the rapid, capital-intensive scaling of AI infrastructure by leading hyperscalers. Alphabet raised its 2026 capital expenditure guidance to a possible $190 billion; Amazon’s AWS revenues rose 28% year-over-year to $37.6 billion, with quarterly capital expenditures reaching $44.2 billion— both moves directly tied to AI infrastructure investments. At the same time, endpoint and storage vendors, such as Apple and Backblaze, are experiencing elevated demand from AI workloads. On the software side, companies like Anthropic are explicitly raising API rate limits and deploying features to formalize the measurement and orchestration of AI-driven processes. Supporting developments include the migration of management and control functions into enterprise platforms and endpoint environments. Microsoft Agent 365 is now broadly available, offering admins centralized policy controls over AI agents across cloud and local machines, with integration into Intune for granular restriction and monitoring. Google’s Chrome browser now automatically downloads 4GB Gemini Nano models to support local AI functions, raising new operational considerations around storage, policy management, and user approval. These developments anchor the thesis that AI is no longer a passive toolset but a consumption and policy domain that requires active oversight. Operationally, MSPs and IT service providers face heightened exposure to contract and governance risk. The presence of invisible AI consumption— in the form of storage expansion, token overages, unauthorized agent actions, or degraded endpoint performance— requires explicit clauses in client agreements and new monitoring capabilities. Providers unable to demonstrate control over AI usage, policy enforcement, and exception handling may inherit both support burdens and unresolved liability. The practical implication is clear: future margins and contract viability will increasingly depend on the ability to meter, document, and govern AI-related activities, rather than simply enabling client access. 00:00 AI Infrastructure Surge 04:17 Control Layer Wins 06:41 MSP Liability Shift 10:50 Why Do We Care? Supported by: ScalePad CometBackup Moovila 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Consumption-Based AI Shifts MSP Role from Access to Governance and Cost Control
1w ago00:12:42Tap to summarizeThe episode highlights a structural shift from traditional software licensing towards consumption-based AI billing, transforming AI adoption into a source of direct financial exposure and accountability. This mechanism is illustrated by Microsoft’s new administrative controls for Copilot in Windows 11 and platform-wide integration efforts from vendors such as Apple and Amazon. The primary concern is no longer simply enabling access to AI tools, but managing their consumption, controlling costs, and clarifying responsibility for both outputs and consequences. The most consequential development centers around rapidly escalating AI costs and the difficulty organizations face in quantifying usage. According to reporting from The Information, companies such as Uber exhausted their 2026 AI budgets within months, with some daily usage costs reaching approximately $1,000 per user. Simultaneously, The Register cites a survey indicating that a majority of U.S. employees are skeptical about their employers adopting Microsoft’s AI bundles, and many believe alternative tools suffice. Additionally, Apple’s acceptance of a $250 million settlement regarding misleading AI claims signifies a shift from reputational to monetary accountability. Supporting developments further expose operational and governance challenges. Microsoft’s 2026 Work Trend Index, cited by CNET and GeekWire, identifies a disconnect between employee pressure to use AI and leadership’s lack of defined, standardized practices. Apple’s movement toward a third-party extensions model and Amazon’s integration of managed agents into Bedrock are designed to address platform coherence, yet they introduce dynamic complexity in model choice and cost accountability. Gartner’s projections of rising IT spend tied to data center investments further reinforce the infrastructure burden associated with widespread AI adoption. For MSPs and IT service providers, these developments underscore the risks of treating AI as a standard application rather than a managed operational layer. Legacy service agreements rarely specify how AI-driven costs, data exposure, or automation errors are governed. Providers now face new expectations to separate access and licensing from governance, usage auditing, and policy enforcement. Those who adapt by offering discrete AI management services—covering monitoring, cost controls, workflow approvals, and incident review—can align compensation with responsibility, while others risk absorbing escalating vendor complexity and unreimbursed accountability within flat-rate agreements. 00:00 AI Bill Due 03:31 Culture Blocks AI 05:49 AI Accountability Gap 09:16 Why Do We Care? Supported by: Moovila HaloPSA 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Jessica Davis on AI-Driven Pricing: How Microsoft and Kaseya Are Pressuring MSP Margins
2w ago00:41:43Tap to summarizeThe dominant structural shift addressed is the move of platform vendors away from competing on feature sets toward controlling the governance and billing layer that underpins managed services. This is evident in moves by Microsoft, AWS, and Kaseya, specifically with Microsoft's new licensing tier combining per-seat fees with consumption-based AI add-ons, AWS redefining managed services around agents, and Kaseya introducing action-based pricing for IT management. Analysts noted that these developments collectively place a consumption meter on previously flat-rate services, reconfiguring how MSPs and IT providers will be billed and held accountable. Primary evidence for this shift includes data from Omdia’s channel media report and tracked M&A activity within the MSP sector. The report counted 169 MSP acquisitions in 2025, mirroring prior years’ activity, yet identified that one acquirer—Evergreen Services Group—accounted for 47 deals, illustrating a concentration in acquisition strategies. Notably, 69% of publicly announced deals involved private equity, with the remainder pursued by independent operators. The North American channel media landscape saw significant contraction, with titles dropping from 29 to 18, despite stability in the global outlet count—attributed to both industry consolidation and AI-driven changes in content discovery. Supporting developments include growing use of AI in content production, leading to declining traffic for B2B publications as audiences increasingly access information through automated tools rather than direct visits. The rise of engagement-focused business models and shifts in acquisition criteria—such as Evergreen targeting founder-led MSPs—underscore evolving buyer strategies. Additionally, platform vendors are restructuring their product and pricing models around agent-driven and action-based billing, while shifting their external positioning to emphasize AI, intelligence, and cyber resilience. Operationally, MSPs and IT leaders face increased pricing and margin variability driven by emerging consumption-based licensing and AI service models. The historical per-user, per-month bundle is at risk as vendors experiment with new billing constructs, exposing providers to cost unpredictability and complicating client contracts. Providers lacking internal engineering or acquisition frameworks may be especially exposed, while consolidation and vendor dependency raise governance and accountability stakes. MSPs pursuing higher margin services, such as compliance or cyber resilience offerings, must prepare for new cost structures and intensifying pressure from both customers and vendors regarding efficiency, pricing, and service outcomes.Supported by: Zero Networks Moovila Upcoming event: The Pivotal Point of IT: Building Services for the AI-First Era Date: May 13 at 1p.m. EDT Register: https://go.acronis.com/davesobelaiera 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Shadow AI Shifts MSP Role: From AI Access to Proving Control and Recovery
2w ago00:12:51Tap to summarizeThe episode identifies a structural shift in how AI adoption is being managed within IT environments: control and accountability are now central concerns, overtaking simple discussions of AI usage or feature deployment. Shadow AI—unmanaged or improperly governed AI agents—has emerged as a tangible risk vector. Government entities, such as the White House, and technology vendors including Microsoft, Cisco, and OpenAI are framing AI not only as a productivity tool but increasingly as a source of operational and security liabilities that demand more robust oversight. A key example comes from an incident reported by TechRepublic in which an AI agent within a coding workflow deleted both a production database and its backups, resulting in a prolonged, business-impacting recovery from a three-month-old backup. In parallel, the Hacker News highlighted findings from scans of one million exposed AI services, characterizing the market’s current AI security posture as lacking, with many endpoints widely reachable unintentionally. Microsoft’s public transition of Agent365 from preview to release was directly tied to fears over the risks associated with shadow AI, indicating industry recognition of autonomous agents as a new attack surface requiring governance. Supporting developments further validate this trend. Cisco’s open sourcing of AI Bill of Materials (BOMs) tools, Wiz’s tracking of non-human identities tied to AI workloads, and OpenAI’s rollout of advanced account security all signal a growing industry emphasis on making AI deployments auditable and restrictable. Practices such as phishing-resistant authentication—driven by token theft campaigns analyzed by Microsoft—and continuous permission monitoring, as advocated by Material Security, are now increasingly viewed as necessary safeguards rather than optional enhancements. Providers like Enforcer and products such as Copilot Manager are explicitly focused on surfacing shadow AI usage and enforcing credential discipline, underlining the growing demand for proof-of-controls. MSPs and IT service providers now face greater operational complexity and contract risk tied to AI automation. Client expectations are shifting from baseline AI access to demonstrable governance—requiring non-human identity inventories, documented permission boundaries, and validated recovery frameworks for AI-powered workflows. Token harvesting and persistent OAuth grants increase the likelihood that MSPs will be held responsible not just for prevention, but for rapid containment, rollback, and producing evidence during security incidents. Failure to meet tightened SLAs around backup immutability, authentication protections, and agent visibility could soon become a material contract exposure. 00:00 Agents Gone Rogue 03:50 Govern the Agent 06:24 MSP at Risk 09:54 Why Do We Care? Supported by: CometBackup ScalePad Upcoming event: The Pivotal Point of IT: Building Services for the AI-First Era Date: May 13 at 1p.m. EDT Register: https://go.acronis.com/davesobelaiera 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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When Agents Can Buy and Provision: The Shift from Automation to Enforced Governance
2w ago00:13:28Tap to summarizeThe dominant structural shift identified is the emergence of agentic AI as a direct operator within multi-system business environments, triggering a governance and accountability gap. Vendors and cloud platforms—including AWS, Stripe, and Cloudflare—are enabling AI agents not only to recommend actions but also to directly access payment rails, provision infrastructure, and execute transactions. This movement turns automation into an operating model issue rather than a feature deployment, as the identity, authority, and accountability of non-human actors become central operational questions. Primary evidence is drawn from a range of industry signals. According to an AMD-commissioned IDC report, 81% of enterprises are engaged in AI PC adoption and 61% are embedding AI into workflows. AWS has expanded managed agent packaging for AI deployments, Stripe has launched the Link wallet allowing AI agents to process payments on users’ behalf with controls on payment credentials, and Cloudflare has demonstrated agents autonomously provisioning cloud resources with enforced monthly spend limits. While these statistics carry vendor-driven optimism, the combined actions of these companies confirm a shift from advisory AI to operational AI. Related developments reinforce this trajectory. The SolarWinds survey reported by Computer Weekly finds 71% of IT workers experiencing higher demands due to AI, with only 19% noting reduced cognitive load, reflecting operational burdens rather than efficiencies. Similarly, Forrester data cited by The Register highlights a change in CIO responsibilities from system building to outcome governance as agentic AI exposes gaps in decision rights and process completeness. Security risks are elevated, as the Kela report counts 2.86 billion stolen credentials in a year, indicating that agent-driven credentials can trigger machine-speed purchases and changes, compounding the challenge of oversight and recovery. Operational implications for MSPs are significant. Without explicit governance, spend limits, approval paths, and audit trails, MSPs face increased liability and support burden when AI agents initiate actions across client systems. The episode underscores that automation is not just a technical project but a contract and service design issue; if accountability is not clearly defined, MSPs bear the risk and cost of unauthorized transactions and exception handling. To mitigate exposure, there is a need to formalize agent governance as a priced, intentional service encompassing identity management, financial controls, and documented operational guardrails before agentic AI is deployed in client environments. 00:00 Agents Take Over 04:39 Who's Accountable? 06:48 Who Owns This? 09:58 Why Do We Care? Supported by: NerdioScalePad Upcoming event: The Pivotal Point of IT: Building Services for the AI-First Era Date: May 13 at 1p.m. EDT Register: https://go.acronis.com/davesobelaiera 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Microsoft and AWS Shift MSPs Toward Metered AI Pricing and Governance Exposure
2w ago00:15:46Tap to summarizeThe core structural shift identified is the reconfiguration of managed service pricing and accountability due to the integration of AI and platform metering into standard IT offerings. Large vendors—including Microsoft and AWS—are shifting the economics of IT delivery: traditional flat-rate bundles are being rendered structurally unsafe as AI-driven workloads introduce unpredictable consumption costs and financial exposure. This change is catalyzed by vendors attaching metered billing models and embedding AI agents directly into enterprise platforms, which fundamentally shifts risk and cost variability onto MSPs and service providers. The most consequential development is Microsoft’s introduction of Microsoft 365 E7, described as a new bundle combining seat licensing with consumption-based AI fees. According to company statements and Computer Weekly reporting, Microsoft is explicitly positioning the suite as a license-plus-consumption model with measured AI usage, tracked similarly to Azure. Gartner’s latest IT spending forecast, cited via CIO.com, anticipates global IT spend reaching $6.31 trillion by 2026, with a 55.8% jump in data center infrastructure spending, largely driven by AI adoption. Secondary developments echo this trend. AWS has expanded its managed agent offerings on Amazon Bedrock, integrating OpenAI models and presenting agents as standardized, enterprise-ready managed services; pricing is identified by analysts as a tipping point. Cloudflare’s collaboration with Stripe highlights infrastructure that enables agents to provision accounts and handle finances with minimal human input, using protocol-based authorization and spending controls. Vendors like AvePoint release governance tools that focus not on offering more AI, but on operationalizing policy control and audit management across multi-tenant environments. These illustrate increasing platform vendor jurisdiction over layers historically managed by MSPs. For MSPs and service providers, the practical consequences are increased exposure to contract risk, margin compression, and operational complexity. Flat rate contracts that fail to track AI consumption or bundle AI support risk being underpriced and absorbing both spend and support variance. The shift towards platform-managed governance, identity, and audit controls requires providers to separate governance from operational support in agreements, implementing new monitoring, reporting, and cost-tracking tooling. Failure to address these shifts could result in lost accounts, failed renewals, and loss of insurability, as insurers and auditors demand provable oversight and policy enforcement. 00:00 Seats Meet Meters 05:39 Bundles Break Here 08:32 Cleanup Costs You 11:49 Why Do We Care? Supported by: Acronis Moovila Zero Networks Upcoming event: The Pivotal Point of IT: Building Services for the AI-First Era Date: May 13 at 1p.m. EDT Register: https://go.acronis.com/davesobelaiera 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Microsoft and Federal Agencies Shift Security from Best Effort to Verified Service Operation
2w ago00:14:23Tap to summarizeThe core structural shift highlighted is the movement of security for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) from best-effort practices to a regulated, continuously verified service operation. This change is being driven by the compression of vulnerability exploit timelines as a result of attackers leveraging both automation and AI, and by regulators imposing hard patching and compliance deadlines. Companies such as ConnectWise and Microsoft are central, with federal agencies (CISA) now converting exploited vulnerabilities into time-bound remediation mandates. A significant development underscoring this shift is the addition of two known exploited vulnerabilities—CVE-2024-1708 in ConnectWise ScreenConnect and CVE-2026-32202 in Microsoft Windows Shell—to CISA’s remediation requirements. Agencies must address these by May 12, 2026, marking a move from tracking to deadline-driven action. Reports from Huntress and TechCrunch confirm that real-world attackers rapidly exploit public vulnerability information, and Microsoft’s own documentation illustrates attackers increasingly using Microsoft Teams for social engineering, remote assistance, and privilege escalation. Supporting developments include major vendors like Microsoft integrating models from Anthropic into their security development lifecycle to accelerate vulnerability discovery and remediation. However, studies noted by The Hacker News and The Verge indicate that AI-driven discovery is outpacing operational capacity, creating a growing discovery-to-remediation gap. At the organizational level, information from the Reveal 2026 IT Talent Survey indicates that 8 in 10 technology leaders face significant shortages in AI and cybersecurity skills, compounding the operational burden of continuous security verification. For MSPs and IT leaders, these factors combine to increase operational complexity, require more explicit contract scoping and evidence obligations, and shift oversight from periodic compliance towards continuous, demonstrable verification. Contractual ambiguity—especially when services are described as “best effort”—exposes providers to unmeasured labor and unassigned accountability. Practical steps now include reclassifying business collaboration platforms as active attack surfaces, formally auditing and documenting previously “invisible” tasks, and aligning internal operations with external, regulator-mandated verification standards. 00:00 AI Patches Gaps 05:10 Discovery Isn't Enough 07:11 Reprice or Absorb 10:24 Why Do We Care? Supported by: Moovila Zero Networks Upcoming event: The Pivotal Point of IT: Building Services for the AI-First Era Date: May 13 at 1p.m. EDT Register: https://go.acronis.com/davesobelaiera 💼 All Our SponsorsSupport the vendors who support the show:👉 https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ 🚀 Join Business of Tech PlusGet exclusive access to investigative reports, vendor analysis, leadership briefings, and more.👉 https://businessof.tech/plus 🎧 Subscribe to the Business of TechWant the show on your favorite podcast app or prefer the written versions of each story?📲 https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe 📰 Story Links & SourcesLooking for the links from today’s stories?Every episode script — with full source links — is posted at:🌐 https://www.businessof.tech 🎙 Want to Be a Guest?Pitch your story or appear on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights:💬 https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech 🔗 Follow Business of Tech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradioBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.techInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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