AI is reshaping the MSP landscape — fast. The challenge now isn’t whether to adopt it, but how to integrate it in ways that deliver real business value.
To help MSPs stay ahead, we’ve brought together 10 leading voices from across the Channel, each sharing one quick tip with practical insights on how to leverage AI for growth, increase scale and stay competitive in 2026 and beyond.
From automating routine tasks to enhancing security services and compliance workflows, these experts reveal how AI can boost efficiency, reduce risk and open new revenue streams — without increasing overhead.
“AI gives MSPs an incredible opportunity to strip away the noise — the repetitive, low-value tasks that drain our teams of creativity and purpose. It can automate the admin, optimise the processes and surface insights faster than any human could. But the real challenge and the real opportunity, lies in what we do with the time it gives back.
If we use that time to deepen relationships, to listen, to show up for our teams, our clients, our families and our communities, then AI becomes a force multiplier for empathy. It allows us to become more human, not less. The MSPs that win in 2026 won’t be the ones that deploy the most automation; they’ll be the ones that balance intelligence with empathy — blending machine efficiency with human connection.”
“In 2026, smart MSPs will use AI to make their CRMs work harder for them. You may want to invest in a system with built-in data enrichment, such as HubSpot’s Breeze Intelligence. All you need is a work email address, and it will find other details for you. It's marketing magic!
Or, if your CRM doesn’t have that built in, use plugin tools like Apollo or Lusha to enrich records. It’s one of the simplest AI investments you can make.”
“As always, it’s people — not technology — who will shape MSP success in 2026. The real difference will come from MSP teams showing their clients, also people, how they’re using AI in their own business to make things better and spark new ideas. That kind of openness and leadership builds trust and inspires action.
And by developing ‘consulting-as-a-recurring-service’ from their own proven experience, MSPs can create something genuinely valuable — a service that drives results for clients and delivers healthy, lasting margins.”
“As a video specialist, I should probably say something like VEO 3 is an emerging technology that will separate the top MSPs from the rest, but it has to be AI blended with automation. I still hear so many people in our space refer to AI as ChatGPT, but the real savings come when you automate workflows and drop AI into the decision points. That's where the potential is to save significantly on labour costs and improve margins for both yourselves and your customers.”
“This new era of AI-enabled applications brings both great opportunity and significant exposure. The rapid surge of new tools will make it trivial for end users to trial and adopt software on their own but, if left unchecked, it will almost certainly accelerate tool sprawl, inflate hidden spend and expand the already growing attack surface.
MSPs that respond by leaning into AI-driven security awareness, end-user training and proactive control of their customers’ technology sprawl and associated expenses will turn that chaos into a defensible, recurring revenue advantage.”
“The rapid change we’re facing as an industry can be seen as daunting, or we can leap in and embrace it. We’ve been through times of upheaval in the past, with Y2K, the dot-com boom (and bust), the transition to cloud, and now AI.
MSPs who look to the new horizon as an opportunity will be the businesses that our future industry is built upon, while those who see this time of change as a challenge or a threat will find themselves falling further behind.”
“MSPs should focus on internalising AI as their first big investment. While the attraction is to deliver AI-as-a-Service to their customers for revenue, becoming a master of the technology is critical before rushing to monetise it.
MSPs who leverage new service desk automation and AI tools — but reallocate the newly created hours to building higher-touch relationships with their customers — will separate themselves from those who are simply automating and scaling to serve more customers with fewer interactions.”
“I think the biggest opportunity for MSPs in 2026 is using AI to better understand their customers and attract new ones. We’ve spent the last couple of years using AI to make internal operations more efficient, but now it’s time to turn it outward.
MSPs should invest in tools that help them analyse client data, identify trends, and tailor their services and marketing to meet real customer needs. The same goes for AI in marketing and prospecting. Using AI to uncover who’s most likely to buy, what they actually care about, and how to reach them effectively will separate the ones growing fast from the ones standing still.
Predictive intelligence will be the difference-maker. MSPs who can take the data they already have and use it to see around corners will win.”
“When I talk to MSPs on my podcast and through MSPInfluencer, the three things that consistently keep them up at night are cybersecurity, human capital, and growth. AI has the potential to positively impact all three — strengthening defences, automating routine tasks, and uncovering new growth opportunities through smarter data use.”
“AI governance will be the key area of opportunity. While the hype may be around AI, most organisations are not actually prepared for the implications of AI. AI governance is not just about compliance; it is about operational discipline and risk management. Without strong governance, organisations face a range of risks: data leaks, lack of audit trails, security vulnerabilities, and hidden costs from unmanaged AI usage.
The organisations that bridge the gap between AI hype and real value will be those that focus not just on adopting AI, but on doing so responsibly, securely, and with a clear-eyed view of the risks and requirements — building responsible, secure and well-documented AI practices as the foundation for success.”
As AI continues to evolve, MSPs that combine innovation with operational excellence will lead the next wave of growth.
A big thank you to all of our contributors for sharing actionable advice on how to make AI work for MSPs. Their insights highlight a clear theme: the future belongs to partners who adopt AI thoughtfully, automate smartly and keep people at the heart of their strategy.
usecure is the automated human risk management platform for MSPs that calculates, demonstrates, and mitigates human cyber risk in just a few steps, helping IT service providers reduce user-related security incidents, boost their service value, and stand out from competitors with a unique offering.
By detecting human cyber vulnerabilities and crafting user-specific risk profiles, usecure automates ongoing training that targets and eliminates employee security blind spots, using bite-sized video and interactive training to drive and measure user engagement and knowledge retention.
Alongside cyber awareness training, usecure reinforces secure user behaviour through automated spear-phishing simulations, dark web exposure monitoring, and simplified policy communications.
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