Pax8’s Rob Rae: ‘Our Goal Is To Support MSPs Globally’
‘We’re committed to transforming the MSP space through innovation and community support,’ says Rob Rae, corporate vice president of community and ecosystems at Pax8. ‘As the market continues to change, Pax8 is dedicated to helping our partners thrive in this dynamic environment.’
“Thirty or 40 years ago, when the internet started emerging, there were similar concerns about job displacement and industry transformation,” said Rob Rae, corporate vice president of community and ecosystems at cloud marketplace Pax8. “The conversations we’re having now about AI are very reminiscent of those early discussions. I’m here to ensure that the MSP market understands what Pax8 is doing for our partners.”
Rae spoke to MSPs at CRN parent The Channel Company’s XChange August event in San Antonio this week about how those advancements are shaping the industry. Pax8, he said, is harnessing those advancements to help MSPs transform their business.
He said Pax8’s revamped cloud marketplace is an ongoing effort to disrupt the market that leverages AI and industry best practices. With that comes significant investments in community and education around these practices.
[Related: Pax8 CEO: ‘AI Capabilities Are Doubling Every Four To Six Months’]
And with more 130 vendors in its marketplace and a global network of 35,000 MSP partners, Greenwood Village, Colo.-based Pax8 is expanding its reach.
“We are onboarding more vendors every month, with plans to add hundreds more,” he said. “Our goal is to support MSPs globally, with offices now in regions like the Baltic states where the MSP model is gaining traction.
“There’s more competition than ever before, with large enterprises showing interest in the SMB space,” he added. “This pressure is driving innovation but also making the market more competitive.”
Consumer behaviors have also changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of Gen Z.
“The pandemic forced us all to adapt to new ways of purchasing,” he said. “Now, SMB clients are conducting extensive research before engaging with MSPs.”
Pax8’s commitment to leveraging data and AI to enhance MSP operations aims to provide actionable insights, such as identifying upsell opportunities and mapping security gaps.
One such way is Pax8’s Opportunity Explorer, which offers MSPs a comprehensive view of their customers’ needs and consumption patterns.
“This tool will help MSPs identify potential upsell opportunities and align their services with client needs,” Rae said. “Our goal is to empower MSPs with tools that keep vendors engaged through the channel and provide better insights into client interactions.
“We’re committed to transforming the MSP space through innovation and community support,” he added. “As the market continues to change, Pax8 is dedicated to helping our partners thrive in this dynamic environment.”
Dan Leavitt, director of managed services at Springfield, Mass.-based MSP and Pax8 partner Court Square Group, said he likes how the marketplace allows him to mark up costs.
“The convenience of going to one location for that marketplace to grab all these different software vendors, that's nice,” he said. “It’s a one-stop shop, and the pure convenience of being able to add software on the fly is big advantage for us and a big benefit.”