Augmentt CEO: MSPs Need To ‘Monetize’ Microsoft Security, Compliance And AI

‘Microsoft security and management is such a broad technology integration gap that what we’re trying to do is connect everything. We’re trying to help MSPs go beyond 365 and into Intune, SharePoint and Teams and really grow that security ecosystem within Microsoft,’ says Derik Belair, Augmentt CEO.

Augmentt is continuing to use its 2025 $18 million Series A investment to expand its platform, deepen its Microsoft integrations and help MSPs turn demand for security, compliance and AI into new revenue.

The funding, CEO Derik Belair told CRN, is being split between sales and marketing and accelerated product development, with the goal to expand the company’s presence in the MSP channel while building out support for the broader Microsoft ecosystem.

“We’re doing lots of events and also focusing on international growth,” Belair said. “Right now, about 35 percent of our revenue comes from international, even though we don’t have a huge international presence, so we’re doubling down on that.”

The Ontario, Canada-based Microsoft 365 security and compliance vendor is also investing heavily in development.

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“Microsoft security and management is such a broad technology integration gap that what we’re trying to do is connect everything,” he said. “We’re trying to help MSPs go beyond 365 and into Intune, SharePoint and Teams and really grow that security ecosystem within Microsoft.”

He also sees AI readiness as one of the biggest opportunities for MSPs over the next year, particularly as customers consider AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot. But for MSPs, the challenge is determining whether a customer’s existing environment is ready for it.

Compliance is another major piece, where the company is working to give MSPs tools that help them establish policies and controls across Microsoft’s security ecosystem.

“The partners are trying to figure out how they’re going to basically deliver security services,” he said. “They’re not necessarily being asked, ‘You’re a security expert, I’m a small business, just help me out.’ What they’re saying now is, ‘I need the CMMC Level 1. How are you going to make my environment work?’ Or, ‘I’m a PCI shop or a HIPAA shop. How am I going to be able to justify the controls and prove that?’ So all of it is shifting toward compliance.”

Corey Kirkendoll, president and CEO of Plano, Texas-based 5K Technical Services, said that shift could create an opening for MSPs to build more offerings around Microsoft services, particularly with vendors helping them package those capabilities into repeatable services.

The opportunity also extends beyond Microsoft 365, with Azure and Teams representing areas some MSPs have yet to fully tap.

“A lot of MSPs don’t even look at the Azure and Teams piece,” Kirkendoll told CRN. “There’s so much that Microsoft offers that they just never get in touch with, either because they don’t have the expertise or they don’t have a partner that can help support them there.”

Augmentt plans to go deeper into Microsoft products and compliance capabilities next year, including extensive policy baselines, automated remediation and support for compliance frameworks.

And the company has been using AI internally to manage its own growth. With about 40 employees, Belair said the company is using a centralized AI system to give employees access to information about partners, product usage and support. They’re also beginning to deploy AI agents for individual roles.

“A support person now has a support agent that is handling Level 1 and Level 2 in an automated fashion, so our best resources are dealing with big problems or customer interactions,” he said. “All the small stuff is being automated. It’s almost like making everybody more efficient by leveraging an agent version of themselves.”

The strategy comes back to helping MSPs monetize the Microsoft investments they are already making for customers.

“It’s a Microsoft-centric channel,” he said. “The biggest thing we tell MSPs is: Monetize that. Get paid for it.”