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SMEs keen to work with partners on AI
Research from Pax8 exposes some flaws in the approach many customers are taking to deployments, and the acknowledgement that they need to work with the channel
It is becoming clear that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) at a fair old pace, but many are deploying the technology ahead of establishing management frameworks.
The danger with the technology has always been that it would be rolled out before customers had got the guardrails in place to protect data and reduce complexity. The emergence of AI agents has also added to the challenges for those trying to keep track of the impact of the technology.
Research from Pax8 has underlined the need for SMEs to get assistance with AI management, outlining a clear opportunity for those in the channel that have skills in that area.
The cloud marketplace specialist has shared its inaugural Pax8 Pulse, which the firm will be carrying out on a quarterly basis, to get a sense of what is happening in the SME customer base. The findings are based on US responses, but will echo the experiences of many UK businesses.
As well as revealing a rush by many customers to adopt AI without establishing the management framework to handle the technology, the report also exposed a gap in attitudes towards artificial intelligence from business owners and department heads, with the latter expressing a more urgent need to deploy the technology.
The problem caused by that split view of AI, according to Pax8, is that it created risks caused by fragmented deployment and the potential for integration failures.
“Small businesses are at a critical inflection point,” said Nick Heddy, president and chief commerce officer at Pax8. “AI adoption is accelerating rapidly, but many SMBs are implementing tools without the governance frameworks, integration strategies or internal alignment needed to maximise value and minimise risk. The businesses that will succeed aren’t necessarily the fastest adopters – they’re the ones building strategy alongside capability.”
AI investment
AI is seen as essential for competitiveness, and SMEs are spending on the technology, with just shy of half having increased their investments in tools in the past year.
But given the challenges with management, there is an opportunity for the channel – particularly the end of the managed service provider market that focuses on delivering intelligence support – to step in and help customers.
Pax8 found the vast majority of SMEs (84%) would work with a trusted advisor to help implement AI, and 70% acknowledged they had to use external expertise if they were to really benefit from the technology.
Almost all of those quizzed felt confident enough to be able to find a partner that could meet its needs, underlining the extent to which partners were already on the radar of many users.
Pax8 has been encouraging the channel to evolve into managed intelligence providers to remain competitive and keep ahead of those offering general services.
Heddy pointed to the Pulse survey as further evidence of the benefits of making that shift and moving up the value chain.
“The opportunity for MSPs to evolve into managed intelligence providers has never been more clear,” he said.
“SMBs aren’t just looking for products – they’re looking for partners who can help them build AI strategies, curate and orchestrate intelligent systems, and implement with confidence. The MSPs that recognise this shift and position themselves as strategic advisors rather than IT support will be the ones who thrive. Trust is the product, and the channel is uniquely positioned to deliver it.”
