Technology innovations should improve life for partners

Vendors are starting to roll out more artificial intelligence (AI) tools and tech innovation to support their channel in a bid to let the technology improve life for partners.

The buzz around using the technology to improve processes has been growing louder, with the examples of what that looks like in action starting to mount up.

WatchGuard has used its EMEA partner event to introduce its Rai agentic AI tool that has been developed for its MSP community. Rai monitors for threats and takes authorised responses in real time to ease some of the burden off the shoulders of partners.

The offering also provides managed service providers (MSPs) with an opportunity to provide more coverage for customers looking for 24/7 support from their partner, with the agent supplying measurable interactions that can be tracked.

“Cyber threats are increasing in both volume and complexity, and organisations need AI that is built to work continuously across every client,” said Ben Oster, vice-president of product management at WatchGuard.

“Rai shifts security operations from reactive to predictive, acting instantly to deliver more consistent protection. This approach enables partners to scale faster, enhance margins and improve the customer experience across their entire portfolio,” he added.

The agent is visible to partners via the WatchGuard Insights Hub, with a Daily Brief option to wrap up all the actions taken and items requiring attention.

Elsewhere, Inforcer recently released a Copilot Manager feature to help MSPs develop and deliver their own AI services to target the needs of the SME user community. The service has been developed in response to the infrastructure and skills gaps that plague many MSPs when it comes to scaling out AI services. Inforcer has developed a Copilot centred option to help MSPs gain visibility of user adoption and to monitor shadow AI usage.

“MSPs need Copilot support now,” said Jamie Daum, CEO at Inforcer. “Time is of the essence for MSPs to implement innovative solutions that capitalise on emerging AI opportunities, ensuring they stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Copilot Manager has already been trialled in beta by over 200 MSPs globally, and partners are already experiencing the benefits of Copilot Manager’s capabilities.”

That sense of using technology to engage with partners differently has also been on display at CrowdStrike’s partner event, with the security player launching a mobile app for its channel to use to enable and sell the vendor’s technology. There will be a chance to register opportunities via the app, track deals and get rewards quickly moved into a digital wallet. The ambition is to reach partners in a way they are already comfortable with by using mobile apps to reduce time and friction.

“Speed is everything – both in cyber security and in how business gets done,” said Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at CrowdStrike. “With Jet, we’re bringing CrowdStrike into the flow of how our partners actually work. They can capture opportunities in the moment, move deals forward faster and get rewarded immediately. That’s how we scale our ecosystem – by making it easier for partners to win with CrowdStrike.”