313 – Missing the Copilot Boom? How Top MSPs Are Monetizing AI Now

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In this episode, Vince Menzione sits down with Jason Ulacio from Enforcer and Oguo Atuanya from PAX8 to discuss the critical ecosystem shift happening as MSPs transform into Managed Intelligence Providers (MIPs). They explore the hidden dangers of shadow AI running rampant in organizations, the absolute necessity of establishing solid data governance before deploying tools like Copilot, and how curated agent stores are enabling partners to drive repeatable, monetizable business outcomes for SMBs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajn6FFFWMp4 Key Takeaways

• The traditional MSP model must evolve into a Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP) that focuses on business consulting and driving repeatable growth for SMBs.
• Almost 100% of organizations have a “shadow AI” problem, creating massive security vulnerabilities that MSPs must immediately address.
• Before successfully deploying Copilot, organizations must lay down a foundation of data governance and security to prevent dangerous oversharing of sensitive information.
• PAX8 is bridging the SMB gap with a curated agent store that ensures agents are native to SMB needs, secure, and deliver outcome-driven experiences.
• MSPs must become “Customer Zero” by actively using and understanding AI tools internally before attempting to commercialize them for clients.
• Providing simple, baseline services like monthly shadow AI reporting is an effective first step for MSPs to build recurring revenue streams based on AI.

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Key Tags

Managed Intelligence Provider, PAX8, Enforcer platform, Microsoft environments, shadow AI detection, Copilot assessment, data governance, work IQ, sensitivity labels, SMB native agents, curated agent store, vendor built agent, MIP playbook, purview adoption, MFA, HIPAA compliance, F1 engine analogy, trust AI, is AI trustworthy, AI governance, AI regulation, AI compliance

Transcript

Oguo Atuanya and Jason Ulacio Audio Podcast

[00:00:00] Jason Ulacio: We are getting to the point where we ask AI questions, we ask copilot. We ask these stat questions, and we trust the answers that come back.

[00:00:10] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us, the way Hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel and what it means to win in 2026.

[00:00:22] Vince Menzione: Welcome to the Ultimate Partner Podcast. I’m Vince Menzi. Own your host. And each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of technology, partnerships and outcomes. The voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the strategy.

[00:00:44] Vince Menzione: It is the strategy because being

[00:00:46] Jason Ulacio: in the room changes everything. Let’s start.

[00:00:52] Vince Menzione: This is like a Microsoft, uh, alumni meeting.

[00:00:56] Oguo Atuanya: Yes.

[00:00:56] Vince Menzione: It’s an alumni network meeting. I’m gonna have you both come on, introduce yourselves, and then we’re gonna jump into the conversations. Good to see you, my friends.

[00:01:05] Oguo Atuanya: Same here.

[00:01:06] Vince Menzione: This is so fun.

[00:01:07] Vince Menzione: Fun. Please,

[00:01:08] Jason Ulacio: please,

[00:01:11] Vince Menzione: Jason, I’ll let you go first. Yes. Welcome to the stage, ultimate Partner Stage.

[00:01:17] Jason Ulacio: Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Vince. Thank you for having us. Um, hi everyone. Jason CIO here. Um, as we view of business development at Enforcer, um, I joined Enforcer about eight months ago. Prior to that, uh, spent about nine and a h