As small and midsize businesses move from experimenting with artificial intelligence to deploying it across everyday workflows, MSPs have an opportunity to become long-term advisors on the infrastructure, security and enablement required to make those investments work.
Michael Day, vice president of global partner sales at GoTo, told Channel Insider that partners are increasingly helping customers select, install and use technology while demonstrating its business value.
“How do I truly keep the word advisor or manager of your services in my title?” Day said. “The key that we’re seeing the most success in is when they can fully help and articulate: How do I install it? How do I use it? And how do I find value in whatever it is that this technology is going to do for me?”
AI adoption expands the MSP services opportunity
AI may be the catalyst, but the resulting demand extends across customers’ technology environments. Businesses adopting AI may need faster devices, greater network capacity, stronger security controls, better backup capabilities and clear policies governing data access.
That creates opportunities for partners to build services around the full AI lifecycle rather than limiting their role to deploying a single application.
Integrations become critical to AI success
Channel Insider’s previous MSP guide to building an AI strategy for SMBs similarly found that providers should connect AI projects to defined business problems, establish realistic ROI expectations and strengthen security services alongside adoption.
At the same time, the promise of generative and agentic AI often relies on a series of integrations underpinned by a foundational data layer to prove out its value in business workflows.
“The premium around a platform that integrates into many other things, I don’t think it’s ever been higher,” Day said, pointing to demand for communications, CRM, ticketing and records-management systems to exchange data.
Customer retention takes priority as competition grows
Day also sees partners placing more emphasis on expanding within their existing accounts as more providers compete for new customers. That means learning more about each customer’s technology stack and identifying additional areas where the partner can contribute.
“The lifetime value of the customer has never been higher,” Day said. “For all businesses, it’s cheaper to retain and grow a customer than, in many cases, it is to get a new one.”
That strategy aligns with GoTo’s broader channel investments. The company launched its LogMeIn Partner Network earlier in 2026 with training, technical support, co-marketing resources and incentives for MSPs, resellers, technology partners and global systems integrators.
AI complexity could lengthen sales cycles
AI adoption may accelerate into 2027, but Day cautioned that more capable technology will not necessarily lead to faster purchasing decisions. Customers will also have to evaluate security, data access and an evolving regulatory landscape as tools become more complex.
“We’ve barely even hit the early phase of this yet,” Day said. “As the technologies continue to increase, it’s going to only get more complex, which is such a unique opportunity for the vendors and the partners to try to demystify some of that complexity.”
For MSPs, that could mean longer sales cycles but greater demand for assessment, governance and ongoing advisory services.
MSPs must become trusted AI partners
Although customers may eventually use AI to build more technology internally, Day does not believe that eliminates the need for MSP expertise. Instead, providers must shift from reactive support to continuous guidance, monitoring and risk management.
“How do I now become your managed services trusted partner?” Day said. “Don’t wait until it goes wrong. Keep me inside of your organization. Keep me involved in your business.”
For MSPs, sustaining that role will require keeping pace with rapidly changing technology and working closely with vendors that can provide the training and insight needed to stay ahead.
“At some point, something’s going to go wrong,” Day said. “And that’s when you’re going to call me.”