What Integris’ AIOps Framework Signals for MSPs & SMBs

As MSPs race to turn AI experimentation into repeatable business value, Integris is betting that disciplined internal operations, and not tooling alone, are the key to making AI work for SMBs.

In an interview with Channel Insider, Integris CIO Dr. Brian Luckey and Chief Transformation Officer Kris Laskarzewski described how more than a year of internal AI testing informed the company’s newly launched AI for IT Operations framework.

How Integris built its AI for IT operations framework

Integris recently announced its “AI for IT Operations” framework, a holistic approach to infusing AI throughout operations, both internally and also in the work it enables for SMB clients.

The framework is the culmination of over a year of work in which the team extensively researched and experimented to identify how AI could tangibly benefit business outcomes.

“AI and automation really are buzzwords that are kind of everywhere in the market,” Laskarzewski said. “Brian and I studied a lot of the things on the market, we talked to our clients about what they wanted from AI, we worked internally on it, and that built where we are now.”

Beginning in March 2025, the company created and deployed more than 125 custom automations across help desk routing, client health scoring, cybersecurity monitoring, and system communications. 

Integris says the work has resulted in substantial efficiency gains, including:

• 26,000 hours of capacity created 
• 30 minutes saved per ticket 
• 50% faster resolution times

The company has also embedded AI within its workflows across financial, HR, and other internal operations teams, and is now prepared to take those learnings to clients as well.

Why Integris spent a year validating AI use cases before scaling

Luckey and Laskarzewski both talked extensively with SMB clients and internal stakeholders at Integris as they built the framework. 

When they set out to create AI-enabled workflows and deliver AI solutions to clients, they quickly realized they had a long road ahead. 

“It’s been a year-long journey at least for us to get to this point,” Luckey said. “People in general were still struggling with what AI was, and so we took a step back to craft a long-term strategy around it all. We realized we didn’t need to be first, we needed to be right.”

“For us, it was key to fail fast. We have a lot of high-performers on our team, and we found it was difficult for a lot of us at first to understand that the project not working was okay because it allowed us to move on to the next thing,” Luckey continued.

Luckey also said much of the work involved ensuring the foundational layer was built, including data storage, security and governance guardrails, and other key projects that enabled agentic and generative AI tools to function.

Why SMBs want MSPs that can translate AI into business outcomes

Integris supports SMBs across several verticals, including banking and healthcare. 

Luckey and Laskarzewski both told Channel Insider that those clients are no longer seeking just technical expertise; they need partners who can translate technology into business outcomes that show how AI adoption, among other things, can drive the business forward.

“Educating clients on what is possible is a large part of what we do,” Laskarzewski said. “It’s important for us to be able to articulate why this matters to them, and you can’t really do that without understanding how your clients’ businesses work and what they are trying to achieve.”

“Our customers don’t need another vendor to buy things from; they need a true partner they can trust,” Luckey added.

This is maybe especially true of AI-related conversations. Laskarzewski said he often finds that SMB leaders know they need to improve operations but don’t necessarily know how exactly to get there.

Even if they do, or at least know they want to mirror the efforts of larger enterprises, SMB budgets are vastly different from those of larger organizations. 

Laskarzewski said it’s imperative that Integris provide high-value services at a price SMBs can afford and in the ways they can comfortably consume.

How AI-driven transformation is reshaping MSP roles in 2026

As we have covered extensively over the past year, AI is shifting the demands on MSPs. 

To Laskarzewski, even providers offering fractional advisory services are already feeling pressure to expand and evolve their communication with clients.

“Those roles used to be highly technical, but they’re evolving beyond that, and now the skillset is much different,” Laskarzewski said, noting that soft skills and business and operations acumen are now required of those who want to remain competitive.

This is largely because leaders, especially in the SMB market, don’t just want technical resolution anymore. Increasingly, they need someone they can trust to execute plans to grow and achieve business outcomes.

“We see prospects come to us and say, ‘there’s nothing wrong with my other MSP necessarily, they handle all my tickets when I need something, but I know by business could be doing more, and they just aren’t helping us get there,’ and at Integris, we can have those conversations,” Laskarzewski said.

“Not everybody’s going to be able to make that jump, but it’s something that we’re very passionate about here,” he added.

What comes next for Integris’ AI strategy

The leaders both said they remain excited about the opportunities ahead for Integris and its clients in 2026.

“2025 was a year of testing, but it also built a foundation for us in terms of data and processes and workflows,” Luckey said. “We’re entering this year with that foundational work already in place, so we can continue to embed AI across what we do.”

To Laskarzewski, who is taking everything Luckey and his teams have accomplished internally and translating them to value for clients, the learning journey with AI is ongoing, but now backed by a foundation of success.

“We’re still in the phase of understanding certain things, but we’re also ready now to start delivering this to clients in really exciting ways,” Laskarzewski said.

Integris CEO Glen Mathis and CRO Kyle Wewe recently joined host Katie Bavoso on an episode of CI: PPOV to discuss how the company approaches verticalization and other growth areas. Watch or listen to the episode to learn more about the MSP’s plans for 2026.