Integris CIO on AI-Native Infrastructure, Other MSP Focus Areas

As AI-enabled solutions come to the market in record speed, MSPs need to determine how to best leverage technology to build more efficient operations. We spoke with Integris CIO Brian Luckey about his view on what partners and their clients need to do to set themselves up for success in 2026.

Why PSA tools and a focus on data governance are more important now than ever

Luckey told Channel Insder he views popular tools like PSA solutions, staples in most MSPs’ operations, as they key to AI-native infrastructure all organizations will need in the future.

To Luckey, “infrastructure” is a term that should no longer apply to the hardware many tech leaders would think of when hearing the term. Instead, he uses it to describe the full suite of solutions that form the backbone of modern practices.

“Infrastructure to me is actually now about the business policies and processes that make up the way an organization runs,” Luckey said, noting that those are things every MSP also needs to put in place even if they don’t plan to implement new AI tools writ large across the business. 

“Most MSPs are not going to go out and spend a ton of money on AI tools because they just don’t have the resources to do so,” Luckey added.

That approach to infrastructure also extends to how Integris approaches its’ clients and building services to address their needs.

“Traditionally I think MSPs think of themselves as just providing the infrastructure for their clients’ success, but at Integris we focus on what we call the entire digital estate, meaning the data, applications, all the assets a business owns,” said Luckey. 

To Luckey, like many others we have spoken to this year, believes MSPs increasingly need to understand their clients’ business needs and goals on a deeper level to provide the best services and support moving forward.

Why CIOs like Luckey need to act as facilitators across the business

Luckey has evolved his role as the company’s CIO beyond what some might traditionally understand a tech executive to manage on a daily basis.

“I like to lead the business in strategy,” said Luckey. “I spend a lot of time with different leaders and talk to them about what they need and when they need it so I can understand problems and opportunities across the business.”

To Luckey, CIOs have wanted to move closer to the strategic goals of their businesses for years but have largely stalled out. He prides himself in building relationships across functions to enable every Integris team member to better understand how technology impacts their workflows and priorities.

“I like to think of myself as the agreement facilitator, where I help everyone understand how all the puzzle pieces fit together and why decisions are being made when,” he added.

For MSPs, this approach also highlights a way to advise clients on their own transformation journeys. Technology doesn’t exist in a silo, and MSP conversations about that technology now include stakeholders from various functional areas tied to strategic planning.

“There is nothing we do that doesn’t have a business outcome attached to it,” Luckey said. “Clealry laid out business outcomes drive success, and we try to always have a metric assigned to what we mean by success so we can really measure what we’re doing.”

MSPs need to start their AI journeys: how Luckey advises providers to begin

Whether Luckey is discussing his approach to leadership or the broader context in which Integris is building services for the needs of its customers, one thing remains true: AI is reshaping how MSPs can succeed in the market.

“A lot of MSPs are still just figuring out how to get started with this, and I know there’s so much out there it can be really overwhelming,” Luckey said. “Still, I think MSPs need to do something with AI next year or they might be left behind. My advice is always to just pick something to get yourself started.”

Providers don’t just need to adopt AI to see internal efficiency gains, Luckey argues; he thinks channel partners are always at their best when they understand the solutions they are selling to customers.

“MSPs traditionally are really good at implementing things on themselves first and then taking them out to customers, and AI isn’t any different in that aspect. Starting with something, and being able to tell a customer what worked, builds momentum and then opens up other strategic conversations with those businesses.”

At Integris, AI-enabled automation has changed how the provider manages ticketing and services its customers.

“For us it’s more about predictive analysis and using automation to do things like routing tickets to the most skilled technician based on what that ticket needs,” said Luckey. 

Luckey says Integris is leveraging AI internally to better understand why customers churn and at what point in their experience they decided they would seek services elsewhere. That analysis, Luckey says, will help the provider better understand pain points earlier in the process to ultimately retain more customers and build a better customer experience for all.