Integris CEO on First Focus Acquisition, Global MSP Demand

Integris’ planned acquisition of First Focus is not just a geographic expansion play. According to founder and CEO Rashaad Bajwa, the deal gives the U.S.-based MSP a scaled platform in Australia and New Zealand at a time when SMB customers are beginning to ask harder questions about AI, data protection, and governance.

First Focus expands Integris’ global footprint

In April, Integris announced its intent to acquire First Focus, a major Australia-based MSP serving small and midsize businesses across Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. The deal is pending regulatory approval.

For Bajwa, the appeal was clear: First Focus already had the scale, market credibility, and AI capabilities Integris wanted in an international partner.

“If we wanted to enter Australia, we wanted to enter it with First Focus,” Bajwa told Channel Insider.

Bajwa said Integris knew the company well before acquisition talks began because First Focus CEO Ross Sardi was part of the same peer group as Bajwa. 

That familiarity helped reduce some of the risk often associated with MSP M&A and is part of the strategy Integris has deployed as it continues to grow through acquisition.

“When you know a business really well, it doesn’t eliminate the risk of a merger and acquisition, but it really reduces it,” Bajwa said. “These were companies that we knew, we trusted, and most importantly, we respected their reputation.”

Integration, not assimilation: how Integris approaches acquisitions

Bajwa said Integris sees Australia as being roughly “five to 10 years behind the U.S. from a consolidation point of view,” making the market attractive for a platform-based MSP strategy. 

But he also stressed that expanding internationally does not mean forcing every acquired company into a single operating model overnight.

“When we bring the companies together, it is integration. It isn’t assimilation,” Bajwa said.

That distinction matters, he said, because MSPs serving SMB customers must account for regional differences in regulation, pricing, labor laws, benefits, customer expectations, and service delivery. 

Australia, for example, has a different regulatory environment from the U.S., including stronger expectations around cyber insurance and other security requirements.

“We can’t be a Frankenstein of just MSP or IT companies slammed together,” Bajwa said. “The local flavor is going to change. That’s why integration is important.”

Over time, Bajwa said the combined business will share common values, a unified vision, and ultimately a common Integris brand and platform-based approach to serving customers worldwide.

AI is becoming the next MSP battleground

While geography was part of the acquisition rationale, Bajwa said First Focus’ AI capabilities were equally important.

“First Focus is probably one of the leading MSPs in AI adoption, as well as AI delivery to their clients,” Bajwa said.

Sardi is expected to become chief innovation officer for the combined international platform, a move Bajwa said reflects how central AI is to Integris’ next phase. The provider spoke with us earlier this year about its AIOps framework, and Bajwa said Integris remains committed to advising clients on a variety of AI-related needs.

“This isn’t just talk anymore about AI use cases,” Bajwa said. “We are actually putting that in the hands of our customers.”

Integris has also launched a substantial AI innovation fund to help customers develop practical AI use cases as SMBs continue to seek productive ways of using AI in their businesses. 

“There is a huge dichotomy between experience. There’s some folks in the SMB space who are bleeding edge… But the vast majority are not there,” Bajwa said. “There’s an AI FOMO — they hear the stories, but they don’t necessarily know where the rubber hits the road.”

SMBs need AI governance before speed

For Bajwa, the biggest opportunity for MSPs is also one of the biggest risks: AI requires access to customer data.

“One of the biggest issues with AI is, in order to use it, you have to give it your data,” Bajwa said.

That creates new security and compliance questions for SMBs that may not have previously invested in tools such as data loss prevention. Bajwa said large language models are changing that calculation.

“With LLMs, this is the first time they’re going to a website and literally uploading their entire payroll file,” he said.

Why MSPs need to focus on compliance and trust

He warned that AI enthusiasm is already creating risk, especially as more consultants and vendors rush into the market.

“Everyone’s an AI consultant now, all of a sudden, magically,” Bajwa said.

“I think a big gap right now is compliance and governance. Frankly, as an industry, we are not regulated. My brother-in-law can go out and say he’s an MSP tomorrow and start servicing customers, start being an AI consultant for them,” he added.

The speed at which SMBs can adopt AI tooling is also a cause for concern, as companies fear falling behind and face pressure to optimize their workflows.

“There’s a tendency to want to run very, very quickly toward the promised land of what AI can do. And there are people doing a lot of risky things,” said Bajwa.

Integris reframes itself as an AI and IT provider

Bajwa said Integris is investing in AI Labs, an internal research and development function focused on testing emerging tools without tying the company too closely to any single vendor.

“We are not picking winners,” Bajwa said. “The market will pick winners based on the quality and capabilities of their products.”

For MSPs, that means staying nimble as customers look for guidance across Microsoft environments, Anthropic, OpenAI, and emerging vertical AI platforms.

“We are not an IT provider anymore,” Bajwa said. “We are an AI and IT provider. The goal has always been to be that trusted advisor for our customers, and right now, they need the most guidance in AI.”