Pax8 has announced the development of the first Managed Intelligence Toolkit, set to launch in the second quarter of 2026. This toolkit aims to empower managed service providers, or MSPs, to deliver artificial intelligence solutions at scale to small and medium-sized businesses. The Managed Intelligence Toolkit will integrate various Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft Copilot Studio and Model Context Protocol, enabling MSPs to orchestrate automation for their clients. Scott Chasin, the CEO of Pax8, emphasized that MSPs are evolving from managing infrastructure to managing intelligence, thus becoming architects of digital transformation for their clients. The initial rollout of these integrations is expected to begin in summer 2025, with full commercial availability anticipated by fall 2025.
Why do we care?
Pax8 is using the term Managed Intelligence Provider. This gets a hard no from me.
This is a strategic signal from Pax8 that it wants to lead in AI distribution for SMB-focused MSPs, not just be a SaaS marketplace. The Managed Intelligence Toolkit is best viewed as a step toward operationalizing AI at scale within the channel, leveraging Microsoft’s ecosystem dominance.
But the term Managed Intelligence Provider should be flatly rejected. It’s reductive and short-sighted. IT service providers must maintain flexibility to guide customers across a spectrum of digital needs—security, compliance, automation, cloud, and yes, AI. The endgame isn’t “intelligence”; it’s outcomes.
Savvy MSPs should treat this toolkit not as a new identity, but as an opportunity to deepen client conversations about what’s possible with automation, while maintaining their role as strategic, full-spectrum advisors.