I have a scheduled day off on Friday, so I’m giving you this slightly longer episode and your big weekend ideas today.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) has released its “CISA Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence” to ensure secure and trustworthy development and use of AI. The road map focuses on cyber defense, risk reduction and resilience, operational collaboration, and agency unification. It puts the onus of security on AI developers. It outlines five lines of effort to achieve its goals: responsible use of AI, assuring AI systems, protecting critical infrastructure, collaborating with partners, and expanding AI expertise in the workforce.
I also wanted to highlight TechAisle’s latest article. Outcome-based partnerships are reshaping the channel landscape, with shared risk agreements and outcome-focused relationships becoming more prevalent. Techaisle’s Channel Survey confirms that over 45% of channel partners describe their current relationship philosophy as outcome-based or shared risk. This shift is particularly prominent in the MSP community, while VARs are more likely to establish transactional relationships. The article discusses the importance of embracing shared risk for mutual success and how shared risk contracts are reshaping buyer-channel relationships. It also highlights the need for channel partners to transition from trusted advisors to meaningful customer partners invested in the client’s business success.
Two contributed articles in Forbes. Itzik Levy focuses on how AI technologies can empower small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) by automating tasks and saving time and money. Strategic planning can benefit from AI’s ability to analyze data and provide insights for better decision-making. AI tools for finances can optimize expense management and improve cost efficiency. In marketing, AI can help SMBs write compelling copy and automate lead generation. AI integration in customer service can enhance customer experiences. SMB tech providers play a crucial role in delivering AI applications tailored to the needs of SMBs.
Mark Settle discusses the parallels between IT outsourcing and the adoption of GenAI. It highlights the lessons from the outsourcing era, such as starting small, maintaining transparency, establishing clear requirements, defining business performance metrics, understanding the business context, considering customer acceptance, and preparing for potential challenges. The author advises early adopters of GenAI to seek guidance from those who led the IT outsourcing movement.
Finally, there are seven ways AI can fix your meetings, according to Microsoft in ZDNet. AI can help optimize meetings in several ways. It can summarize key points in real-time, generate meeting recaps and follow-up tasks, provide advice during meetings, remove background noise, enhance virtual backgrounds, coach presentation skills, and offer live translations in multiple languages. The article is a good read.
Why do we care?
Let’s start with AI, as other analysts are clearly identifying the SMB market and the need for AI solutions. Comparing IT outsourcing to Generative AI adoption should ring clearly in the minds of this audience and indicate that MSPs and IT services companies are precisely the right audience to deliver the solution.
The lessons from the outsourcing era, such as starting small, maintaining transparency, and defining clear metrics, apply to GenAI integration. Businesses should approach GenAI with a well-thought-out strategy, taking cues from the outsourcing movement to avoid common pitfalls and maximize benefits. This involves understanding the business context, considering customer acceptance, and preparing for challenges.
And you have guidance. Microsoft offers practical applications in everyday operations, which you can easily link to outcome-based measurement. This approach, focusing on shared risks and outcomes, suggests a more collaborative and success-oriented relationship between channel partners and clients. Leverage CISA’s Roadmap.
I leave you with all of that to ponder.
