Making AI a reality for MSPs in 90 days

By Andy Venables, CTO and Co-founder at POPX.

  • 1 week ago Posted in

As the demand for AI-driven services continues to grow, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are feeling the pressure to integrate AI into their offerings. For many small and mid-sized MSPs, however, hiring specialised data science teams or developing custom AI solutions is neither practical nor affordable.

 

The good news?

 

AI adoption doesn’t need to be complex or exclusive. Instead, it’s about embracing practical, accessible, and deployable solutions that can transform operations within 90 days.

 

The global AI infrastructure market is expected to reach $169.16 billion in 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.6%. This growth highlights the transformative impact AI will have across industries. To stay competitive, MSPs must adopt AI tools that are fast to deploy, cost-effective, and deliver immediate benefits. The path to success lies in upskilling existing teams, leveraging ready-made AI solutions, and automating routine operations to create space for strategic growth.

 

Fast-tracking AI with ready-made solutions

MSPs can accelerate their AI journey by integrating pre-built solutions and third-party APIs into their workflows. These tools are designed for ease of use while delivering advanced capabilities. One of the quickest ways for MSPs to realise the benefits of these tools is by automating repetitive tasks to free up employees to focus on strategic initiatives that add greater value to the business. The applications of these tools are diverse and there is no one-size-fits-all. Different functions within an MSP — such as IT, HR, and customer service — require tailored AI solutions to address their specific needs.

 

Revolutionising customer service with AI

Imagine a busy support team inundated with complex tickets. One ticket might have a single note, while another has a trail of inputs from twenty different stakeholders. The team must sift through it all to make sense of the issue—a time-consuming process that delays responses. AI-powered case summarisation eliminates this bottleneck, producing a concise, coherent summary in seconds. The result? Faster resolutions and happier customers.

 

Another game-changer is knowledge article generation. Customer service often requires detailed documentation to address common issues. Traditionally, creating a single knowledge article might take an experienced team member 30 minutes. With AI, that same article can be generated in three minutes, complete with clear, structured content. This shift empowers less-experienced agents to deliver a higher-quality service and enables them to self-solve simple issues—streamlining operations and improving the resolution time for customers.

 

Optimising IT operations with AI

In IT departments, rapid response and efficiency are critical. Consider the challenge of managing system alerts. A flood of notifications can overwhelm teams, leading to delays in addressing the most pressing issues. AI tools step in by grouping related incidents and providing summarised insights, allowing teams to prioritise and resolve issues faster.

 

Dynamic translation is another example. It allows IT teams to communicate across borders seamlessly. Whether responding to an international client or coordinating with a global team, real-time AI translations remove language barriers and improve collaboration. Meanwhile, AI-powered chat and email reply generation automates responses to common IT queries, enabling teams to focus on solving complex problems instead of routine requests.

 

Streamlining HR operations and protecting culture

A huge challenge for HR departments is ensuring compliance and maintaining a respectful workplace. Sensitivity detection, powered by AI, flags potentially problematic language in employee communications, helping HR teams address concerns proactively. Beyond compliance, AI enhances efficiency with chat summarisation tools to quickly distil the essence of employee queries or concerns, allowing HR professionals to provide faster, more accurate responses. Automating these processes doesn’t just save time for MSPs, it creates the bandwidth needed to adopt and integrate AI into even more strategic areas.

 

The importance of partnerships for scaling AI adoption

Many MSPs will have access to these AI applications through enterprise-grade tools, like ServiceNow or Salesforce, but fully leveraging these tools can be daunting - and they can be expensive if they’re not fully utilised. As these tools evolve, keeping up with their advancements often requires significant effort. This is where partnerships can make a world of difference.

 

Partnering with an automation and workflow management expert allows MSPs to tap into a well of expertise. They can bring valuable insights, best practices, and use cases, ensuring that these tools are used to their full potential to derive the most value.

 

Rather than spend resources on costly internal training programmes for every use case, a partner can provide targeted recommendations and ongoing support. For example, a partner might suggest deploying chat Q&A tools that improve response accuracy or proactive prompts that anticipate client needs before they’re voiced. This hybrid approach combines the benefits of in-house expertise with external innovation, helping MSPs achieve their goals faster and with greater flexibility.

 

The value of partnerships lies in their ability to align AI capabilities with an MSP’s specific goals. By collaborating with experts who understand both the tools and the business, MSPs can ensure that AI delivers maximum value without overwhelming internal teams.

 

Reap the benefits in 90 days

AI is no longer a “nice-to-have” feature. It is the backbone of modern MSP operations, unlocking new revenue streams, enhancing customer satisfaction, and improving operational efficiency. The ability to deploy AI quickly—without heavy investments or extensive hiring—levels the playing field for small and mid-sized MSPs, allowing them to compete with larger players. And typical implementations generate 3 x ROI – a considerable achievement when budgets are tight.

 

With AI, MSPs can achieve more than just incremental improvements. It transforms the way services are delivered, making them faster, smarter, and more responsive. As the technology becomes more advanced and accessible, the MSPs that embrace AI today will secure their position as industry leaders tomorrow.

 

With a focus on partnerships, upskilling, using pre-built solutions, and automation, making AI a reality doesn’t have to take years - MSPs can easily begin reaping the benefits of AI within 90 days.

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