Mike Vizard

All posts by Mike Vizard

Mike Vizard has covered IT for more than 25 years, and has edited or contributed to a number of tech publications including InfoWorld, eWeek, CRN, Baseline, ComputerWorld, TMCNet, and Digital Review. He currently blogs for IT Business Edge and contributes to CIOinsight, The Channel Insider, Programmableweb and Slashdot. Mike blogs about emerging cloud technology for Smarter MSP.

The AI-cybersecurity connection MSPs can’t afford to ignore

The AI-cybersecurity connection MSPs can’t afford to ignore

One thing is becoming clear for managed service providers (MSPs): future growth will be driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. More importantly, AI is accelerating demand for cybersecurity services. A recent survey conducted by the Global Technology Industry Association...

/ June 4, 2026
AI cost
Rising AI cost concerns create opportunities for MSPs

Rising AI cost concerns create opportunities for MSPs

As the number of tokens consumed by artificial intelligence (AI) agents and applications continues to climb, organizations are paying much closer attention to cost. It feels like the conversation has shifted almost overnight. Not long ago, the focus was on...

/ May 28, 2026
IT expertise
Inside IT: Opportunities MSPs should miss

Inside IT: Opportunities MSPs should miss

A global survey of 400 IT leaders provides some significant insights into the types of IT expertise that organizations might be willing to consider relying on a provider of IT services to provide. Conducted by the Linux Foundation, the survey...

/ May 21, 2026
cloud spend
Survey shows MSPs with cloud optimization expertise are in need

Survey shows MSPs with cloud optimization expertise are in need

A survey of 300 U.S. finance leaders at organizations with more than $50 million in revenue suggests companies are looking to fund artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives in part by optimizing cloud spending. Surging cloud costs A survey conducted by market...

/ May 14, 2026
MSPs will need to revisit pricing models in the age of AI

MSPs will need to revisit pricing models in the age of AI

Managed service providers (MSPs) have, with mixed success, been trying to nudge more customers toward value-based pricing models that are designed to benefit both parties. Rather than billing by the hour or charging a flat rate, the goal is to...

/ May 7, 2026
Worldwide IT services spending to increase in 2026

Worldwide IT services spending to increase in 2026

The market research firm Gartner is forecasting that global IT services revenue will increase 9 percent in 2026, reaching $1.87 trillion, up from $1.71 trillion in 2025. Overall, Gartner predicts worldwide IT spending will climb to $6.31 trillion in 2026—an...

/ April 30, 2026
New billings for managed enterprise services increase despite challenges

New billings for managed enterprise services increase despite challenges

Demand for managed services appears to be on the upswing once again, though signs are emerging that certain segments are coming under sustained pressure. A quarterly Information Services Group (ISG) Index tracking new bookings exceeding $5 million in value shows...

/ April 23, 2026
Survey: The AI shift is redefining the role of MSPs

Survey: The AI shift is redefining the role of MSPs

A survey of 1,224 business leaders suggests organizations will soon be relying on managed service providers (MSPs) more than ever to drive technological innovation in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Conducted by International Data Corp (IDC) on behalf of...

/ April 16, 2026
Increased open source software reliance creates MSP opportunities

Increased open source software reliance creates MSP opportunities

A survey of 712 IT professionals suggests that as organizations rely more on open source software, they are struggling with security updates and patches (39 percent), installations, upgrades, and configurations (30 percent), and technical support (29 percent). Nearly half (47...

/ April 9, 2026
What soaring cloud demand and supply constraints mean for MSPs

What soaring cloud demand and supply constraints mean for MSPs

A report from market research firm Omdia finds that global spending on cloud infrastructure continues to accelerate, with spending in the fourth quarter of 2025 reaching $110.9 billion—a 29 percent increase year over year. Cloud providers see strong growth momentum...

/ April 2, 2026