Ultimate Partner®

Stop Begging Microsoft for Leads: The Proven Playbook Top MSPs Actually Use Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this insightful episode, Vince Menzione sits down with Chuck Kiessling of Partner Development Group (PDG), Tahmid Ahmed of Lenovo, and Paul Freeman of Pulse One to decode the complexities of the Microsoft partner ecosystem. The panel explores the transition of traditional MSPs into technology integration companies, the importance of operationalizing your Microsoft practice across all internal departments, and the critical need to adapt to generative AI. They also unpack the strategic collaboration between hardware giants, partner development experts, and integration companies to unlock co-sell referrals, optimize licensing, and leverage the Microsoft Marketplace for scalable mid-market growth. https://youtu.be/MHqENEk64S4 Key Takeaways MSPs should evolve into technology integration companies to stay relevant in the changing ecosystem. Success in the Microsoft channel relies on strategic behavior and engaging around the sale, not just asking for direct leads. A Microsoft practice should not be siloed but integrated across marketing, finance, and operations. Partners must focus on solving specific customer problems, such as providing automation and security, rather than just selling technology for its own sake. Optimizing enterprise licensing and moving customers to CSP can create stickiness and immediate ROI. Engaging with end users like HR and marketing provides better feedback on tools like Copilot than stopping at the IT manager level. Chapters 00:00  Intro 00:50  Meet the panel: PDG, Lenovo, and Pulse One 03:12  From MSP to technology integration company 04:39  Stop asking Microsoft for leads 07:32  The old days of the Microsoft channel 09:05  How PDG, Lenovo, and Pulse One work together 12:32  The PDG playbook: structured, not scripted 15:46  Orchestrating the partnership 17:21  Partner Center is a beast: the value left on the table 19:27  Outcomes and Microsoft Marketplace strategy 21:49  Advice for MSPs 25:05  Customers buy from people they trust If you’re ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership, this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience, where transformation begins. Tags Microsoft partner, Microsoft channel, MSP, Microsoft CSP, co-sell referral, Microsoft Marketplace, Microsoft Partner Center, solution designations, generative AI, Copilot, Lenovo, Partner Development Group, Pulse One, technology integration company, EA to CSP, mid-market, hyperscalers, Ultimate Partner Podcast, Vince Menzione Transcript Chuck Kiessling, Tahmid Ahmed, and Paul Freeman on the Ultimate Partner Podcast [00:00:00] Paul Freeman: You know, when, uh, generative AI came out a couple years ago, we kind of saw the writing on the wall like, this is the direction we have to get ready for. [00:00:08] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us, the way hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel and what it means to win in 2026. [00:00:19] Vince Menzione: Welcome to the Ultimate Partner Podcast. I’m Vince Menzione, your host. And each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of technology, partnerships and outcomes. The voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the strategy. [00:00:42] Vince Menzione: It is the strategy, because being in the room changes everything. Let’s start. [00:00:50] Vince Menzione: So we actually have, I’m gonna invite them up here and have ’em introduce themselves. We went from two to three, so there’s gonna be four of us up on stage. Uh, this is gonna be a great conversation on how to get more practical about driving your success on partnership strategy. And so Chuck and team, come on up and then we’ll have you introduce yourselves. [00:01:10] Vince Menzione: Chuck, great to have you. [00:01:11] Chuck Kiessling: Thank you. [00:01:12] Vince Menzione: Partner Development Group. We have Lenovo, Pulse One. Thank you. Good to see you. Awesome. And we’re gonna, we’re gonna start and I’m gonna have everybody introduce yourself, your role and, and, uh, and your company. So, awesome. [00:01:24] Chuck Kiessling: Alright. I guess I’ll jump in. Uh, so I’m Chuck Kiessling, uh, CEO and Founder of Partner Development Group. [00:01:32] Chuck Kiessling: Uh, short version is, I’ve been in the Microsoft ecosystem in some way, shape, or form for the past 25 years. Uh, I am a former Microsoft employee. Like, like some of the other players that are around here today. Yeah. Couple of us. Right. And, and, uh, you know, what really brought me to build PDG was ultimately while I was at Microsoft, I found myself spending a lot of time helping partners help me. [00:01:56] Chuck Kiessling: By helping them. And so I realized there was a bit of a gap in that space. And then over about 15 years, um, I built our operational framework that, uh, allows us to be structured but not scripted. And, um, our goal is really to enhance Microsoft partners in really any way, shape, or form that they need to. So, perfect. [00:02:18] Tahmid Ahmed: Uh, my name’s Tahmid. I’m from Lenovo. My responsibility at Lenovo is managing our Microsoft partners around the globe. Um, we’ve kind of come into the CSP world with Microsoft over the last five years. Um, started off in APAC, in EMEA, and now we’re really looking at, you know, helping our partners and all of our partners from our distributors in that Microsoft space, really seeing how we can accelerate their journeys. [00:02:45] Paul Freeman: Great. Uh, I love being the surprise guest. So, hi, I’m Paul Freeman. I’m, uh, Chief Marketing Officer for, uh, an integration company called Pulse One. Uh, we’re based outta California. Uh, I would’ve described us a couple years ago as an MSP, but I think with all the changes that are happening, I would describe us now more as a technology integration company. [00:03:06] Paul Freeman: So, uh, I’m really happy to be up here, uh, able to hang out with you guys. [00:03:09] Vince Menzione: I like the new term, technology integration company. [00:03:12] Paul Freeman: Ooh, thank you. [00:03:12] Vince Menzione: And I think what’s really kind of, from a grounding perspective for this conversation too, because when people hear Lenovo, uh, I automatically go to hardware. [00:03:23] Tahmid Ahmed: I think it’s really important, right? We are a hardware company. I think most people have used the laptop with the little red dot in the middle. You know, there’s loads of memes flying around saying if you get given one of these devices, you’re gonna work for the rest of your life. Um, we do do the infrastructure, but. [00:03:39] Tahmid Ahmed: Probably you’ve seen recently, we’ve, you know, we’re in the FIFA World Cup, we’re in Formula One. We are really starting to change that shift with hybrid cloud and AI. Um, and our Microsoft partnership is much broader than just Windows Server and, you know, a platform. We want to help our customers really. [00:03:58] Tahmid Ahmed: Find solutions, not just with AI, but with all forms of technology. The goal is how can we help that customer with our partners, really find technology that fits around their business? You know, I’ve had lots of conversations this week around AI. How does AI actually fit into a business, not just buying technology for the sake of buying it, but lots of CTOs that you speak to. [00:04:20] Tahmid Ahmed: They want an ROI, and I really like what Vince went through yesterday about having five or six partners to actually work through. We’re a very channel-focused company, so we’re never gonna go to a customer directly and start spinning up solutions, and that’s where Pulse One and PDG come in. So we can really create that environment. [00:04:39] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Chuck, you’ve been around the Microsoft ecosystem, as I have, for a number of years. Um, it’s complex, right? What, um, so we miss a lot, but partners often miss, what do they often miss working with Microsoft and the Microsoft ecosystem? What do you see? [00:04:53] Chuck Kiessling: Yeah, I think a majority of the partners that we work with, um, and I’ll say like probably one of the first things that we hear is how do we get referrals and leads from Microsoft? [00:05:02] Chuck Kiessling: Right? Exactly. And, and the reality is, it’s about behavior, right? So this is one of those key items that gets missed. A lot of times, you know, historically, if you’ve been a Microsoft partner more than three to five years, it, it used to be more about, let me get certified, I’m gonna get my gold or silver competency. [00:05:18] Chuck Kiessling: But Microsoft spent a lot of time, um, trying to make sure that they could really determine who were true partners and who were just strictly vendors. So, um, that’s where the solution designations came in. So that is algorithm driven, it’s behavior driven. It’s, it’s about focusing on things like, um, everything that is around the sale. [00:05:39] Chuck Kiessling: Right. Because I think everybody in this room that, that is, um, ISV, SI, MSP, they know how to sell what they do. It’s about engaging Microsoft the right way. So it’s everything around that sale, right? Submitting the co-sell referral, making sure that you’re attaching the services, making sure that you’re utilizing the marketplace, reaching out to Microsoft and making sure that you are easy to present in essentially one, one line. [00:06:03] Chuck Kiessling: Yeah. And, and so being easy to work with and everything around the sale, I think is the most critical component. Anything to add to that? [00:06:11] Tahmid Ahme

Don’t miss the AI partnership revolution! Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this episode, Vince Menzione sits down with Jason Ulacio from Enforcer and Oguo Atuanya from PAX8 to discuss the critical ecosystem shift happening as MSPs transform into Managed Intelligence Providers (MIPs). They explore the hidden dangers of shadow AI running rampant in organizations, the absolute necessity of establishing solid data governance before deploying tools like Copilot, and how curated agent stores are enabling partners to drive repeatable, monetizable business outcomes for SMBs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajn6FFFWMp4 Key Takeaways The traditional MSP model must evolve into a Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP) that focuses on business consulting and driving repeatable growth for SMBs. Almost 100% of organizations have a “shadow AI” problem, creating massive security vulnerabilities that MSPs must immediately address. Before successfully deploying Copilot, organizations must lay down a foundation of data governance and security to prevent dangerous oversharing of sensitive information. PAX8 is bridging the SMB gap with a curated agent store that ensures agents are native to SMB needs, secure, and deliver outcome-driven experiences. MSPs must become “Customer Zero” by actively using and understanding AI tools internally before attempting to commercialize them for clients. Providing simple, baseline services like monthly shadow AI reporting is an effective first step for MSPs to build recurring revenue streams based on AI. If you’re ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags Managed Intelligence Provider, PAX8, Enforcer platform, Microsoft environments, shadow AI detection, Copilot assessment, data governance, work IQ, sensitivity labels, SMB native agents, curated agent store, vendor built agent, MIP playbook, purview adoption, MFA, HIPAA compliance, F1 engine analogy, trust AI, is AI trustworthy, AI governance, AI regulation, AI compliance Transcript Oguo Atuanya and Jason Ulacio Audio Podcast [00:00:00] Jason Ulacio: We are getting to the point where we ask AI questions, we ask copilot. We ask these stat questions, and we trust the answers that come back. [00:00:10] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us, the way Hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel and what it means to win in 2026. [00:00:22] Vince Menzione: Welcome to the Ultimate Partner Podcast. I’m Vince Menzi. Own your host. And each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of technology, partnerships and outcomes. The voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the strategy. [00:00:44] Vince Menzione: It is the strategy because being [00:00:46] Jason Ulacio: in the room changes everything. Let’s start. [00:00:52] Vince Menzione: This is like a Microsoft, uh, alumni meeting. [00:00:56] Oguo Atuanya: Yes. [00:00:56] Vince Menzione: It’s an alumni network meeting. I’m gonna have you both come on, introduce yourselves, and then we’re gonna jump into the conversations. Good to see you, my friends. [00:01:05] Oguo Atuanya: Same here. [00:01:06] Vince Menzione: This is so fun. [00:01:07] Vince Menzione: Fun. Please, [00:01:08] Jason Ulacio: please, [00:01:11] Vince Menzione: Jason, I’ll let you go first. Yes. Welcome to the stage, ultimate Partner Stage. [00:01:17] Jason Ulacio: Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Vince. Thank you for having us. Um, hi everyone. Jason CIO here. Um, as we view of business development at Enforcer, um, I joined Enforcer about eight months ago. Prior to that, uh, spent about nine and a half years at Microsoft, um, working with this gentleman and, and many of of the other folks, some of [00:01:38] Vince Menzione: the other folks in the room. [00:01:38] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Yeah, that’s awesome. And you live here locally? [00:01:42] Jason Ulacio: Yes, yes. I’m based here, Seattle. And your [00:01:43] Vince Menzione: company is based in the UK [00:01:45] Jason Ulacio: And we’re headquarter in the uk, but we have a couple offices here in the US as well. [00:01:49] Vince Menzione: Very, [00:01:49] Jason Ulacio: very cool. [00:01:49] Vince Menzione: And you have a bunch of people here today, so Yes. It’s so great to be here first time in the room with us and this gentleman I’ve known for a little while. [00:01:57] Oguo Atuanya: Yes, sir. [00:01:57] Vince Menzione: Good to. Well, you can, I’ll let you introduce yourself, but you don’t need any introductions you’ve been around for with us for a while. A gula a little [00:02:04] Oguo Atuanya: too old. [00:02:05] Vince Menzione: You’re not old at all. He was in the gym this morning, by the way, like four o’clock in the morning pumping iron. I’m like, I come in to do my Peloton cycle. [00:02:13] Vince Menzione: And you’re like cranking out. Yeah. [00:02:15] Oguo Atuanya: You are making me blush. [00:02:16] Vince Menzione: Alright. Yeah, a little bit. [00:02:18] Oguo Atuanya: Oh, Goya. And, um, I look after the, uh, vendor experience, uh, organization within PAX eight. So that entails, um, our engagement strategy with vendors. Um. How we go to market, how we execute in the regions, and um, how we kind of look around the corner for what’s new. [00:02:40] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:02:41] Oguo Atuanya: So, um, I’ve been with PXI now for about a year and a half. Prior to that I spent 22 years at, um, Microsoft. One of my last roles was actually, um. Fighting the SMB fight with Jose, which is how I lost all my hair. [00:02:58] Vince Menzione: Ah, stop. [00:03:00] Oguo Atuanya: But it’s great to be here. Great to be with all of you. Thanks for coming. [00:03:04] Vince Menzione: Yeah. And one of those companies that Jose was referencing earlier, one of the top partners to work with for the MSP community as well. [00:03:11] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:03:11] Vince Menzione: Let’s talk about that for a a moment. ’cause it was about a year ago you guys hit you guys. I’m saying PAX eight hit the press. Pretty hard on, you know, this, this changing the, trying to change the terminology. [00:03:24] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:03:24] Vince Menzione: First there was like, we’re not the disty, we’re not, you know, re re redefining who you were and then also redefining the MSP community. [00:03:32] Vince Menzione: Right. And you came up with a new term at that time, at, at your event last year. [00:03:36] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:03:36] Vince Menzione: Let’s talk about it. You call, you came up with the term managed intelligence provider, so let’s talk about that. [00:03:41] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Really it just is the transformation of, um, the MSB in this. Agentic era where, you know, the MFPs have to go from just, you know, being the IT tools provider and doing a lot of break effects to actually, you know, now driving intelligence, um, driving, driving repeatable outcomes. [00:04:11] Oguo Atuanya: And, you know. Govern deployment and, um, orchestrated, um, you know, workforce development across or, uh, uh, you know, deployment across businesses. So you are really looking at an era where the MSB now has to really understand the SMB very well. Um, they have to understand what their SMBs. Um, business model is what their growth aspirations are, where you’re now sitting and saying, okay, Mr. [00:04:46] Oguo Atuanya: SMB, who is my customer? You want to grow x, y, Z percent in three to five years? Um, I’m coming to deploy, um, you know, the, um, you know, business infrastructure that is gonna propel that growth for you. Um, you need, um. A hundred employees, but you don’t have the wherewithal to hire a hundred employees. Right. [00:05:12] Oguo Atuanya: So you helping them build a, a hybrid organization [00:05:16] Vince Menzione: Yeah. With agents and other [00:05:17] Oguo Atuanya: With agents, yeah. Um, you know, articulating exactly how you’re going to make them more productive, reduce cost, and, um, for yourself, do it in a repeat, repeatable, monetizable, you know, fashion. So that’s really what it’s all about. [00:05:32] Vince Menzione: And really a shift from the way tech, I mean, tech, these smaller organizations were not as technology savvy years ago, but this is, it’s changed. The environment has changed considerably. [00:05:41] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. I mean the, the MSPs really have always known the technology, but they, you now gotta understand the business side of it. [00:05:50] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:05:51] Oguo Atuanya: You gotta become that business consultant. [00:05:53] Vince Menzione: So what’s getting in the way and what do you do at PAX eight to close that gap? I know we, uh, you were on the podcast. I had you in the studio back in Boca in [00:06:01] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. [00:06:02] Vince Menzione: February. We talked a little bit about this, but for this community, like there’s, there’s a big gap that you’re helping to close. [00:06:08] Vince Menzione: You’re, yeah. You’re helping enable this or I’ll call it the academy, right? Is the approach. [00:06:13] Oguo Atuanya: Yeah. Yeah. The academy is, is one of the pillars, but again, it’s what I talked about. They, they understand the technology very well. That’s all they, that’s mostly what they’ve done in the past, right. Um, but now it’s about understanding the business side. [00:06:26] Oguo Atuanya: So, um, a lot of MSPs know what to do, they just don’t know how to do it, [00:06:31] Vince Menzione: right. [00:06:31] Oguo Atuanya: Um, they don’t know how to do it for their SMB customers, so that’s where PAX eight comes in. We’v

Don’t get left behind in the AI revolution. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this powerful episode, Vince Menzione sits down with Rebecca Jones of Bridge Partners and Mark Yaphe, Head of Consulting Partners for AWS, to uncover how AI is fundamentally rewiring the partner ecosystem. They explore the urgent shift from 90% stalled AI pilots to a new era of rapid execution, warning against the trap of “shiny object” syndrome. By unpacking the necessity of a “builder mindset” and a product-focused approach, this discussion reveals exactly what top-performing companies are doing to collapse six-month development cycles into four weeks and secure their place in the 2026 market landscape. Key Takeaways The transition from on-prem to cloud and marketplace is now entirely focused on AI transformation. Top companies approach AI with a product mindset rather than running scattershot pilots. Empowering frontline teams with a “builder mindset” can collapse solution cycles from six months to four weeks. Partners must avoid the $260 billion AI “FOMO” trap by specializing in specific industries and workflows rather than trying to do everything. Evaluating the “highest and best use” of AI models like Claude is essential for managing token economics and ROI. Thriving through AI disruption requires cultivating a strong growth mindset and prioritizing human connection and critical thinking. If you’re ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags AI transformation, AWS partner ecosystem, hyperscaler alignment, builder mindset, product mindset implementation, Bridge Partners insights, GenAI solution cycles, AI token economics, Claude model utilization, GSI strategy, 2026 ecosystem shift, AI ROI measurement, agentic tools, workflow specialization. Transcript Rebecca Jones and Mark Yaphe AUDIO EPISODE [00:00:00] Rebecca Jones: You can either, um, think about being disrupted or being a disruptor. [00:00:07] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us the way hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel. And what it means to win in 2026. [00:00:18] Vince Menzione: Welcome to the Ultimate Partner Podcast. I’m Vince Menzi, own your host. [00:00:23] Vince Menzione: And each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of [00:00:26] Vince Menzione: technology, partnerships and outcomes, the voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the strategy. It is the strategy because being in the room changes everything. [00:00:45] Vince Menzione: Let’s start. We have another incredible session today, right? So I get to invite another friend of, of ultimate partner who’s been around for a while and, uh, it’s just absolutely amazing. Rebecca has been in the studio, she’s been at, how many of events have you been with? Fourth, fourth one, and I’m gonna have you introduce Mark as well. [00:01:10] Vince Menzione: So come on, on stage. Rebecca. Rebecca Jones to many of you know. [00:01:14] Rebecca Jones: Thank you, sir. [00:01:15] Vince Menzione: Good to see you. Good to see you. And Mark, great, great to have you. I want to have you, Richard, we’ll have you, Rebecca’s gonna introduce you and then we want you to introduce yourself as well, sir. [00:01:23] Rebecca Jones: Wonderful. Well, [00:01:24] Vince Menzione: and another AWS exec. [00:01:26] Vince Menzione: I love this. Like, I know. Yeah, we’re finishing out the day Strong. [00:01:28] Rebecca Jones: Well, Vince, I have to say, you’ve got me, um, the last time we got together, it was the last session before happy hour. So I guess we’re closing. [00:01:36] Vince Menzione: Well, you know, we’re gonna close us [00:01:38] Rebecca Jones: out [00:01:38] Vince Menzione: really nicely. Know we, yeah. We’re serving Bloody Mary’s, by the way, while you’re guys are up here. [00:01:42] Vince Menzione: No. Good. [00:01:42] Rebecca Jones: So, um, we’re so excited to have Mark. Thank you, mark, for joining us here. Um, head of consulting partners for AWS and, uh. We’re gonna close this down, aren’t we? I love [00:01:54] Vince Menzione: it. I love it. Yes. I’m looking forward to it. [00:01:56] Rebecca Jones: Okay. [00:01:56] Vince Menzione: So Mark’s well, welcome. Good to have you. [00:01:58] Rebecca Jones: Yeah. Do you wanna take a seat? [00:02:00] Vince Menzione: Uh, yeah, [00:02:00] Rebecca Jones: please do. [00:02:01] Rebecca Jones: All right. [00:02:01] Vince Menzione: Please do. I’m morphing the pillows up, by the way. [00:02:05] Rebecca Jones: Oh, are you [00:02:05] Vince Menzione: by the way, for those of who don’t know, these got shipped from my house because we got Oh, I was wondering. It’s hard to find, but yeah. Yeah, they’re, we take them from event to event. It’s so funny to have them. But I wanna, well, thank you for both being here. [00:02:17] Rebecca Jones: Yes. [00:02:18] Vince Menzione: I think it’d probably be helpful for those who don’t know, bridge Of course. Maybe just spend a moment because I know you well. [00:02:23] Rebecca Jones: Yeah. [00:02:23] Vince Menzione: And we know the organization well, those of us. Those of us. [00:02:26] Rebecca Jones: But for me, uh, so let me talk to you a little bit about Bridge Partners and my role, um, the company has been around for almost two decades. [00:02:34] Rebecca Jones: Yeah. And so when you think about the transformation that’s happened within the tech industry. And our primary focus is the tech industry. Uh, and within that we focus on enterprise companies and we help them with product go to market and how they scale that through partners. Yeah. Uh, so that’s given us a really interesting and, uh, vantage point around the transformations from on-prem to cloud, cloud to marketplace and now marketplace and the transformation with ai. [00:03:04] Vince Menzione: I feel like you’re the McKenzie of the, of the partner business. Like I, [00:03:07] Rebecca Jones: I like that. [00:03:08] Vince Menzione: Can we get that? [00:03:09] Rebecca Jones: Yeah. [00:03:10] Vince Menzione: I’ll, I’ll, I’ll sign an agreement with you, but I really do, I feel like as we work together, bridge was always like the organization we bring in to help us. Solve the big issues. Yeah. Like that I think about your organization. [00:03:20] Vince Menzione: Yeah. And Mark, talk to me about Global Consulting services. Sure. So is it all GSIs? Is it, [00:03:24] Mark Yaphe: uh, so I head up, uh, global Consulting Partner Marketing. Okay. So I focus really on, on two key categories for the, the more sig larger, uh, GSIs. Uh, I’ve got a team that actually partners very closely with them. Nice. [00:03:36] Mark Yaphe: That helps them develop the right strategies, go to market approaches, nice to unlock the opportunity. And then for the full consulting community, I look at those mechanisms. Go to market approach is leveraging marketplace to help our whole consulting community become successful with AWS. [00:03:51] Vince Menzione: And we’ve got GSIs in the room here, which is kind of cool actually. [00:03:53] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Um, where do we wanna start? Let’s, let’s, [00:03:57] Rebecca Jones: well, yeah, we’ve got a good list of questions to go through. How’s everybody feeling? We’re we’re good? We’re awake. One more session, everyone. Alright. Okay. [00:04:09] Vince Menzione: So Rebecca, uh, across the organizations you work with. What are you seeing from the highest ’cause? I, I say you’re like the McKinsey. [00:04:16] Vince Menzione: What are you seeing from the highest performing companies? Yeah, that they do differently. When it comes to turning your go-to market strategy into outcomes? [00:04:23] Rebecca Jones: Yeah. Um, I will say the most important thing that we’re seeing from companies is they’re asking different questions, fundamentally different questions when it comes to ai. [00:04:34] Rebecca Jones: Interesting. [00:04:34] Vince Menzione: What do you mean by that? [00:04:35] Rebecca Jones: Well, we, we talked a lot this morning about there’s never been higher access, and I’ll say general adoption for tools and technology. There was a great stat this morning. Uh, I think Jay shared that, uh, from MIT. [00:04:50] Vince Menzione: We keep looking there as if he’s still [00:04:51] Rebecca Jones: sitting there. [00:04:51] Rebecca Jones: Yeah, I’m looking. Where was Jay? He, he was all over the place. Um, there was a great stat from MIT that there was, you know, if you looked at last year, 90% of pilots. Were stuck and they weren’t going anywhere. And now that’s dropped down to 70%. So there’s movement and transformation. And so when I think about that, and when I go back to the types of questions leaders are asking, um, that are really moving ahead, they’re looking at operating systems differently and they’re looking at, um. [00:05:25] Rebecca Jones: They’re asking the questions on where should I apply AI within those work streams, um, and within those operating systems, and the way in which they’re approaching that is with a product mindset. So that is fundamentally different than just the scattershot of let’s just do pilots everywhere. [00:05:44] Vince Menzione: Yeah. You’ve talked about product, uh, mindset with me as well. [00:05:48] Rebecca Jones: Yeah. [00:05:48] Vince Menzione: And I think we were gonna talk about builder mindset as well, mark, that that is a kind of a different point of view. When you think about moving from strategy to execution, how does that mindset show up inside teams and organizations? [00:06:00] Mark Yaphe: No, absolutely. Yea

Don’t miss this massive ecosystem shift! Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ Host Vince Menzione sits down with industry leaders Nicole Dziedzic, Erwin Visser, and Mira Ayad to uncover the critical transformations happening across the technology ecosystem and marketplace. The panel explores the impact of Reseller Enabled Offers (REO), the changing role of distribution into aggregation, and the immense opportunities surrounding agentic AI. They also dive into why MSPs need to ruthlessly simplify their technology stacks to make room for business value selling, and how data tools like ASPX are changing the game for proactive channel strategies. https://youtu.be/4Ox507-0l_8 Key Takeaways The marketplace has completely transformed software procurement and is now rapidly expanding into the SMB sector. Reseller Enabled Offers (REO) allow partners to own private offers on behalf of ISVs while maintaining their trusted advisor status. Ingram has introduced the MCP server to help partners automate and pull necessary distribution data seamlessly. The next few years represent a “golden age” for MSPs if they can successfully adopt, build, and operationalize AI agents. Microsoft’s ASPX platform gives partners critical usage and marketing signals to proactively target customer opportunities. MSPs must simplify their bloated technology stacks to create space for selling true business value with agentic AI. If you’re ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags agentic AI, Reseller Enabled Offers, MCP server, marketplace syndication, ASPX data, Agent 365, precision velocity, managed service providers, hyperscaler enablement, technology stack simplification, Ultimate Partner Experience, cloud solutions strategy, customer zero, ISV go-to-market. Transcript Nicole – Erwin – Mira Podcast [00:00:00] Mira Ayad: I think it’s a very simple formula. Start where your customer is at, like meet the customer. Where they act is not just a generic cliche state statement. [00:00:10] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us, the way hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel. And what it means to win in 2026. [00:00:21] Vince Menzione: Welcome to the Ultimate Partner Podcast. I’m Vince Menzi, own your host. And each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of technology, partnerships and outcomes, the voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the strategy. [00:00:43] Vince Menzione: It is the strategy because being in the room changes everything. Let’s start. [00:00:53] Vince Menzione: We’ve got some word friends of ultimate partner coming up now, and then I’m gonna have them come up and introduce themselves. Uh, most of these people I’ve had the opportunity to meet Nicole, come on up. Come on. Good to meet you. I’m gonna have everyone introduce themselves. This guy, I never know. I’ve never met this guy before. [00:01:12] Vince Menzione: Mira, great to see you again. We gotta be on stage about a month ago. Yes. And we get to do this again while a different panel conversation. So, terrific. [00:01:22] Vince Menzione: Nicole, we’re gonna start with you on from the far end and come this way. So I’ll have you introduce yourself to, to our audience. [00:01:27] Nicole Dziedzic: Yeah. So, uh, so I lead our, uh, US business for Ingram, uh, really focused on our customer success and renewals across our vendor stack. [00:01:36] Vince Menzione: Thank you for being here. [00:01:37] Nicole Dziedzic: Okay, [00:01:37] Nicole Dziedzic: thank you. I’m excited. Awesome. [00:01:39] Erwin Visser: Yeah. Uh, great to be here again. Thanks, uh, fin for, for having us and a lot of familiar faces. So, uh, Erman, Viser, uh, I recently changed roles, so four weeks ago, uh, in Microsoft. I’m, uh, I just, uh, started to, uh, to lead the, uh, the Cloud Solutions Strategy team, uh, still in GCPS, so our global channel organization. [00:02:01] Vince Menzione: And Mira, great to see you again. [00:02:03] Mira Ayad: Same here. Yes. I’m looking forward for this conversation. We had so much fun last time. [00:02:07] Vince Menzione: Yes, [00:02:08] Vince Menzione: so [00:02:08] Vince Menzione: good. [00:02:09] Mira Ayad: My name is Mira Ayad . I’m the GM for a global Microsoft marketplace. My team leads the strategy and operations. I’ve been with Microsoft for seven months, I think, but this is not my first rodeo. [00:02:21] Mira Ayad: This is my fourth time boomeranging to Microsoft. Yeah. [00:02:26] Vince Menzione: And for context for people, we have talked about marketplace quite a bit, but the conversation has expanded at Microsoft in, in bigger ways. Uh, before, was it November that. REO was announced. [00:02:39] Nicole Dziedzic: Yes. [00:02:40] Vince Menzione: Yes. We’ll talk about that. But maybe you, you talk a little bit about the reseller enabled, uh, offers and, uh, and maybe we’ll take, we’ll take us through that and then how Ingram has been a great partner, and of course, Erwin’s organization has been really front and center with some of this. [00:02:55] Vince Menzione: So let’s go there for, let’s go first tell us, tell us about, about REO. Sure. For those and, and your, your role is, um, we had Cy on stage yesterday. But your role is front and center with the channel, with the with the reseller community. Right. Taking marketplace into the resellers. [00:03:12] Mira Ayad: Sure. So, uh, Cyril is my partner in crime. [00:03:16] Mira Ayad: He leads the marketing for marketplace. Um, my team focus across all personas that hits marketplace from an ISV to channel partners, buyers, and even the Microsoft sellers themselves. Like how can we bring that vibe and that energy? To bring marketplace, to be front and center. Um, REO is, um, a feature that we’ve launched back in November and it’s, it was a very strong statement from Microsoft of how we’re bringing the channel partners into that marketplace journey. [00:03:45] Mira Ayad: With RE Reseller enabled offers, we allow partners to own the private offer that they can extend to their customers on behalf of the SDCs. So kind of bring that scale mechanism for SDCs to access that channel community and for the channel partner to remain the trusted advisor and provide not only marketplace, um, products, but Microsoft services their own professional services. [00:04:12] Mira Ayad: And wrap that and provide a one-stop shop for customers. [00:04:17] Vince Menzione: And it’s really lit up organizations like Ingram. Nicole, I like, it’s been a maybe a minute here, like talking about the evolution of Ingram. ’cause I think back at the old role of the DTI credit, availability of product and delivery, right? Yeah. The kind of the three things. [00:04:34] Nicole Dziedzic: Yeah, and those are still really, really important to the core of how we go to market. ’cause I think we heard yesterday, every dollar of software, uh, requires a dollar of hardware. So it’s not anything that we’re getting away from. But I think, you know, the marketplaces and the automation, and really where we’ve been transforming our business over the last six to 10 years is how do we take some of that transactional work away from our partners? [00:04:57] Nicole Dziedzic: Make it simpler so that you can really focus on more strategic areas. Marketplace has been a, a heavy part of our go-to-market and something that we’ve been embracing for many years now, um, and seen a lot of success in helping the partners on that journey and helping the vendors really accelerate that with the partner community and the end customers. [00:05:15] Nicole Dziedzic: But it’s also really enabled us to look at how do we wanna show up into our partners differently, right? So as we automate our business. Help our partners automate their business. We have the opportunity to upskill our own resources. And so some of the key areas that we’ve really been focused on is our post-sales motions, and how do we really ensure that the partners customers are leveraging the technology, optimizing it, and adopting it in a much faster pace. [00:05:45] Nicole Dziedzic: So that the investments that they’re making are netting an ROIA lot quicker. Those, uh, those have been things that we have accelerated across our vendor stack. Um, and I think it’s gonna become much more important as we continue to see technology evolve, especially around AI and co-pilot’s. A huge part of what we’ve been really focused on for the last year. [00:06:05] Nicole Dziedzic: Um, the biggest thing that we’re really seeing in the market today. Not just within the MSPs, but within our end customers is that they struggle in terms of how they really get the ROI out of it quickly. Um, and so our team is very human first. Uh, we do have digital motions, but really human first to really dive into the different personas. [00:06:25] Nicole Dziedzic: How do we help them attack that from an end customer perspective? How do we really help them drive value out of those solutions? [00:06:32] Vince Menzione: So what does enablement look like for them? [00:06:34] Nicole Dziedzic: Yeah, so, um, I loved the quote, uh, from some of the folks in the last session because it’s really about meeting our customers where they are. [00:06:42] Nicole Dziedzic: And so it is a, I always call it we play in the gray and we love to play in the gray all day. Um, because our partners and our our partners customers wanna interact differently. And so we wanna make sure that we have, um, ways to interact with them across. Stack both from

Don’t get left behind in the AI shift! Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this critical conversation, Vince Menzione sits down with Shannon Sigmon, Marc Harpster, and Jeff Mesnik to uncover how the rapid pace of change in the Google Cloud Marketplace and AI agent integration is forcing organizations to completely rethink their go-to-market strategies. They break down why traditional three-year business plans are dead, replacing them with agile 100-day sprints to keep up with the shifting ecosystem. The panel reveals that leveraging your Adaptability Quotient (AQ) and turning data patterns into actionable co-sell motions are the only ways to survive the upcoming “agent age” and maintain a competitive edge. https://youtu.be/xIaABKU1jmM Key Takeaways Consistent messaging is required to gather actionable data and build trust with channel partners. Three-to-five-year business plans are obsolete, and leaders must now operate in 100-day sprints to keep pace with hyperscaler changes. Google Cloud Marketplace uniquely supports channel partners by allowing them to own the customer relationship and recognize top-line revenue. The rise of AI agents is shifting discovery away from traditional SEO, requiring ISVs to adapt how they provide access to their tools. Creating interactive content variations from a single asset helps train AI agents to discover and prioritize your solutions. Despite rapid digital transformation, human connection remains the ultimate deciding factor in enterprise software purchases. If you’re ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags Adaptability Quotient, Google Cloud Marketplace, agentic age, co-sell motion, digital sales hub, private offers, propensity to buy, AI pattern analysis, hyperscaler CRM, interactive trivia content, product-led discovery. Transcript Shannon – Marc – Jeff AUDIO Podcast [00:00:00] Vince Menzione: That becomes the core of your data analysis because if you’re not submitting consistent content and submit, you know, consistent information, then you’re not gonna get information back. [00:00:13] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us. The way Hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel and what it means to win in 2026. [00:00:25] Vince Menzione: Welcome to the Ultimate Partner [00:00:26] Vince Menzione: Podcast. I’m Vince Menzione your host. And each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of technology, partnerships and outcomes. The voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the [00:00:46] Vince Menzione: strategy. [00:00:47] Vince Menzione: It is the strategy because being in the room changes everything. Let’s start. [00:00:57] ——-: We have another incredible group of leaders coming up here and, uh, and friends of ultimate partner and, uh, Susan, do you need me for, okay, good. Come on up. So I’m gonna, I’m gonna invite you up and then have you each. Introduce yourself, uh, to this conversation. Shannon, it has been a great to see you. Yeah, great friend. [00:01:18] ——-: Been in, it was in Boca. Mark. Great to have you. Good to see you, sir. Jeff, great to have you. Uh, this is incredible. I’m, I’m excited for this conversation. So, uh, yeah, we talked about aq. We talked a little bit about AQ in this last session. Don’t, didn’t we? Yeah. [00:01:34] Shannon Sigmon: A little. [00:01:34] Vince Menzione: Why don’t we go, why don’t we have you, I wanna have you each introduce yourself, your role, your company mission, and, and, and everything here. [00:01:40] Vince Menzione: So why don’t we start with Shannon. [00:01:41] Shannon Sigmon: Um, hey, thank you Vince for having us again, um, here in Bellevue. It’s been great to meet with everybody and see some old friends. Uh, I’m at Software One, so Shannon Sigman, um, based on the East Coast, but I work at Software One I’m responsible for. Um, in my sales role, I’m responsible for our channel and digital sales organization in North America. [00:02:00] Shannon Sigmon: And then I also have, um, responsibility supporting Regina Ma and Freddie and our leadership team as the chief of staff. Um, and we’re focused software one, if you haven’t worked with us before, we’re focused on helping, um, helping our customers and partners deliver real financial impact in their business so they can afford some of the, the cool to do some of the cool stuff you were talking about in the earlier session. [00:02:20] Shannon Sigmon: And it’s, for us, it’s really about coming in on the front end and helping, um, our customers and our partners understand what they’re doing in their software stack, their cloud stack, and then how to, um, optimize that, rationalize the strategy and, and the implementation of of solutions. [00:02:36] Vince Menzione: And a global leader in the marketplace in [00:02:38] Shannon Sigmon: That’s right. [00:02:39] Shannon Sigmon: The, the number one Microsofts, um, we [00:02:41] Vince Menzione: used to say re reseller or ls. We used to all these different, [00:02:44] Shannon Sigmon: yeah. We, um, it’s funny, I was speaking last night. We fall into the scale solution provider. We’re d with Google and AWS. But, um, we operate very differently on the, on the North America market as a more of a boutique, uh, personalized experience than what a traditional dity is. [00:02:59] Shannon Sigmon: I’m less about the transaction and more about the impact and the, the outcomes and, and helping partners with their go-to-market strategy. [00:03:07] ——-: Awesome. Yeah. And sitting next to you, Marc I’ll let you introduce yourself ’cause this kind of ties in very nicely in [00:03:13] Marc Harpster: Yeah. [00:03:13] ——-: In terms of the work you do. [00:03:14] Marc Harpster: Uh, thanks Vince. [00:03:15] Marc Harpster: Uh, hi everyone. I’m Mark Harpster. I am part of the Google Cloud Marketplace organization. So, uh, guy who you just heard from on the last panel is my boss. Uh, I run strategic initiatives within the marketplace team. So this includes our channel program. Uh, so everyone who is. Uh, the partners who like to resell, uh, ISV software out our marketplace. [00:03:38] Marc Harpster: Uh, I have a team who works with, uh, all of you, and that includes distribution. Uh, and uh, then I also, we run, um, the, some of our, like the go to market strategic initiatives. So we have a. Uh, customer credit program that ISVs can take advantage of to help incentivize deals going through marketplace, uh, propensity to buy, uh, data that we can share. [00:04:02] Marc Harpster: Mm-hmm. Uh, a number of different programs along those lines. Uh, basically, uh, we’re we’re helping. You know, customers find the solutions that they want to buy and helping them buy from the who they wanna buy from. [00:04:14] ——-: Yeah. And you were out early. I mean, you’ve been in the, the, I I feel like Google was leaned in very early on the channel. [00:04:20] Marc Harpster: Yeah. [00:04:20] ——-: And it was a couple years now, right? [00:04:22] Marc Harpster: Yeah. I joined Google about two and a half years ago. Uh, I was, you know, at, at another, worked for another cloud marketplace before that. So I’ve, I’ve been in the marketplace space for, uh, over a decade now. Uh, I’m really passionate about it. And with the, to touch on your point, Vince, I think the one key advantage of Google is, you know, within the, our channel partners, uh, we have a huge, uh, partner network, uh, of, of, you know, channel resellers and, uh, system integrators. [00:04:52] Marc Harpster: Uh, and we actively want those channel partners to, you know, own the customer relationship, including all of the billing. Uh, channel partners tend to love this because we’re the only cloud marketplace that really supports sort of the ability to recognize top line revenue for the channel partners. Uh, and so that’s been a real, uh, you know, distinguishing factor. [00:05:11] Marc Harpster: And one thing I’m really excited about within our marketplace. [00:05:14] Vince Menzione: You got it right. Awesome, Jeff. Good to see you, sir. [00:05:17] Vince Menzione: Good to see you. Thank you. Thank you for having [00:05:19] Jeff Mesnik: me. Good to have you. [00:05:20] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:05:21] Vince Menzione: Tell us a little bit about your organization, about content amx. [00:05:24] Jeff Mesnik: Well, I’m honored to be here with, uh, these two. Yeah. [00:05:27] Jeff Mesnik: You know, and, and Vince obviously [00:05:29] Vince Menzione: Thank you. [00:05:29] Jeff Mesnik: But you know, our organization is really about coming back, and I’m not trying to plug tackle by you saying this, but we’re doing the blocking and tackling for organizations another. [00:05:40] Vince Menzione: That’s why I named the tackle. [00:05:41] Jeff Mesnik: Yeah, I know. It’s, it’s, it’s part of my every conversation now and I have to think about it, but we basically believe in the idea that trust is starting by consistency and expectation. [00:05:55] Jeff Mesnik: So a few years ago I was listening to, um, an event where Tim Couch and, um, Michelle Ragusa, McBain were talking and they said, partners respond to. You meeting and greet, you know, exceeding expectations. So one of those expectations should be consistent messaging to them and consistent messaging for them to send out to their customers. [00:06:15] Jeff Mesnik: And then the next step is that becomes the core of your data analysis, because if you’re not submitting consistent content and submit, you know, consistent information, then you’re not