Channel Insider: Partner POV

In this episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down with Federico Charosky, Founder and CEO of Quorum Cyber, a fast-growing MSSP that’s gone all-in on Microsoft. Learn how this Scotland-born company scaled to over 400 employees, why it built its award-winning Clarity platform, and how it’s approaching AI across customer protection, internal services, and Microsoft Copilot tools. Federico also shares insights on Quorum Cyber's U.S. expansion strategy, vertical market wins in housing associations and higher education, the importance of growing talent in-house, and how a focus on outcomes—not just technology—sets Quorum Cyber ap...

In this episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down once again with returning guest Terry Richardson, CRO of Blue Mantis , to unpack the company’s rapid expansion through strategic MSP acquisitions and its evolving business strategy. Richardson explains what impact he believes economic uncertainty in the U.S. will have on M&A through the rest of the year and into 2026

Richardson also shares insights into Blue Mantis' recent flurry of acquisitions in Q1 2025, and how the company is enhancing its cybersecurity, networking, and telecommunications offerings amid a distributed workforce - especially in so...

This collaboration brings edge computing into OTAVA’s portfolio of offerings for the first time—positioning the company to lead in cloud-to-edge transformation.

Watch as TJ shares how OTAVA identified the growing demand for edge solutions, how cultural alignment with Scale Computing helped seal the deal, and how it led to an exclusive three-way partnership with data protection giant Veeam.

🔸 00:00 – Intro & announcement of OTAVA’s new partnership with Scale Computing 

🔸 01:13 – Why Scale Computing? Culture fit and aligning on innovation 

🔸 03:29 – The growing demand for edge computing 

🔸 07:06 – Market growth: Edge computing and data protection valuation...

Belinda previously spent three years at an MSP, and while she felt supported and seen there, she noticed this was not the norm in the greater partner ecosystem. Belinda dives into the real reasons women exit tech—career pauses, lack of flexibility, outdated job postings, and underrepresentation. She also introduces BouncePoint’s initiatives, including a training platform for upskilling women during career gaps and a certification program for companies striving to become welcoming and empowering workplaces for women.

If you're a woman in tech, a channel leader, or passionate about workforce diversity, this conversation is packed with valu...

Learn how Eaton empowers its partners with industry-leading products and comprehensive support—from hands-on training and presales assessments to deal registration and marketing funds. Whether you're an experienced reseller or new to selling power solutions, Eaton provides the tools, teams, and resources to help you succeed.

📌 Topics & Time Codes:

00:00 – Introduction: The infrastructure profitability challenge 

00:34 – Guest intro: Sami Hussaini from Eaton 

00:57 – What’s driving customer buying habits in infrastructure 

01:10 – Key trends: Lithium-ion UPS & cybersecurity 

02:09 – How solution providers can profit from lithium-ion UPS 

02:57 – Top verticals for lithium-ion UPS: K–12, healthcare, e...

Learn how The 20 MSP is revolutionizing the managed services industry by focusing on standardization, community-driven collaboration, and building real wealth for MSP owners. CMO Crystal explains the secret to their success is putting people in their "magic" and letting them do what they do best. Get to know the patented security solutions offered by The 20 MSP, including one Tim says could have helped prevent major breaches at two of the country's biggest casino companies. Plus, you’ll hear inspiring success stories—including how one member went from working in his mother-in-law’s basement to closing an $800K client deal and ex...

In this episode of Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso speaks with Chari Rhoades, Vice President of Americas Channel and Partner Sales at Proofpoint, and Eric Kohl, Vice President of Global Vendor Engagement, Security and Networking at Ingram Micro, about a major milestone in the channel: 

▶️ For the first time ever, partners can quote, sell, and order Proofpoint solutions directly through the Ingram Micro Xvantage™ digital experience platform. This move makes the provisioning of Proofpoint’s people-centric cybersecurity solutions easier and faster for partners to scale their security offerings and protect customers from threats like phishing, business email compromis...

In this episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, the Channel Insider editorial teams unites to break down the biggest news stories, trends, challenges, and opportunities that defined the IT channel in the first quarter of 2025. Join host Katie Bavoso, Managing Editor Victoria Durgin, and Writer Jordan Smith as they discuss and review everything from evolving partner strategies to the latest in AI-driven solutions, as well as where the industry is headed in Q2 and deeper into the year. This conversation is packed with insights for MSPs, VARs, and IT leaders and buyers. 

🔍 Key Topics & Timestamps: 

00:00 - Int...

In this episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down with Robbie Morrison, CEO of Velosio, to discuss how Velosio helps mid-market businesses navigate digital transformation, cloud migration, and AI adoption - especially during economically unstable times. Robbie dives into how Velosio partners with ISVs, their focus on industry-specific solutions (like horticulture!), and why targeting the C-level is key to tech adoption. 

🔹 Key Topics Covered: 

✔️ Velosio’s role in mid-market digital transformation 

✔️ The surprising role of IT in modern horticulture 🌱 

✔️ How CFOs & CROs drive cloud and AI adoption 

✔️ Helping businesse...

What does it take to scale an MSP into a national platform while keeping a local touch? Integris President, COO, and Board Member Glenn Mathis shares how the company navigated rapid growth through private equity and acquisitions, and the evolving IT landscape to create an enterprise level MSP built to better serve the small to medium sized customer market. I

n this episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down with Glenn to discuss how Integris serves regulated industries like community banks, how the MSP helps customers derive value from data, and what makes...

Traditional keyword searches can often fall short of finding exactly what you're looking for, but Weaviate’s AI-powered semantic search enables faster, more accurate results—unlocking new insights from your data. In this episode of Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down with Byron Voorbach, Field CTO of Weaviate, to explore how their open-source AI-native vector database is transforming the way businesses retrieve and analyze information. 

Hear about real-world applications, including how Weaviate enhances search for e-commerce, finance, legal, and even media asset management. Byron also shares a customer success story he says is a personal favorite and e...

Struggling with AWS cost management? In this episode of Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down with Tony Chan, CEO and co-founder of CloudForecast, to discuss how his startup is simplifying AWS cost visibility for mid-market companies and high-growth startups.

Tony shares the inspiration behind CloudForecast, its unique approach to cost monitoring, and how it complements native tools like AWS Cost Explorer. He also highlights real-world success stories of customer companies that use CloudForecast, as well as key features—like simplified reporting and flat-rate pricing—that make CloudForecast an ideal solution for engineering and DevOps teams without dedi...

With four decades of experience leading channel programs at companies like VMware, HP, and most recently Cato Networks, Frank Rauch reflects on his storied career, the lessons he's learned, and what the future holds for the IT channel. 

🔹 How Frank built a legacy through mentorship and leadership. 

🔹 The evolving role of the channel chief in an AI-driven world where cloud marketplaces have gained popularity. 

🔹 His take on Broadcom’s invite-only VMware partner program. 

🔹 Predictions for the future of Israeli tech companies. 

Frank also shares what’s next for him after announcing his...

Learn how BD, a global medical technology company working to advance health and medical discovery, tackled complex workflow and process orchestration challenges with Pega’s AI-powered platform and TCS’s expertise and deep knowledge of BD's needs as a business. 

Join guests Srinivasarao Ganta, Global Head of Digital Process Management at TCS, Nabin Patro, Associate Director at BD, and John Curtin, Account Executive at Pegasystems as the three experts break down how the partnership between Pega and TCS helped enhance BD’s efficiency, reduced manual processes, and delivered real business impact. 

🚀 Discover how industry-leading partnerships like that o...

In this episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down with Mike Fuhrman, CEO of Omega Systems, to discuss the company’s transformation from a traditional Managed Service Provider (MSP) to a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP). This shift was a priority for Fuhrman when he joined the company in 2023. Fuhrman explains what nonnegotiable requirements truly define an MSSP. The CEO and IT veteran also shares what brought him from the vendor space to the partner side of industry, the strategic approach that sets Omega apart, and how cybersecurity and compliance have become critical and defining po...

Chris Keith, founder and CEO of Hirexe, joins host Katie Bavoso in this engaging episode of Partner POV to discuss the challenges managed service provider leaders face when trying to fill roles at their businesses - and that struggle is increasing. By 2026, IDC predicts that 90% of businesses worldwide will face an IT skills shortage. Whether it's budget restraints, a shallow talent pool, or even just the inability to commit the necessary time to the search, Keith understands there's more to the process than just posting on a job board and hoping for the best. 

After spending years i...

Managing cloud environments is already complex—tracking revenue and costs shouldn’t be an added headache. That’s why Vega Cloud developed Vega for MSPs, a purpose-built platform designed to help managed service providers optimize cloud spend, enhance financial accountability, and drive operational efficiency. 

In this episode of Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down with Vega Cloud team members Larry Cusick, Director of FinOps, and Kris Bliesner, Co-Founder & CEO, to discuss the company's enterprise-grade FinOps SaaS solution, which MSPs would benefit the most from it, and how it can help solve billing errors and eliminate challenges specifi...

Doing business with massive enterprises usually means navigating a maze of red tape, long approval processes, and legal roadblocks. But Hack The Box is changing the game—leveraging channel partners to streamline deals while opening doors for new relationships and revenue opportunities for solution providers.

In this episode of Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down with Heather Hoddinott, Enterprise Account Executive at Hack The Box, to discuss:

✅ How Hack The Box’s gamified cybersecurity training is a game-changer for security teams.

✅ Why client businesses trust the Hack The Box platform for hands-on, real-wor...

James Rocker, founder and CEO of Long Island, NY-Based managed service provider Nerds That Care, says he still hears from marketing experts fascinated by his company's name even after being in operation for 20 years. On this latest episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, Rocker explains how he drew inspiration from the name and brand marketing of a well known B2C break/fix team from a big box tech store. He says once he bought the website domain, everything fell into place for his business. For him, the name says it all - "We're nerds, and we care!" Rocker...

Davin Jackson, cybersecurity media personality for  @eSecurityPlanet , joins host Katie Bavoso for this week's Channel Insider: Partner POV. Jackson explains what drew him to pursue a career in cybersecurity, but says he didn't always feel like he belonged. He says he didn't see cybersecurity experts that looked like him until he met his mentor. Now, Jackson is on a mission to make cybersecurity an accessible subject with eSecurity Planet, as well as "be the change he wants to see" in the industry by inspiring the next generation of InfoSec experts through eSports at his center Alpha eSports and Technology. Ja...

In this episode of Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso is joined by Seth Tossie, Vice President of Global Channel Sales, and David Grant, Head of Enterprise Sales, from Hack The Box. Tossie and Grant discuss Hack The Box's gamified approach to training and upskilling cybersecurity professionals and teams, as well as the new Hack The Box Global Partner Program and why solution providers can grow their customer base and businesses by joining. The HTB leaders explain why the channel was a critical area to invest in and the incentives they're providing to thank their partners for becoming a part...

With 2024 officially in the rearview mirror, the Channel Insider editorial team discuss the events, news stories, and disruptions that shaped the IT channel in 2024. Managing Editor Victoria During and Staff Writer Jordan Smith join Katie Bavoso for an in-depth discussion of a year that saw no shortage of seismic shifts. From the biggest industry upsets to the companies that came out on top, what stuck out the most to the writers and content creators who observe this world each day? Plus, find out what and who the team  will be watching closely in 2025, and even what they predict could h...

Tony Haller, Global Head of IT Partner Sales and Strategy at GoTo, sits down with Partner POV host Katie Bavoso to explain how GoTo is growing with partners and incentivizing that partner community to do so. With a simplified approach to asset management built around a Zero Trust framework, GoTo wants to help managed service providers feel empowered to provide its solutions to customers and grow their own businesses without adding more to employee head count. Haller says GoTo has differentiated itself in the partner experience space by providing a white glove onboarding experience with a dedicated specialist for...

Paco Lebron and Corey Kirkendoll of podcast MSP Unplugged return in Part 2 of their Channel Insider: Partner POV interview with host Katie Bavoso. In this half of the interview, Lebron and Kirkendoll explain how they try to help their MSP audience members learn at their own pace and why it's important to consider what a listener will find valuable no matter how far into their IT business journey they are or how far they want to go. Lebron reflects on how this mentality led to the creation of Techcon Unplugged, the event that's for MSPs by MSPs which he...

In Part 1 of this two part episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso is joined by two of the three hosts of what some say is the longest running MSP podcast, MSP Unplugged. Paco Lebron and Corey Kirkendoll are both CEOs of their managed services businesses. Lebron runs ProdigyTeks out of Chicago, IL and Kirkendoll leads 5K Technical Services out of Plano, TX. The two host the weekly podcast MSP Unplugged alongside Rick Smith, CEO and founder of managed services business Renactus Technology out of Elizabeth, NJ. Lebron and Kirkendoll explain their cybersecurity-first mindset, but clarify this...

In Part 2 of this interview, Zac Paulson, Director of Product and Strategy at ABM Technology Group, explains to Channel Insider: Partner POV host Katie Bavoso the unfortunate trend of clients accepting a cybersecurity strategy and related solutions only after they've had a breach or close call. He says it's driven his business to not accept clients unless they agree to ABM's cybersecurity measures. Paulson also discusses the vendor partners that he says have been critical in helping his business grow, including IRONSCALES, SentinelOne, and Huntress, and Pax8. Paulson says the Pax8 marketplace in particular has allowed his company to...

Zac Paulson, Director of Product and Strategy at North Dakota-based ABM Technology Group, sits down with Channel Insider: Partner POV host Katie Bavoso to explain the process behind selling his former business TrueIT to Advanced Business Methods, a legacy copy and print company. During his tenure as CEO of TrueIT, Paulson says his managed services company was hitting a wall and unable to grow any further. He and his team decided it was time to be acquired, but nobody wanted to stop working in the business they built and loved so much. This began his journey of finding the...

Tanaz Choudhury, CEO and President of Houston, TX - based IT solution provider TanChes Global Management, joins Channel Insider: Partner POV host Katie Bavoso to explain how and why she's investing in the next generation of IT business professionals. Choudhury is a first generation American and says she was able to make the American Dream "her reality." Now, she wants to pay it forward by supporting local community college students and help them realize their own dreams. TanChes has teamed up with Houston Community College and Gulf Coast Region Apprenticeship Hub to create an apprenticeship program that will serve...

In this episode of Partner POV, CEO of managed service provider BizCom Global, Mark Wiener, discusses the critical mistake many end user businesses make when they assume they're too small to be the victim of ransomware or other types cyber attacks. He asks those business leaders, how much is your data is worth to you? Because, if the answer is "everything," then you've got everything to lose by becoming an easy pay day for cyber criminals. As Weiner explains, it is far easier to penetrate the walls of a small company than that of a large company. Additionally, does...

In Part 2 of this Channel Insider: Partner POV interview featuring Nick Sikorski, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at EchoStor, and Mark Milano, Manager of IT Employee Experience and End User Computing at Eversource, we continue the conversation about what makes the partnership work and what Milano says other businesses can do to find success with an IT solution provider of their own choice. Milano explains what matters most to him when considering a third party IT partner. Sikorski adds that EchoStor's in-depth knowledge of Eversource and the company's needs also shows how the solution provider has invested in...

Why do AlertOps team members say their solution platform is like plumbing? Because it's essential and once you have it, you can't go back! AlertOps executives Kamalesh Srikanth, Senior Product Manager, and Rafael Sanuily, Chief Revenue Officer, join Partner POV host Katie Bavoso for an end to end discussion on the alert management platform built for both end user businesses and managed services providers. AlertOps essentially bridges the gap between the monitoring and tracking alerts by being the last layer of communication that ensures no one misses an important message, ever. If your team is getting inundated with alerts...

Eaton Corporation's Steve Loeb, Vice President of Distributed Infrastructure Sales, and Donna St-Denis, Channel Marketing Director, join Partner POV host Katie Bavoso for an in-depth look at Eaton's solutions and the value of the Eaton PowerAdvatage Partner Program. In a world where AI touches all kinds of technology, today's data centers need to be able to handle the increased workloads and capacity needs. Eaton offers solutions specifically made to handle these AI power-hungry applications while also manufacturing its products and packaging with sustainability in mind to offset the increased energy consumption from the use of AI and GenAI enabled...

In Part 1 of this two part Channel Insider: Partner POV interview, host Katie Bavoso is joined by Nick Sikorski, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at EchoStor, as well as Mark Milano, Manager of IT Employee Experience and End User Computing at Eversource. Eversource is an energy company providing electricity, water, and natural gas to more than four million customers across New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The company is also a client partner of EchoStor, the IT services and solutions provider based in Hopkinton, MA. Milano explained that if Eversource tried to bring all the IT services provided by...

In Part 2 of this Channel Insider: Partner POV interview, Dawn Sizer, CEO of managed service provider and IT consulting business 3rd Element, discusses how the strength of trust has enabled her business to offer new services and driven vendors to give partners more reason to go to market with them. Sizer says many long-time clients are now asking for services outside of IT, including media and marketing as well as business consulting, because they would rather invest in trusted existing relationships than look elsewhere. As for vendors, Sizer names some of the IT companies she feels have brought more...

Lisa Pettograsso, Director, Channel Sales at Hack The Box sits down with host Katie Bavoso to discuss what solution providers need to grow their businesses in the highly competitive market of cybersecurity and upskilling, and explains what HTB is doing to accelerate that climb to the top for its partners. Pettograsso says not only can the gamified solutions from Hack The Box be sold independently or bolted on to other offerings, but the team at HTB works directly with partners to bring them deals and introduce them to new opportunities. In this episode of Partner POV, Pettograsso tells the...

Dawn Sizer, CEO of managed services provider 3rd Element Consulting, joined host Katie Bavoso in Part 1 of this latest episode of video and podcast series Channel Insider: Partner POV. Sizer describes her business's focus on providing IT and cybersecurity management for industries and businesses like law firms, government offices, and cannabis. While in many parts of the U.S., cannabis is just another B2B venture, but as Sizer explains, the inconsistency in the legality at the federal level can often create challenges. Sizer walks Katie through some of those challenges and how she navigates them. As a content...

Josh Hohbein, Information Security Lead at managed services provider centrexIT, explains how he and the MSP prioritize and approach compliance with customers. Most clients think they either don't need a compliance framework, that it's too expensive, takes too much time to create, or don't understand it's not part of their existing cybersecurity stack. Hohbein says centrexIT has worked to make compliance easy to understand and easy to implement, while also teaching clients how it will greatly reduce downtime when they inevitably have a cybersecurity incident. He also calls out the vendors that are helping to make his compliance mission...

Travis Woods, CEO of Fort Point IT and Vice President of IT at DVBE Technology Colombia, joins host Katie Bavoso to discuss the value of partnership - not just with vendors, but also with other managed service and solution providers. Woods says partnering with like minded colleagues in the industry allows him grow his revenue and be able to compete with large, often private equity funded MSPs that have the ability to grow through mass acquisitions and mergers. He explains why DBVE Technology Colombia was the right fit for him and what he's learning about the fast-growing Latin American...

Tim Brooks, Managing Director & Chief AI Advisor at World Wide Technology (WWT) joined host Katie Bavoso in this latest episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV to discuss how the global solution provider is one of a select few partners working with NVIDIA to bring the chip giant's new NIM Agent Blueprints to market. The NVIDIA NIM Agent Blueprints allow enterprise developers to build AI applications that use one or more agents in a fraction of the time it would take them to create these applications from scratch. Brooks explains what kinds of AI applications these blueprints can be used...

In Part 2 of her interview on Channel Insider: Partner POV, Nancy Henriquez talks with host Katie Bavoso about what she learned while working for an IT vendor. After selling her second business, a managed service provider, Henriquez went to work for an IT vendor startup for the first time in her career. She says her biggest takeaway from that experience is the importance of training and educating the channel partners who sell and manage the solutions those vendors manufacture and create. With the shortage of talent in the IT industry, Henriquez says there's no better and more necessary time...