Pax8 has launched its Managed Intelligence Provider Programme and Managed Intelligence Services, and opened access to its Agent Store for attendees at its Beyond 2026 gathering.
The launches are intended to help partners build AI-focused service practices and sell services tied to customer outcomes, rather than limit their role to software resale.
The Agent Store serves as the entry point for both the new programme and the services offering. The marketplace includes products such as Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, ConnectWise Sidekick and Rewst RoboRewsty, with pricing and billing handled through the Pax8 platform.
Pax8 is positioning the Managed Intelligence Provider Programme as a structured route for managed service providers to move into what it calls managed intelligence. Partners begin with an AI maturity assessment, then follow role-based training designed to help them identify opportunities and deploy AI agents and related tools.
The programme is designed to give partners a repeatable framework for building recurring revenue from AI work. Pax8 framed that effort against a wider market problem: many small and medium-sized businesses are experimenting with AI but struggling to turn that activity into measurable returns.
Research cited by Pax8 found that 62% of SMBs believe AI will be required to remain competitive, while 74% said it helps them compete with larger businesses. At the same time, nearly nine in 10 small businesses are already using or testing AI, but many still lack a strategy for putting it to work.
The services arm gives partners another route into that market. Managed Intelligence Services are delivered by Pax8 Professional Services experts, either alongside a partner or as a white-label extension of their team, while the partner retains the customer relationship and revenue.
Four services are available at launch: a Copilot readiness assessment for Microsoft 365 tenants; an AI-assisted discovery service for transformation discussions; workflow automation and AI agent builds tailored to customer requirements; and Microsoft 365 data protection work using Microsoft Purview Information Protection and Data Loss Prevention.
Craig Donovan, Chief Operating Officer at Pax8, said the company sees a gap between discussion of AI and practical delivery.
"The partner who makes AI work for their clients wins," said Donovan. "Right now, most of the market is stuck talking about AI or just reselling it. With the Managed Intelligence Provider Program and Managed Intelligence Services, we're giving partners a way to run and scale their business around it."
Partner response
A partner already using the service said the discovery process can reshape early customer engagements.
"The level of insight [Managed Intelligence Services] delivers is what we'd normally only achieve after several hours of in-person workshops," said Chris Pottrell, Managing Director, Nebula IT. "By automating that discovery and capturing more honest, individual input, it gives us a clearer, more objective starting point. That not only shortens the sales cycle, but also helps us move faster into real transformation conversations, supporting our customers on their journey to becoming a Frontier firm."
Pax8 said 78% of SMBs using AI describe it as a game-changer, but added that 95% of organisations report zero return on investment. It argues that gap creates an opening for partners that can package advisory, implementation and management into repeatable services.
Pax8's broader channel push extends beyond the three launches. It has outlined an Agent Gateway intended to let partners govern AI agents used by customers through a single control point, including oversight of identity, model and tool calls, and token use.
The gateway is being built for multi-tenant use, so partners can manage AI deployments across large numbers of clients with separate budgets, keys and consumption controls. Pax8 said the system will also give partners visibility into spending, so they can apply margins, budgets and caps at customer level.
Alongside that, Pax8 is developing a platform for agent orchestration and commercialisation, allowing partners to build an agent once and deploy it across their customer base. The system will meter usage for each client separately and allow partners to generate revenue both from the agent itself and from the consumption attached to it.
The Agent Gateway is in preview, while the orchestration platform is due to enter closed beta later this year. For now, the clearest immediate commercial step for partners is the combination of the Agent Store, the Managed Intelligence Provider Programme and Managed Intelligence Services, which are available to attendees now and are scheduled for wider availability in July.