One of the minor changes we made for ENX Magazine in 2026 was a reimagining of our tagline, which now reads “The Voice of the Office Technology Dealership Community Since 1994.” We’ve always felt our true value lies in valuable peer-driven content by dealers, for dealers. Some subjects resonate more with our readers than others, but the idea of the magazine being a conduit for the dealer voice is our North Star.
With that in mind, we introduce a new feature, From the Trenches, which leans heavily on experience and expertise. Whereas the monthly State of the Industry report includes executives discussing their companies’ strategies, From the Trenches is a topic-centric Q&A delivered by a subject-matter expert to provide a deeper dive into a given discipline.
Marco
We’ve enlisted the views of a bona fide industry veteran, Trevor Akervik, to kick off the feature with a weather report on managed IT, so to speak. Akervik is one of the most well-known industry personalities, a veteran of print and IT with Marco for nearly 25 years who has held many senior positions within the St. Cloud, Minnesota-based firm. His experience crosses both the enterprise and SMB realms, underscoring his fluency with customer sets in addition to strategies that bolstered Marco from sales and service perspectives.
Akervik provides a granular perspective on the post-pandemic managed IT theater and touches on a range of issues such as provider/client disconnects, customer targeting strategies, how automation may trump AI, the changing face of cybersecurity and insights for those dealers looking to break into the managed IT space.
ENX: What do you find most notable about the post-pandemic IT market?
AKERVIK: The expectation has shifted from “bare minimum” to a focus on modernization and digital transformation. Clients expect their technology partner to know their business and help implement technologies that drive business outcomes. Remote and hybrid work normalized what was once considered risky, and now there’s no going back. That’s created both opportunity and pressure for managed IT providers to deliver more strategic value, not just help desk support.
ENX: What are some of the biggest culprits behind providers losing managed IT customers?
AKERVIK: Poor communication. When clients don’t understand what you’re doing for them, why it matters to their business or how it connects to their goals, you become invisible until something breaks. Regular reporting isn’t enough if it’s just technical metrics that don’t translate to business impact.
Misaligned business expectations. This happens when the provider is selling technology services, but the client expected a strategic partner who understands their industry and growth plans.
Inadequate security. Security breaches or major incidents can accelerate any of these exits, but they’re rarely the root cause. They’re typically the breaking point in a relationship that was already strained by quality issues, communication gaps or mismatched expectations.
ENX: Should newcomer managed IT providers limit their customer scope to a few select verticals?
AKERVIK: It depends on your business goals, resource capacity and market conditions. But for most newcomers, the answer is yes, especially early on.
Vertical specialization accelerates trust and shortens sales cycles. When you can speak the language of the specific vertical, reference relevant compliance requirements and share relevant case studies, you’re immediately more credible than a generalist competitor. Clients in regulated or specialized industries want a partner who already understands their unique challenges, not someone who’ll learn on their dime. The generalist approach offers different advantages: flexibility to pursue opportunities across multiple markets and the ability to weather industry-specific downturns.
For newcomers with limited resources, the strategic middle ground is often best. Focus on one or two verticals where you have genuine expertise or relationships, but don’t completely close the door on quality opportunities outside those lanes. Trying to be everything to everyone from day one just means you’re generic to everyone.
ENX: Do you think AI has the potential to be a game-changer in managed IT? Where can it make the greatest impact?
AKERVIK: We’re moving from the hype of AI in 2025 to operational focus. And honestly, the real game-changer isn’t AI, it’s automation. The distinction matters.
Automation doesn’t “think,” make independent decisions or access data outside of predefined rules. Instead, it uses secure, rules-based workflows to perform specific, approved actions that technicians already handle today—just faster and more consistently. This approach is especially beneficial for security-focused environments because all actions follow predefined workflows, and the MSP maintains full control and oversight of every automated task.
Over time, this automation allows us to handle common, repeatable requests quickly and efficiently for end-users: password resets, user account creation or deactivation, email group and file/folder permission requests, and routine system checks and corrections to prevent known issues.
Now, AI does have a role, particularly in predictive analytics for infrastructure management and automated threat detection and response. These applications help us identify patterns and potential issues before they become problems. AI can also improve efficiency in documentation and knowledge management, making institutional knowledge more accessible.
ENX: How has the managed IT market evolved from a cybersecurity viewpoint?
AKERVIK: In 2026, operational efficiency matters more than tool count. The market is shifting away from best-of-breed patchwork toward unified platforms that actually operationalize security, not just collect it.
Cybersecurity has moved from an optional add-on to table stakes to a competitive differentiator. Ten years ago, you could sell managed IT without serious security capabilities. Five years ago, you needed basic security to be credible. Today, clients expect SOC capabilities, 24/7 monitoring and incident response planning as part of core managed services.
The technical approach has also shifted from perimeter defense to zero-trust architecture and identity management. Network edge protection isn’t enough when users, applications and data are everywhere.
MSPs running disconnected security stacks struggle with alert fatigue and slow response times compared to those using integrated platforms. Clients are increasingly able to tell the difference between having security tools and actually managing security operations. The integration of security into core service delivery—with the operational processes to support it—has become a clear differentiator.
ENX: If you were starting a managed IT business today, what would be your approach as a dealer?
AKERVIK: Partner ruthlessly. The days of building everything in house are over unless you have unlimited capital. We’ve seen the value of deep partnerships with specialists such as Arctic Wolf for security operations, Microsoft for modern work and cloud transformation, and vendors who’ve already solved specific problems better than we ever could. Start with a strong partnership ecosystem, layer on your local expertise and client relationships, and focus your build efforts only on what truly differentiates you in your market.
If you’re in print and want to start IT, your best assets are your client relationship and your ability to sell. One consideration is partnering and white labeling a managed IT solution from another MSP provider.
