Episode Details

By Doug Green

“Customers may be asking for AI, but MSPs also need to ask whether the network is ready for it.”

In this Technology Reseller News podcast recorded at MSP Summit, Nicole Kerns of Verizon Business discusses how AI adoption, SD-WAN and multi-carrier connectivity are creating new opportunities for MSPs.

Kerns says many businesses are moving quickly to adopt AI without fully considering what those applications may do to network performance, bandwidth requirements and security.

That gives MSPs an opening to broaden the conversation.

Instead of simply helping a customer deploy an AI application, the MSP can assess whether the underlying network is prepared to support increased upload and download traffic, new security requirements and mission-critical applications.

Kerns says SD-WAN can play an increasingly important role.

Traditional failover may protect a business when a primary circuit goes down, but it may still create interruptions for services such as VoIP.

With SD-WAN, MSPs can manage traffic dynamically across multiple connections and prioritize the applications that matter most.

“Make sure your mission-critical traffic gets through first,” Kerns says.

She also points to multi-carrier connectivity as an important part of that strategy.

Combining landline and cellular connections can give businesses additional resilience when a wired connection fails or when available bandwidth is insufficient.

For MSPs, that can create an upsell opportunity.

A customer asking about AI may actually need a broader conversation about connectivity, traffic management, segmentation, security and redundancy.

Kerns also stresses that businesses should approach AI at an enterprise level, with security teams involved and employees educated about what information should and should not be shared with AI platforms.

Verizon Business works with channel partners through its resale programs, including connectivity, IoT and fixed wireless access offerings.

Visit Verizon Business to learn more about its partner and connectivity programs.