The new report The Agentic Inflection Point: And the Rise of the Managed Intelligence Provider, from Pax8, shows how AI and automated systems are rapidly changing the playing field for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), with technology previously reserved for large companies now being made available to everyone. 83 percent of fast-growing SMBs are already testing AI today, and many new companies are AI-native from the start.
“We are facing a new era where AI-powered systems will transform how work gets done,” said Scott Chasin, CEO of Pax8“Developments are happening very quickly, and SMBs are now getting the chance to compete with the very largest companies in the market.”
The report introduces Managed Intelligence, a new framework that helps actors across the IT hierarchy to navigate the transition towards AI-driven and autonomous systems, and to succeed in the new AI-based IT landscape.
Some of The report's main conclusions:
AI does the job: AI is moving from being a support to taking active responsibility in the work. Independent agents can now handle tasks that previously required human intervention, from customer service to product development, shortening the path between idea and implementation.
Four levels of AI agents: Pax8 identifies four stages of development: from simple chatbots that answer questions, to smart assistants that can break down complex goals, to digital agents that act independently in different systems, and finally to complete digital workforces where multiple AI agents collaborate and coordinate work at scale.
MIP – the next step for MSP: Managed Intelligence Providers are the next generation of strategic IT partners. Unlike traditional MSPs, MIPs focus not just on delivering services but on creating direct business outcomes by governing, curating, and orchestrating AI agents across the customer's operations.
New business models: The new generation of AI technology requires new ways of charging. Instead of licenses per user, the pricing models of the future are about actual benefit, per AI agent, per activity performed, per automated workflow or per result achieved.
AI-built companies: 83 percent of fast-growing SMBs are already testing AI. The report points out that we are now seeing the emergence of companies that are AI-native from the start, where generative AI and autonomous agents are an integral part of the entire business. These companies prioritize flexible, modular solutions and growing fast with small teams.
Building the infrastructure: Pax8 is now building a complete ecosystem for next-generation AI-powered business solutions. It includes AI agent marketplaces, integration frameworks, and a Managed Intelligence toolkit. The goal is to unite software vendors, MIPs, and SMBs in a new AI-powered value chain.
To download the full report or read more about Pax8, visit https://pages.pax8.com/agentic-inflection.html
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