SMB Nation (original) (raw)
In The Spotlight
One of Us! Tim Golden at Compliance Scorecard
Harry Brelsford and Tim Golden discuss their experiences at the first official GT iA Channel Con event in Nashville, highlighting the positive feedback about the venue and content. Tim, a former MSP now working as a compliance vendor, shares his career journey and the importance of risk assessments and policy documentation for MSPs. He mentions a recent acquisition that added a Professional Services Division to augment MSPs' capabilities. Tim also outlines upcoming events, including shows in Canada and Tampa, emphasizing the level playing field for vendors at GT iA events.
Guess What Day It Is? Win10 EOL
It’s here again. The End-Of-Life (EOL) for a Microsoft desktop operating system. Been there done that, eh? Who can forget the security risk hype of Windows XP in April 2014? Now, Windows 10 is EOL after a ten year life and the messaging is no more security updates (without a support fee).
A couple of community and SMB ecosystem thoughts.
Migrations lag. If anything was learned from the Windows XP EOL era,
Meet Dave Maik from DefensX
Harry Brelsford and Dave from Montreal discussed their experiences at Channel Con 2025 in Nashville. Harry shared his brother's background at McGill University and his own diverse tech portfolio. Dave, with a background in technology since 1995, now represents Defense X, a company focused on browser protection in cybersecurity. They highlighted the unique family-friendly atmosphere of the conference, contrasting it with more traditional tech events. Dave emphasized his role on the advisory board, working on documentation to help MSPs and participating in charitable activities like building guitars for aspiring musicians in Tennessee. Both agreed on the importance of community and giving back.
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Business Speak
Meet Dave Maik from DefensX
Harry Brelsford and Dave from Montreal discussed their experiences at Channel Con 2025 in Nashville. Harry shared his brother's background at McGill University and his own diverse tech portfolio. Dave, with a background in technology since 1995, now represents Defense X, a company focused on browser protection in cybersecurity. They highlighted the unique family-friendly atmosphere of the conference, contrasting it with more traditional tech events. Dave emphasized his role on the advisory board, working on documentation to help MSPs and participating in charitable activities like building guitars for aspiring musicians in Tennessee. Both agreed on the importance of community and giving back.
He's EVERWHERE!
Harry Brelsford and William Kapes discuss their experiences at a conference held at the NASA Space Center. William's company, Integra Tech, is part of the Lyra ecosystem, which includes over 120 companies under the Evergreen Services Group. They focus on professional services organizations, particularly in industries like accounting, legal, and medical. Integra Tech has offices in Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Eau Claire, and supports clients both remotely and geographically. William praises the Thread AI event for its useful service desk tools and rapid product updates. He appreciates the smaller, interactive conference format over larger, less engaging events.
Meet Nic Ferraro from PIA (Thread AI Unleased Conference)
Meet Nic Ferraro from PIA (Thread AI Unleased Conference)
Harry Brelsford and Nick Ferraro discuss the growth and impact of Pia, an Intelligent Automation Company for MSPs, which originated from the Virtual IT Group in Australia. Pia's AI-led automation platform, developed in-house over seven years, was released in 2022 and has since attracted over 400 partners, with 80% now based in the US and North America. They highlight the benefits of smaller shows for networking and will be at upcoming events like
Analytics/ Analysis
Guess What Day It Is? Win10 EOL
It’s here again. The End-Of-Life (EOL) for a Microsoft desktop operating system. Been there done that, eh? Who can forget the security risk hype of Windows XP in April 2014? Now, Windows 10 is EOL after a ten year life and the messaging is no more security updates (without a support fee).
A couple of community and SMB ecosystem thoughts.
Migrations lag. If anything was learned from the Windows XP EOL era,
Old School Albert!
Albert Lotito, based in Pennsylvania, works for Global Tech Solutions, an MSP with around 1,000 clients. As a Service Delivery Manager, he oversees dispatch, training, quality assurance, and analytics, including the implementation of new products like Thread. Albert prefers smaller conferences for better networking. His company is shifting focus from the nursing home industry to commercial clients like manufacturing and finance, leveraging AI to streamline processes and improve customer service. Despite concerns about losing personal touch, Albert emphasizes that their business is fundamentally about customer service, using AI to enhance efficiency and maintain strong client relationships.
Geek Speak
One of Us! Tim Golden at Compliance Scorecard
Harry Brelsford and Tim Golden discuss their experiences at the first official GT iA Channel Con event in Nashville, highlighting the positive feedback about the venue and content. Tim, a former MSP now working as a compliance vendor, shares his career journey and the importance of risk assessments and policy documentation for MSPs. He mentions a recent acquisition that added a Professional Services Division to augment MSPs' capabilities. Tim also outlines upcoming events, including shows in Canada and Tampa, emphasizing the level playing field for vendors at GT iA events.
Luddites vs Astronauts
Houston we have a PROBLEM with the SMB MSP ecosystem.
Last week at NASA Houston the full AI paradigm shift in the MSP community was laid out at the Thread AI Service Unleashed Conference like NASA did eons ago when folks said it couldn’t be done. Thread is arbitraging the opportunity to lean forward into the future for MSPs like NASA did for space travel. FYI - everyone enjoyed the format as a sub-100 attendee gathering that was intellectually intimate. At the same time,
Thought Leadership Love Tap!
Join Dave Doerre and tech expert Grace Schroeder on Smart Company as they sit down with **Harry Brelsford, the visionary founder of SMB Nation**. Discover Harry's incredible journey from working on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to **buying an Apple II Plus in 1982 for 3,500(nearly3,500 (nearly 3,500(nearly14,000 today!)**, getting in early with tech, and building a global community for Microsoft Small Business Server. In this must-watch episode, Harry reveals:
Community Content
Unlock Operational Advantages with Liongard
Harry Brelsford of SMB Nation sits down with Liongard at the IT Nation 2022 Conference. Liongard gives MSPs an operational advantage that delivers both higher profits and an exceptional customer experience. The Liongard software has been built by MSP veterans with the focus to eliminate error and reduce manual labor, in order to help MSP’s increase their bottom line. Through visibility management and 70+ integrations, Liongard retrieves data from every environment you manage, and brings you the data to fuel your workforce. Listen as Harry, Joe, and Matt discuss data management, and how to use it to increase your bottom line.
