What We Learned at Pax8 Beyond 2026

What We Learned at Pax8 Beyond 2026

Becky Cross, VP of Client Partnerships at FIT Technologies, recaps key themes from the Pax8 Beyond Conference in Salt Lake City with Jason Collins (CISO) and Ali Tubbs Amato (COO), focusing on moving past AI hype to practical execution. Ali discusses how to operationalize AI by starting with clear pain points, measuring time savings and ROI, and using automation to remove remedial tasks so people can focus on more impactful work, noting that similar fears accompanied earlier technology shifts.Jason emphasizes that secure AI adoption starts with visibility—knowing what AI tools and automations exist, what they can access, and governing them like new identities—highlighting a session on identifying and mitigating AI risk through repeatable processes. The group also explores an industry shift from managed services to “managed intelligence,” and closes by stressing the importance of relationships, community, and sharing experiences across the MSP ecosystem.

Navigating IT Roadmaps: A Guide for SMB Leaders

Learn what a realistic three-year IT roadmap looks like for small to mid-size businesses: a living business plan, not a static wishlist. FIT's Becky Cross and Fred Franks outline three drivers for roadmap priorities: strategic initiatives, productivity improvements, and compliance/risk needs—so technology supports business goals instead of chasing “shiny objects." Fred discusses how pacing should match an organization’s appetite for change to avoid fatigue, how to handle executive conflict by returning to a shared vision and commitments, and why three-year plans should be held loosely while 12-month plans are firmer for budgeting. They also cover measuring success through agreed outcomes and ROI, celebrating wins, and how “security first, mobile first” planning enabled continuity during the pandemic.

'Good Enough' IT

Is “perfect” slowing down your IT decisions? It might be.In this episode of What the Tech, Becky Cross (VP of Client Partnerships) sits down with Fred Franks (Chief Strategy Officer at FIT Technologies) to tackle a common challenge businesses face: knowing when “good enough” is actually the smartest path forward. As organizations navigate fast-changing areas like cybersecurity and AI, waiting for the perfect solution can lead to missed opportunities—or even increased risk. Becky and Fred break down how to balance speed vs. precision, why inaction can be more dangerous than making the wrong decision, and how to approach IT strategy with confidence.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why “good enough” doesn’t mean cutting cornersHow to avoid analysis paralysis in IT decision-makingThe importance of outcome-based vs. tool-based decisionsHow to evaluate risk, cost, and timing when choosing technologyWhy continuous improvement beats waiting for perfectionHow cybersecurity and AI strategies benefit from a proactive approachFred also shares practical insights from working with organizations across industries—highlighting how businesses can move forward with clarity, even in uncertain or rapidly evolving tech landscapes.Key takeaway:The real risk isn’t making the wrong decision—it’s doing nothing at all.

The Boundary of AI Capabilities

In this episode, VP of Client Partnerships, Becky Cross, sits down with Chief Strategy Officer, Fred Franks, about what AI can reliably replace today while noting “agentic AI” can take limited actions using statistical prediction and pre-programmed logic. They warn against extremes of avoiding AI entirely or trying to replace everything, emphasizing that relational work and human creativity should not be fully automated.  For leaders deciding when to invest, they recommend focusing on governance and guardrails, especially data protection, comparing data’s role in the AI revolution to electricity in the industrial revolution. They also advise professionals to intentionally learn AI skills as adoption accelerates. For more information about AI strategy: https://www.fittechnologies.com/it-services/managed-it-msa/

Balancing Technology and Human Touch in Help Desk Services

In this episode, Service Delivery Director, Rob Broida,  argues that “people first” and AI-enabled support are compatible, emphasizing AI as a background tool that assists humans rather than replacing them. A people-first, AI-enabled help desk should feel like the agent knows the client’s business and environment, using AI to reduce effort, provide context, summarize requests, categorize tickets, and spot patterns while keeping ownership and relationships with users. He stresses that automation should handle repeatable tasks, but humans must lead when nuance, accountability, urgency, business impact, or heightened emotions arise, avoiding frustrating handoffs. Key AI adoption mistakes include automating before documenting processes and using AI primarily for cost cutting, which can create “fast mess.” FIT avoids pitfalls by automating documented low-friction work, keeping clear human escalation paths, and measuring quality, resolution, satisfaction, and confidence—not just speed. Learn more: https://www.fittechnologies.com/it-services/managed-it-msa/