Pax8 and Google Cloud launch collaboration in ANZ as agentic demand grows. Collaboration with the cloud giant launches in Australia first before hitting other markets. [L-R] Ryan Walsh, channal chief, chief strategy officer; and Lindsay Zwart, EVP and GM APAC, Pax8. Pax8 has announced a new collaboration with Google Cloud, bringing the tech giant into its marketplace as the company aims to reach the NFP and education sector. The GCP offering is only available in ANZ markets for now and eventually will be launched globally. Lindsay Zwart, EVP and GM APAC at Pax8 told CRN Australia the Google offerings will expand across Asia and then other regions. "We decided to start in the ANZ region, because [it's] smaller, easier to test the waters, a great opportunity to test and learn in in the ANZ region," she said. "It was a market that was that's been asking for Google. It's also a market that has only currently got Microsoft and have been asking for an additional hyperscaler in region. "I was excited to be able to bring Google to market and deliver, deliver an additional option for our MSPs in market." The marketplace platform has launched Google Cloud offerings to its partners including Chrome OS, Chrome Enterprise Premium, and Gemini Enterprise. In a few weeks, Pax8 will launch Google Workspace and Cameo. Zwart said Google gives them access to industries they haven't had worked with before, like the education and not-for-profit space. "NFP is significant in the SMB space. A significant number of SMBs sit in the not-for-profit space, and I think they've been neglected," she said. "Google's very strong in that space, and we can help them." The marketplace will also be offering Google Cloud educational courses in its Pax8 Academy. Pax8 houses now two of the three hyperscalers, when asked if AWS would enter the Pax8 ecosystem, Zwart answered, "Keep watching". Impact of GCP. Ryan Walsh, channel chief and chief strategy officer at Pax8 told CRN Australia there is a "significant" impact of the Google brand to their ecosystem. "We can have opportunities that partners haven't seen before," he said. "Multi cloud services taking advantage of the uniqueness of Google Suite with Gemini running through it, that's going to open up some doors." Walsh said this partnership helps Pax8 become more "more robust", to add that to what is evolving to be an AI commerce marketplace focus for the company. "It amplifies that focus, because AI runs core through the Google Suite, and they're built with infrastructure to support it," he said. "I would say that's not to be diminished how important that is to have all of that lineup on top of what Zwart referenced, with regards to the ecosystem expansion." Partner reaction. Zwart has been encouraged by the support from partners. She said after the announcement webinar, 10 new partners signed up the next day. "Brand new partners who we never had. We're attracting brand new partners into our ecosystem," she said. Her existing partners are now bringing their Google ecosystems across to Pax8 now. "We want them to bring the rest of their business over to us and bring the whole ecosystem across our business, so that we can look after their full portfolio of business and support them," she said. Agentic opportunities. This partnership also coincides with growing demand of agentic AI tools. Walsh said the growth in demand from their partners has been "ridiculous". He said that the agentic demand changed Pax8's mission to become an AI commerce marketplace. "The extension of that is, how can we help the small medium sized business take advantage of a digital workforce, and the agentic toolset is going to run forward to that," Walsh explained. "The demand and how that blends with what Crn Company currently offer is going to be what Crn Company talk about and what Crn Company got its partners through. Crn Company has coined it, a managed intelligence provider. "The cool thing about what that means for Pax8 is we go to market with partners who get to decide what dimension or angle do they want to take advantage of that future, agentic tools." Walsh explained they are using stories and examples from partners who have already begun their agentic journey to nurture and guide those who are just starting theirs. "This is what's informing how we're guiding our partners going forward. There's a there's a bidirectional thing happening right now, because we can see a distinction between those that have really made the move and those that haven't made it yet," he said. "It is pretty strong that this is the future, and it's we're not turning back." Message to partners. Zwart wants to let her partners know that there is a "great opportunity" for partners to expand their practice by adopting Google. "Our message is this is not a replacement. This is a growth opportunity, and the opportunity is to expand your workloads by looking at what Google can do for you." Walsh added, "For any partner interested in flexibility in terms of how they architect, design, sell and deliver AI solutions to the market, this represents a great opportunity for them with a powerful tool like this, with Gemini rooted in the middle of all of it." Highlights

Inside the race: insights from Pax8's Mission Briefing. From Red Bull Racing HQ, Pax8's Mission Briefing explored a channel under pressure, where rising complexity and the rapid growth of AI are reshaping how MSPs operate and accelerating the shift toward managed intelligence. * Tuesday, 31st March 2026 Posted 21 hours ago in Distributor M&A Partner Tech & Trends Vendor by Sophie Milburn Set against the high-performance backdrop of the Red Bull Racing HQ, Pax8's latest Mission Briefing brought together MSPs, vendors, and industry experts to explore a channel that is changing quickly, though not always predictably. The event theme, "the race is on," set the tone for the day. It reflected the pace at which the channel is evolving, with MSPs facing increasing pressure to adapt to changing customer expectations, expanding technology stacks, and the growing influence of AI and security. These pressures are increasingly shaping conversations around a move toward the Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP) model, which Pax8 describes as an MSP that integrates AI agents into business workflows to deliver intelligent automation, actionable insights, and measurable outcomes for SMB customers, rather than deploying and maintaining tools. Opening discussions, led by Phylip Morgan, explored the growing complexity MSPs face as they operate across increasingly hybrid environments, where cloud, on-premises systems, and multiple platforms must be managed and integrated seamlessly. He highlighted how expanding technology stacks, alongside tighter security and compliance demands, are reshaping how MSPs deliver and support services and why partners need simpler, repeatable ways to package and deliver value as the channel evolves. Artificial intelligence was a major thread throughout the day, with a notably practical tone. Andy Readman spoke directly to this, highlighting the 'agentic inflection point' and describing AI as an 'empty box' that can be tailored and used in ways that best suit each user's individual needs. This prompted key questions about how AI can reduce operational friction, where it delivers genuine efficiency, and how MSPs move from experimentation to repeatable, scalable use. A session from Red Bull's Owen Carless reinforced many of the day's themes. While rooted in Formula One, the discussion touched on challenges that felt familiar across the channel: scaling teams quickly, working within constraints, and making fast decisions with limited room for error. The emphasis on collaboration and trust, especially under pressure, was a recurring point, and one that resonated beyond motorsport. Pax8 also shared updates on its marketplace and ongoing development. The focus is on simplification, helping partners manage services, onboard customers, and identify growth opportunities more efficiently. Storefronts, bundled solutions, and automation tools are key features designed to support that direction. Security sessions and vendor discussions reinforced a broader shift in the market. It's no longer enough to have the right tools in place; MSPs are increasingly expected to demonstrate outcomes. Automation, reporting, and audit-ready evidence are becoming standard expectations. This shift is being driven by evolving compliance frameworks and growing cyber insurance requirements. These themes carried into wider conversations, with MSP Channel Insights speaking directly to Phylip Morgan, Senior Vice President, Marketplace & Channel Expansion EMEA, Andy Readman, Data and AI Director, and Mostyn Thomas, Senior Director of Security EMEA at Pax8, alongside MSP partners Pete Hughes, Founder and Managing Director of Zalara Tech, and Daniel Reeves, CEO of The Computer Clinic Bicester. The discussions covered everything from cybersecurity and AI to the role and impact of Pax8 partnerships. Altogether, the event offered a clear snapshot of a channel in transition, moving toward more automation, managed intelligence, and outcome-driven services. In a market defined by speed, MSPs and MIPs that move quickly and adapt decisively will lead the way because the race is on.

CrowdStrike Falcon: enterprise-grade threat protection. March 30, 2026 | Security CrowdStrike Falcon is the endpoint security platform trusted by some of the world's largest organizations - and through Roeder Technology Services and its Pax8 partnership, your business can have it too. Traditional antivirus relies on signature databases - it knows a threat because it has seen it before. CrowdStrike Falcon uses artificial intelligence and behavioral analysis to detect novel threats, including zero-day attacks that have never been seen before. Falcon's cloud-native architecture means the agent on each endpoint is extremely lightweight - no noticeable performance impact, no complex on-premises infrastructure to manage. All threat intelligence is processed in CrowdStrike's cloud and fed back to your endpoints in real time. Falcon also includes threat hunting capabilities. CrowdStrike's Overwatch team (available on higher tiers) actively hunts for adversaries hiding in your environment - a level of proactive security previously only available to enterprise organizations. RTS deploys, configures, and monitors CrowdStrike Falcon on behalf of its clients, providing an extra layer of human oversight on top of the AI-driven protection. Upgrade your endpoint security to enterprise standards. Ask RTS about CrowdStrike Falcon.