‘Data is way more valuable than oil’: Pax8 director of data and AI

Andy Readman talks AI strategy, the value of data and the importance of having an impact

Andy Readman, director of data & AI at Pax8, sees artificial intelligence as being an invaluable and unavoidable asset for MSPs, as they must now embrace the future of tech.

During Pax8’s BEYOND EMEA event that took place in Berlin this October, CRN sat down with Readman to talk about Pax8’s approach to AI. The bottom line: Darwinian principles apply.

“Looking ten years into the future, the channel has to change and adapt to AI at a very fast pace.

“There is also a real need to look back at the next five to ten years on what the channel hasn’t picked up on, as other enterprises and industries have already been using AI in fascinating ways.”

But looking at the rapid evolution of AI, Readman steers clear of making decisive predictions.

“I don’t think you can predict anything,” he says.

“If you predict one thing and stick with it, you’re more likely to be wrong than right.

“But if you’re constantly adapting, if you have a methodology, you’re then able to rethink what can be happening ten years from now.

“Always rethinking your prediction is the key to being right.”

Adapt and evolve

During the October event, Nick Heddy, president and chief commerce officer at Pax8, said MSPs urgently need an AI strategy, not just to grow, but to survive.

Scott Chasin, Pax8 CEO, also recently told CRN he was “worried” for businesses not adopting an AI strategy.

What timeframe should solution providers be considering in that case? According to Readman, the quickest off the mark will reap the rewards.

“The best time to start is yesterday, he says.

“AI and automation are driving change to how technology problems are resolved, and the traditional managed service value proposition is going to change forever.”

The silver lining, according to him, is that MSPs are uniquely well positioned to help businesses navigate the rapid shift.

“MSPs have got the best talent in the world when it comes to applying technology in new ways to not just solve IT problems, but also business problems.”

“MSPs can truly understand the problems that a customer has, and think ‘If I owned your business, how would I change things? How would I change the way that certain departments operate different processes?’

“Personally, If I acquired my customers, I'd run them completely differently to how some of them are currently acting.

“When you start thinking like that, you start thinking in terms of how much value you can bring.

“That's way more valuable than the current managed service offering, and it will be far more valuable in that ten years’ time when AI and automation are really having an impact on the typical managed service offering.”

With offices in eight different European countries (Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK) and an involvement all across the continent, Pax8’s AI team counts “half a dozen people” within EMEA.

“We’re looking to expand that across the regions globally.

“We also have many people coming forward as part of our AI champions programme, people who want to be part of the AI movement.

“The end goal is to scale that into other regions by creating an optimised process.

“We do that in EMEA first because we have some amazing talents.”

Read on to find out more about Readman’s AI predictions and hopes...

Terminating the Terminator myth

During the conference, Chasin also outlined how AGI (artificial general intelligence) and ASI (artificial super intelligence) will have an impact on MSPs and society in general.

The CEO then presented pictures representing prototypes of humanoid robots, meant to make their entrances into companies, factories and homes way sooner than we think.

But far from putting off anyone in the audience, the guests were charmed and excited about the prediction.

“I think people are more accustomed to AI being in their lives,” reflects Readman.

“We're not really opting in for AI, it's just appearing everywhere.

“Your smartphone has AI in it, mine too.

“As AI just becomes normalised, that makes us a bit more open to crazier concepts; it brings science fiction a lot closer to home.

“Scott Chasin put it really well on the keynote; you can take the red pill, or you can take the blue pill, but unfortunately, you swallowed them both already.

“From reasoning all the way up to organisational level intelligence that will run a business.

The director of AI and data also reacted to Chasin saying that we will see more and more organisational and creative AI in the future.

“As the head of a company, an organisational AI will give you a response that Chasin would give you as a CEO of a tech company, but it wouldn't think like him.

“We wo n’t become robots’ salespersons.

“There's a certain level of human relationships that’s invaluable to all businesses.”

Apart from the somewhat futuristic topic of robots, Readman raises a more immediate concern for end-users – cost.

On this, he offers the reassuring perspective that he doesn’t “see it increasing massively.”

“The value is in the data,” he says.

“Looking at how many apps are in your phone, free to use. That’s what you’re paying for.

“If you take Apple Maps or Google maps, they track your location every minute, but you get a great service, so you don’t mind.

“That’s how they get your data.

“Data will always be the lifeblood of those businesses.

“People say data is the new oil, but we’re way past that now; it’s already way more valuable.”

Readman’s north star

Readman’s motivations for doing the work he does range from the professional to the personal, including mentors, role models and, especially, those closest to him.

“There’re too many people in Pax8 to name one,” says Readman, who instead shares with CRN a personal story.

“Five years ago, my mum had motor neurone disease.

“She was very healthy until then, and it was devastating. She passed away a year later.

“If you don’t know the disease, it’s what Stephen Hawking had.

“You end up quite quickly just being able to move your eyes.

“As a technologist, I was able to build a device for her to communicate.

“That allowed her to talk with her carers and her family.

“After she passed away, I found out that I’ve got a 50/50 chance to have the same condition.”

Far from letting fear and anxiety take the best of him, Readman says this inspired him.

“I’m an optimist.

“That's made me live every single moment differently since that point.

“I approach life and work in different ways to most people.

“My inspiration comes from the fact that I can use the time that’s left to make the biggest impact possible on the universe.

“Making the big impact on this community, the Pax8 MSP community, really just clicks with what truly matters to me.”