Monday Morning Impact – August 3

Published On: August 2, 2026Categories: Buzz

Pax8: Small Businesses All-in on AI

Pax8, a Denver-based company with a global AI and cloud Marketplace for SMBs, has released its quarterly survey tracking technology and adoption, investment and sentiment trends among U.S. small business leaders. The latest findings reveal that two-thirds of SMBs currently using AI show increased confidence and competitive posture with respect to their approach to growth. Nearly one in three AI-using SMBs, however, find themselves stuck in experimentation, unable to advance from testing to deployment.

“Our data found the SMBs pulling ahead share three things: aligned leadership, governance, and the expertise to turn experimentation into results,” said Scott Chasin, Pax8 CEO. “Most SMBs can’t build that alone. That’s the role of a managed intelligence provider (MIP): a technology partner who deploys AI, governs it, and keeps it running securely alongside their people. With an MIP they trust, a small business turns AI into a real, competitive advantage.”

The Q2 2026 Pax8 SMB AI Pulse Report finds that 61% of SMBs are actively using AI, while another 29% are still experimenting.

Nearly three times as many AI users say they are ahead of competitors on technology: 31%, compared with 12% of non-user.

AI users are significantly more confident in business growth, with 65% reporting that they are very confident, or extremely confident, versus 56% of non-users.

Fifty three percent of AI users increased technology spending over the past year, compared to 24% of non-users.

Businesses that use AI tend to share other characteristics, including stronger leadership alignment and higher investment overall. But the pattern holds consistently across every measure in the survey. At the same time, 59% of SMBs – and 71% of AI users specifically – agree that AI gives small businesses the ability to compete with much larger companies.

For SMBs stuck in experimentation, the data points to three primary barriers: Lack of internal expertise: 28%; Cost or unclear return on investment: 24%; and Security or privacy concerns: 21%. Only 11% of experimenters have a documented AI policy in place, and just 68% report that leadership is fully or mostly aligned on AI’s role – that is compared with 91% of businesses actively using AI.

SMBs were asked how the current economic environment has affected their technology plans. Thirteen percent have slowed or paused technology investment; 6% have reduced spending outright. The share of SMBs reporting an increase in technology spending fell from 48.5% in Q1 2026 to 42% in Q2 2026, and overall tech spending holding or increasing dropped from 97% to 89%.

“The businesses getting the most from AI are the ones with the strongest support, not necessarily those with the biggest budgets,” said Chance Weaver, Vice President of AI Adoption at Pax8. “Because of gaps in expertise, governance, and internal alignment, almost one in three small businesses is stuck in experimentation right now. That’s not a technology problem; that’s exactly what a trusted technology partner is built to solve. The MSPs who step into that role, who move from managing technology to delivering Managed Intelligence, are the ones who will define what this industry looks like in the coming years.”

The Q2 2026 survey is based on responses from 402 U.S. small business leaders involved in technology decisions within companies employing 5–499 employees across a range of industries and geographic regions.

Channel Impact^®
Partners can play an instrumental role in helping customers to move beyond testing in their AI adoption plans.

TD Synnex Appoints Industry Veteran Chris Fabes as President of Canada

TD Synnex announced that Chris Fabes has been appointed President of Canada, with responsibility for driving the company’s distribution strategy, strengthening vendor partnerships and accelerating customer growth across the Canadian market.

Fabes brings to the table more than two decades of IT channel leadership, with experience spanning the full technology ecosystem, including vendor, distributor and customer perspectives.

“Chris is a proven channel leader with a strong track record of building high-performing teams, deepening strategic partnerships and delivering meaningful outcomes for customers,” said Reyna Thompson, the company’s president for North America. “His end-to-end understanding of the Canadian technology market, combined with his focus on execution, make him well positioned to lead our Canada business into its next chapter.”

Fabes most recently served at SHI, where he led a multi-year strategic growth initiative across Canada, managing a national team focused on the country’s largest enterprise and public sector clients and developing a national vendor strategy aligned with leading and emerging OEM partners. Fabes also previously served as Canadian Channel Chief at Lenovo, where he helped triple channel revenue within three years to more than $1.2 billion and later expanded that channel strategy globally.

“TD Synnex plays a central role in helping the Canadian channel bring technology solutions to market with scale, expertise and trust,” said Fabes. “I am excited to join the team and build on the company’s strong foundation in Canada by working closely with our partners, vendors and customers to create new opportunities for growth.”

Fabes succeeds Mitchell Martin, who retired earlier this year after more than 36 years with the company.

Channel Impact^®
According to the company, this appointment reflects TD Synnex’s continued commitment to helping partners and vendors in Canada capture growth opportunities through operational excellence, strong ecosystem relationships and a customer-first approach.

Optro Launches “Partner Connect” Program

Optro (formerly AuditBoard), a San Francisco-based GRC Intelligence Platform vendor, has announced the formal launch of Optro Partner Connect. The new partner program promises flexible ways to go to market, a comprehensive suite of enablement, certification, technical, and co-marketing support, and a clear, predictable path to expand into new markets, deepen their service offerings, and drive lasting customer outcomes.

The program replaces legacy frameworks with a modular design centered around distinct partner tracks, initially launching with Advisory Partners and Solutions Providers.

“Partners are a critical growth engine for Optro, and Optro Partner Connect ensures our ecosystem’s experience matches the enterprise-grade quality of our platform,” said Scott Whitlock, Global VP of Alliances and Channels. “By moving away from transaction-only metrics and adopting a holistic evaluation of capacity and competency, we are giving our partners a clear blueprint to build highly profitable services practices around our GRC Intelligence Platform.”

Program components include role-based training and certification, technical and co-sell support, and co-branded marketing resources. Qualified partners have a path to build their own solutions, integrations, and accelerators. Comprehensive program briefs, regional guides, and deal registration resources are also available.

Channel Impact^®
The new partner program promises partners flexible ways to go to market, extensive enablement, and marketing support.

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