Pax8 will add inforcer to its marketplace, expanding Microsoft 365 security and governance tools for managed service providers.
Inforcer is due to become available through the Pax8 marketplace this summer. The addition is aimed at managed service providers that want to standardise Microsoft 365 environments and deliver more repeatable services to small and medium-sized business customers.
The partnership comes as managed service providers face rising demand from smaller businesses adopting artificial intelligence tools while still needing support on security, compliance and governance. Pax8 research found that 62% of SMBs are using AI, while 18.5% use it extensively across multiple functions.
That gap has created an opening for service providers to move beyond one-off deployments and provide ongoing oversight of Microsoft 365 estates, including identity controls, device management and policy enforcement. Pax8 also found that 84% of SMBs would trust an outside technology adviser to help implement AI.
Microsoft focus
For providers using the Microsoft stack, inforcer's software is designed to automate configuration, monitor compliance in real time and identify policy drift across customer tenants. It also includes products tied to Copilot readiness, including assessments, deployment governance and monitoring of AI usage patterns.
Those features can give managed service providers a practical route to selling services around AI readiness and managed intelligence, while helping customers keep Microsoft 365 environments aligned with security and governance requirements.
Pax8 has framed the marketplace addition as part of a broader channel shift towards ongoing AI management rather than simple software resale. The company works with more than 47,000 IT partners and says 800,000 SMBs use its platform.
Inforcer has expanded rapidly since launching in 2023. It now works with more than 1,200 managed service provider partners across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, and has been adding more than 100 MSPs a month.
Channel demand
The deal also reflects a wider effort by service providers to build standardised Microsoft services that can be delivered across multiple customers without relying on manual scripting or bespoke configuration. That matters as MSPs look for ways to package security, governance and AI oversight into recurring services.
Oguo Atuanya, Corporate Vice President of Vendor Experience at Pax8, said responsible AI adoption depends on stronger security and governance foundations.
"A prerequisite for MSPs today is quick and responsible AI adoption, which requires firm foundations in security and governance," said Atuanya. "By adding inforcer to the Pax8 Marketplace, we're giving our partners a powerful way to standardise Microsoft 365 environments. This practical enablement supports the ecosystem as it transitions to managed intelligence and AI becomes a day-to-day reality for small businesses."
Jamie Daum, Chief Executive Officer at inforcer, said the marketplace route should reduce complexity for providers adopting the platform as part of their Microsoft services portfolio.
"MSPs need more leverage and less complexity," said Daum. "Joining the Pax8 Marketplace makes it easier for MSPs to adopt inforcer as the platform underpinning their Microsoft services, standardising security and governance across customers, proving compliance continuously and building packaged offerings around Copilot readiness and managed AI. We're excited about what this availability unlocks for Pax8 partners and the SMBs they support."