Voices of Verticomm

How do you choose a managed IT provider without getting burned by empty promises? In this episode of Voices of Verticomm, host Andrew Goodwin steps into the shoes of a skeptical business owner to grill Chief Technology Officer Will Martin on the reality of the managed services industry. Together, they peel back the curtain on the IT industry, exposing major red flags—like providers who falsely "guarantee" you won't be hacked—and outlining the framework business owners actually need to scale securely. Whether you are debating outsourcing your technology for the first time, wondering if you’ve outgrown your current IT support, or trying to figure out how to co-manage a growing internal team, this episode delivers a blueprint for what a mature IT partnership should look like. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The MSP Spectrum: The crucial differences between small "one-man band" IT shops, enterprise giants, and the flexibility of medium-sized providers. The 5 Critical Questions to Ask: What you must demand from a potential IT partner before signing any contract (including the role of NIST and ITIL frameworks). The Myth of 100% Protection: Why absolute cybersecurity guarantees are an immature answer, and what a real risk-reduction and incident response plan looks like. Internal IT vs. Outsourcing: How to identify the tipping point where relying on a single in-house employee becomes a massive business bottleneck. The Power of Scale and Transparency: Why Verticomm publishes its complete written deliverables and services guide publicly online. ⬇️Connect With Verticomm⬇️Website: Visit verticomm.com to access our public services guide and explore mature IT solutions for your business. YouTube: Subscribe to our channel at youtube.com/@VerticommITSolutions for video episodes and tech insights. Get in Touch: Have an IT question? Leave a comment on any of our social media platforms, so we can answer it on the next rapid-fire segment! Don't forget to follow, like, subscribe, and share this episode across your network to help other business owners navigate the complex world of technology!Episode Chapters00:00:00 – Introduction & Today’s Workaround 00:01:36 – The Skeptical Business Owner vs. The IT Consultant 00:02:12 – What is a Managed Service Provider (MSP)? 00:02:59 – The IT Spectrum: Small, Medium, and Enterprise Providers 00:05:30 – 5 Critical Questions You Must Ask an IT Partner 00:07:34 – Demystifying Frameworks: Understanding NIST and ITIL 00:08:41 – The Biggest Red Flag: Why "We Do Everything" is a Bad Answer 00:09:48 – The Role of Certifications and Written Deliverables 00:12:35 – How Does Your IT Team Keep Up with Evolving Tech? 00:14:53 – Cybersecurity Realities: The Myth of 100% Protection 00:17:13 – Cyber Guarantees & Why Verticomm Partners with Huntress 00:20:33 – Internal IT vs. Outsourcing: When Have You Outgrown Your Team? 00:23:24 – The Hidden Value of Scale and Co-Managed IT 00:28:24 – Giving Away the Secret Sauce: Verticomm's Public Services Guide 00:32:04 – The Pain of the "All-You-Can-Eat" IT Model 00:34:04 – Rapid Fire: The #1 Mistake Businesses Make Choosing an MSP 00:35:58 – Rapid Fire: The Contract Question No One Thinks to Ask 00:38:21 – Why Partner with Verticomm? (Proactive Standards) 00:40:44 – How to Connect & Episode Outro

In Episode 2 of Voices of Verticomm, we dive back into the topic of AI Today & Tomorrow for a continuation of our deep dive into the rapidly shifting technology landscape. Andrew and Verticomm CTO Will Martin go deeper on AI’s potential tipping points—from why the 20% of businesses ignoring AI are playing a dangerous game, to what separates a basic chatbot from a truly agentic system.Will pulls back the curtain on the "Rubber Band Theory" of technology, explaining why AI adoption feels slow until it suddenly snaps into an exponential acceleration. They also discuss how Verticomm is currently testing agentic workflows internally and what business leaders need to know about the security risks and NDA complications that often go overlooked.In this episode, we cover:1️⃣ The Rubber Band Effect: Understanding the gap between raw technology and industry-wide adoption.2️⃣ The 20% Risk: Why doing nothing is the most dangerous strategy in an 80% AI-integrated market.3️⃣ LLMs vs. Agents: Moving beyond "chatting" to systems that take action and automate workflows.4️⃣ Security & Readiness: Navigating data exposure, vendor vetting, and AI readiness assessments.5️⃣ Advice for the Next Generation: Will shares what he tells his own daughter about navigating an AI-driven career path.💭What is Voices of Verticomm?For over 25 years, Verticomm has been Colorado's go-to partner for managed IT, cybersecurity, and business technology. Voices of Verticomm is a video podcast that taps into our deep bench of experts to bring real insights straight to business leaders around the globe. We host in-depth conversations with our team’s specialists, peers, and clients to talk emerging tech and practical strategy that every business leader should know. No fluff, just real conversations from people who live in this space every day. Subscribe now to stay current and ahead of trends in the ever-evolving world of tech!Connect with Verticomm:🌐 Website: https://www.verticomm.com/Chapters:00:00-01:00 - Voices Of Verticomm Intro01:01-08:02 - The Rubber Band Effect08:03-9:42 - The 80% Using AI09:43-10:42 - Concern for the 20%10:43-15:00 - LLM vs Agent Orchestration15:01-18:53 - Agentic Systems Workflow18:54-23:13 - What is Verticomm Doing?23:14-24:03 - Biggest IT AI Questions24:04-25:00 - Important AI Developments25:01-27:08 - Where to Begin with AI27:09-28:17 - What Will's Excited About28:18-30:36 - What Will's Concerned About30:37-32:31 - Word of Advice to Students32:32-33:11 - Closing Remarks

AI is changing everything – but many businesses don't know where to start. In this debut episode of Voices of Verticomm, host Andrew Goodwin and Verticomm CTO Will Martin break down what's real, what's hype, and what business leaders actually need to know right now.As a leading Managed Service Provider (MSP) based in Denver, the Verticomm team shares their unique perspective on deploying AI solutions for hundreds of clients and thousands of users. They dig into practical use cases, the rise of agentic AI, and why the "Rubber Band Effect" of technology means the gap between early adopters and everyone else is growing fast.In this episode, we discuss:1️⃣ The "Age of Intelligence": Why this shift is comparable to the Industrial Revolution.2️⃣ Hype vs. Reality: Why AI struggles with general tasks but excels at hyper-specific workflows.3️⃣ The "Do More With Less" Mandate: How AI-driven efficiency is becoming a requirement for competitive survival in a capitalist market.4️⃣ Agentic Workflows: Moving beyond simple prompts to AI agents that can reason, research, and execute actions.5️⃣ The Human Element: Why empathy and complex decision-making remain the ultimate human advantage.💭What is Voices of Verticomm?For over 25 years, Verticomm has been Colorado's go-to partner for managed IT, cybersecurity, and business technology. Voices of Verticomm is a video podcast that taps into our deep bench of experts to bring real insights straight to business leaders around the globe. We host in-depth conversations with our team’s specialists, peers, and clients to talk emerging tech and practical strategy that every business leader should know. No fluff, just real conversations from people who live in this space every day. Subscribe now to stay current and ahead of trends in the ever-evolving world of tech!Connect with Verticomm:🌐 Website: https://www.verticomm.com/Chapters:00:00-01:00 - Voices Of Verticomm Intro01:01-02:58 - Who Are We?02:59-5:05 - The Reason For This Podcast05:06-07:43 - Addressing Podcast Topic07:44-08:23 - What's Real vs. What's Hype08:24-11:45 - Will AI Replace Your Job?11:46-15:57 - The Age of Intelligence15:58-18:43 - AI's Impact To Society18:44-23:10 - One of AI's Biggest Problems23:11-26:27 - Accuracy: Risk vs. Reward26:28-28:06 - Solving Moral Problems28:07-34:00 - Agentic AI and Autonomy34:01-36:30 - Building Businesses With AI36:31-41:24 - Where AI Will Replace Jobs41:25-42:58 - A Reason For Optimism42:59-44:35 - Global AI Agreements44:36-45:57 - Closing Remarks