Leading Ireland’s transition from Managed Services to Managed Intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses operate — and how IT partners deliver value. At Pax8 Beyond Amsterdam, this transformation took centre stage as the global MSP community explored the next evolution of the industry: the rise of the Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP).

While many partners are only beginning to plan their next move, Nostra is leading the way in Ireland — helping businesses turn AI, automation, and intelligence into measurable results.

That leadership was recognised when Nostra was named Pax8 Peak Performance Partner of the Year – UK & Ireland — an award celebrating exceptional growth, innovation, and execution in helping clients adopt cloud and AI technologies with confidence.

Four members of the Nostra leadership team — Gary Byrne, Gary Melvin, Senan Finucane, and Gavan O’Sullivan — attended the two-day Pax8 Beyond event in Amsterdam, gaining first-hand insight into how AI, automation and data intelligence are redefining the global MSP landscape.

“The shift to Managed Intelligence is about moving beyond maintenance and into measurable impact,” said Senan Finucane, Principal Solutions Architect at Nostra. “Our role is no longer to keep systems running — it’s to help clients harness intelligence to drive better business results. That’s the evolution Pax8 described in Amsterdam, and it’s exactly where Nostra is heading.”

This recognition places Nostra among the top-performing Pax8 partners globally and validates our strategy to bring measurable, AI-enabled outcomes to Irish organisations.

From Managed Service to Managed Intelligence

Over the past year, Nostra has been reimagining what it means to be a managed service provider — moving from maintaining technology to managing outcomes.

By embedding AI, automation, and analytics into our operations, we’re helping Irish businesses make faster, smarter, and more secure decisions.

Our internal Ask AI First initiative challenges every department — from Operations and Customer Success to Marketing and Sales — to use AI before making key decisions.

“We’ve taken Microsoft’s ‘Be Customer One’ message to heart,” said Gary Byrne, Director of Managed Services at Nostra. “We’re embedding AI into our workflows first, so when clients ask how to do it safely and effectively, we can show them what’s worked for us. It’s not theory — it’s lived experience.”

This approach has already improved productivity, accelerated project delivery, and strengthened how we advise clients on their own AI adoption strategies — helping them navigate change with greater confidence and clarity.

AI-Ready Security with Cloud Shield 365

Nowhere is the power of AI clearer than in cybersecurity. At Pax8 Beyond, experts from CrowdStrike and SentinelOne warned that attackers are already using AI to scale their operations — a challenge Nostra anticipated and built for.

“AI is transforming both the defensive and offensive sides of cybersecurity,” said Gary Melvin, Chief Technology Officer at Nostra. “Cloud Shield 365 is evolving to meet that challenge — combining AI-driven detection, automation, and identity protection to form the intelligent security foundation every modern business needs.”

With Cloud Shield 365, Nostra is helping organisations build AI-ready security frameworks that stay ahead of emerging threats — a vital step for any business preparing to operate intelligently and at scale.

That same focus on intelligence extends beyond our technology — it shapes how we collaborate with our partners.

Partner Enablement and Market Leadership

For Gavan O’Sullivan, Partner Manager at Nostra, the Pax8 Beyond event — and the Peak Performance Award — confirmed that Nostra’s approach is not only right, but recognised.

“The evolution from MSP to Managed Intelligence Provider is being driven by AI,” Gavan said. “We’re already living that transformation through our Copilot deployment and enablement strategy with Pax8. The conversations we had showed that Nostra is ahead of many competitors in terms of AI readiness and execution.”

Gavan also took part in partner roundtables with Pax8 and Microsoft executives, highlighting how incentive programmes can better support smaller regional markets like Ireland. “Microsoft acknowledged that localisation matters,” he added. “That kind of collaboration will be key to unlocking new opportunities for Irish customers.”

Building Intelligence Around People

One of the strongest themes at Pax8 Beyond was that technology alone won’t define success — trust will.

“AI can automate, but it can’t connect,” said Senan Finucane. “The future belongs to those who can do both — understand data, and understand people.”

That belief sits at the heart of Nostra’s Managed Intelligence approach. Every AI initiative we deploy is designed to empower people — enabling teams to focus on creativity, strategy, and problem-solving while intelligent systems manage the complexity.

Leading the Way in Ireland

As global partners begin to explore the Managed Intelligence model, Nostra is proud to be leading the way in Ireland — helping organisations prepare for a future where AI, automation, and trust work hand in hand.

“What we saw in Amsterdam confirmed that we’re on the right path,” said Gary Byrne. “The industry is only now starting to define what a Managed Intelligence Provider looks like — but Nostra is already showing what that means in practice.”

Winning the Pax8 Peak Performance Partner of the Year – UK & Ireland award underscores that progress — proof that Nostra’s focus on innovation, enablement, and trusted partnership is delivering real outcomes for clients across the region.

The Future is Intelligent

The future of IT isn’t managed — it’s intelligent.
And that future is being built right here in Ireland.

For us, this isn’t about keeping pace — it’s about leading the next chapter of intelligent IT in Ireland.

At Nostra, we’re proud to see our leadership recognised by Pax8 — and even prouder to help Irish businesses take the next step on their journey toward intelligent operations.

Because intelligence without trust is noise.
And trust without intelligence is risk.

Discover how Nostra’s Managed Intelligence approach can help your business turn data, AI and trust into performance.
Visit Cloud Shield 365 or speak with our team today.