In this episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, host Katie Bavoso sits down once again with returning guest Terry Richardson, CRO of Blue Mantis , to unpack the company’s rapid expansion through strategic MSP acquisitions and its evolving business strategy. Richardson explains what impact he believes economic uncertainty in the U.S. will have on M&A through the rest of the year and into 2026

Richardson also shares insights into Blue Mantis' recent flurry of acquisitions in Q1 2025, and how the company is enhancing its cybersecurity, networking, and telecommunications offerings amid a distributed workforce - especially in some key "underserved markets."

🔹 Timestamps & Key Topics:

00:00 – Intro: Blue Mantis’ explosive M&A momentum

01:33 – Recent acquisitions: Why Vermont MSPs?

02:20 – M&A strategy post-recapitalization

03:36 – Integration playbook: Tech stack & onboarding success

06:09 – Investments in networking & telecom: What’s driving it?

08:30 – What customers can expect from Blue Mantis

10:45 – Serving underserved markets in New England & New York

12:30 – Industry verticals showing growth (finance, healthcare, manufacturing)

13:41 – Is Blue Mantis a platform MSP?

16:35 – Advice for MSPs preparing for acquisition

19:00 – How Blue Mantis chooses who and when to acquire

21:35 – Top tech trends for 2025: Zero trust, hybrid cloud, AI, and resilience

25:00 – Long-term impact of COVID-19 on IT strategy

27:35 – Leading in times of uncertainty: Tariffs, market fluctuation, and customer trust 3

0:14 – M&A trends in the channel: What’s next?

31:48 – Cloud success stories: Helping clients optimize cloud spend

35:18 – Pitfalls of ungoverned cloud deployments

36:35 – What’s next for Blue Mantis in 2025?

🎧 Available on YouTube, ChannelInsider.com, and podcast platforms. 👍 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for more expert insights from the IT channel world.

#MSP #ChannelInsider #BlueMantis #MergersAndAcquisitions #Cybersecurity #Telecom #CloudSpend #PartnerPOV #TechStrategy #KatieBavoso #PlatformMSP #ITChannel #Networking #ManagedServices #digitaltransformation

A new episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV is released every other Thursday.

Watch the interview on YouTube @ChannelInsider_NewsAndTrends

If you have questions for a featured solution provider or want to be a guest on the show, reach out to us at partnerpov@channelinsider.com

For more episodes of Channel Insider: Partner POV as well as written content on the IT channel, go to channelinsider.com

Connect with Channel Insider on LinkedIn.

Episodes of Channel Insider: Partner POV are hosted and produced by Katie Bavoso with help from Dana Sell, and edited by Ayen Alvarez and Katie Bavoso.

The cover art for Channel Insider: Partner POV was created by Aubri Ziegler. The opening and closing animations were made by Mackenzie Burke. The thumbnails for each episode are made by Brandon Cornwell.

Channel Insider: Partner POV is an asset of Channel Insider, which is a brand under TechnologyAdvice.

This collaboration brings edge computing into OTAVA’s portfolio of offerings for the first time—positioning the company to lead in cloud-to-edge transformation.

Watch as TJ shares how OTAVA identified the growing demand for edge solutions, how cultural alignment with Scale Computing helped seal the deal, and how it led to an exclusive three-way partnership with data protection giant Veeam.

🔸 00:00 – Intro & announcement of OTAVA’s new partnership with Scale Computing

🔸 01:13 – Why Scale Computing? Culture fit and aligning on innovation

🔸 03:29 – The growing demand for edge computing

🔸 07:06 – Market growth: Edge computing and data protection valuation

🔸 09:22 – Scale vs Broadcom/VMware: Strategy, cost & customer value

🔸 13:15 – OTAVA’s exclusive edge-focused partnership with Scale Computing

🔸 15:39 – The Veeam connection: Exclusive distribution partnership explained

🔸 18:18 – OTAVA becomes a Platinum Veeam partner

🔸 20:00 – OTAVA’s expanded role at Scale Computing Platform//2025

🔸 22:00 – Edge computing verticals: Retail, healthcare, finance & even the NFL

🔸 24:20 – Cost uncertainty, tariffs & helping customers budget smarter

🔸 28:00 – OTAVA’s Secure Framework & Secure Score explained

🔸 32:00 – How security conversations have matured in 2025

🔸 34:00 – What’s next for OTAVA + how customers can get involved

Whether you're an MSP, channel partner, or enterprise IT leader, this episode delivers actionable insights on adapting to shifting technology demands with agility, security, and smarter strategy.

A new episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV is released every other Thursday.

Watch the interview on YouTube @ChannelInsider_NewsAndTrends

If you have questions for a featured solution provider or want to be a guest on the show, reach out to us at partnerpov@channelinsider.com

For more episodes of Channel Insider: Partner POV as well as written content on the IT channel, go to channelinsider.com

Connect with Channel Insider on LinkedIn.

Episodes of Channel Insider: Partner POV are hosted and produced by Katie Bavoso with help from Dana Sell, and edited by Ayen Alvarez and Katie Bavoso.

The cover art for Channel Insider: Partner POV was created by Aubri Ziegler. The opening and closing animations were made by Mackenzie Burke. The thumbnails for each episode are made by Brandon Cornwell.

Channel Insider: Partner POV is an asset of Channel Insider, which is a brand under TechnologyAdvice.

Belinda previously spent three years at an MSP, and while she felt supported and seen there, she noticed this was not the norm in the greater partner ecosystem. Belinda dives into the real reasons women exit tech—career pauses, lack of flexibility, outdated job postings, and underrepresentation. She also introduces BouncePoint’s initiatives, including a training platform for upskilling women during career gaps and a certification program for companies striving to become welcoming and empowering workplaces for women.

If you're a woman in tech, a channel leader, or passionate about workforce diversity, this conversation is packed with valuable insight, resources, and inspiration.

🎯 Topics & Timecodes:
00:00 – Introduction to Belinda Yax and Bounce Point

02:01 – Why Belinda launched Bounce Point in 2025

03:52 – The declining number of women earning tech degrees

04:44 – Why women are leaving the tech industry at higher rates than men

06:14 – Challenges for women in the channel and MSP space

07:51 – The importance of women’s voices in shaping future tech

08:46 – How job descriptions may unintentionally deter women

10:30 – Resume gaps and hiring bias

12:13 – BouncePoint’s training platform to help women stay updated during leave

14:30 – Why non-technical roles still belong in tech

16:09 – Making the leap from a stable job to founding a nonprofit

18:10 – How to support BouncePoint (partners, funding, feedback)

20:42 – What women considering a return to tech need to hear

22:32 – Why gender diversity still matters in a “genderless” industry

24:50 – Women in leadership: why we need more and how to foster it

28:29 – How women in tech can mentor and lift others up

31:03 – Making channel events more inclusive (puppies included!)

35:09 – How to connect with BouncePoint and Belinda Yax

📌 Learn more at: https://bouncepoint.org

🔗 Connect with Belinda Yax: LinkedIn

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

📺 Subscribe to Channel Insider for more interviews like this

A new episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV is released every other Thursday.

Watch the interview on YouTube @ChannelInsider_NewsAndTrends

If you have questions for a featured solution provider or want to be a guest on the show, reach out to us at partnerpov@channelinsider.com

For more episodes of Channel Insider: Partner POV as well as written content on the IT channel, go to channelinsider.com

Connect with Channel Insider on LinkedIn.

Episodes of Channel Insider: Partner POV are hosted and produced by Katie Bavoso with help from Dana Sell, and edited by Ayen Alvarez and Katie Bavoso.

The cover art for Channel Insider: Partner POV was created by Aubri Ziegler. The opening and closing animations were made by Mackenzie Burke. The thumbnails for each episode are made by Brandon Cornwell.

Channel Insider: Partner POV is an asset of Channel Insider, which is a brand under TechnologyAdvice.