The Managing Director of Shrewsbury-based IT Managed Service Provider Start Tech spoke at a major IT event this month. Ian Groves was a keynote speaker at IT Nation Connect Europe, held in London from March 9th to 11th. 

The three-day event attracted MSP and tech professionals from around the world for knowledge sharing and networking, creating opportunities to enhance businesses within the industry. Ian was invited to discuss AI for MSPs, one of the core themes affecting today’s rapidly changing technology landscape.

“There is a lot of hype around AI - everyone thinks they should be doing it, and no one wants to be left behind. All this hype creates the impression that everyone else is already using it, even though we’re all still learning. As IT providers, we’re expected to have all the answers.

“We need to step back from the hype and do better. MSPs need to own the conversation because using AI doesn’t necessarily equate to doing business well. We need to focus on our business relationships first, not the tech, which means starting with real conversations with clients to find out what they need and then use the tools to solve those pain points, rather than starting with AI tools and shoehorning them in just because the expectation is we should all be using them. 

“As MSPs, we are used to pivoting. We pivoted from being an IT desk offering tech support to proactively managing cybersecurity, and now it is about improving the efficiency of our customers' processes using available technology, whilst still offering tech support and managing secure systems. 

“Here at Start Tech, what we offer is closer to consultancy than a support function, with quarterly strategic reviews that help our clients hit their business goals. To truly help our clients, we need them to forget that we’re IT people and just tell us what their business needs are and let us use our technical expertise to read between the lines to find digital solutions that help them meet those needs, whether that is through AI, infrastructure, or software. 

“Technology is moving quickly; it’s almost impossible for SMEs to keep up with it. So, as IT experts, let’s focus on the problems, not the tools that are out there, to improve our clients’ processes.” 

Later, Ian was involved in a panel discussion covering AI and how it will improve efficiency in a changing business landscape. Ian challenged the panel members who claimed AI wouldn’t replace jobs: “I think it’s naive to say it won’t. There is so much we don’t know yet about how business will change as a result of AI. Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics showed unemployment in the UK rose to its highest rate in nearly five years at the end of 2025, and unemployment for those aged 16 to 24 rose to 16.1%, its highest in more than 10 years. Many factors will have contributed to that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if AI was one of them. There is so much we don’t know, but as representatives of the tech industry, we can see that there is a lot of change ahead, and we can’t claim to have all the answers already.”

Earlier this year, Ian Groves was elected to the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA)’s Executive Council for the UK and Ireland for a second term. Ian collaborates with other leaders in the UK, Ireland and across the globe to strengthen GTIA and advance the people and businesses of the global IT channel. 

To discover more about how to utilise AI for your business, contact Start Tech at www.start-tech.co.uk/contact.