What Is a Managed Intelligence Provider? The Next Evolution in AI-Powered IT Support

Summary:

A managed intelligence provider (MIP) helps businesses integrate AI tools and provides ongoing support, to ensure safe and optimised deployment and maximum return on investment. This is a natural evolution from break-fix and MSP services, helping businesses progress from stable IT integrations to AI-powered business transformations. A reliable MIP will guide clients in a structured journey to AI integration, through discovery and implementation processes and ongoing optimisation. Using an MIP is, according to Intersys’ Director of Professional Services Mark Kirby, ‘the difference between having AI and actually being an AI-enabled business’.

Introduction

What’s the best way to use AI to improve business operations? You might call it the million-dollar question. For many businesses, though – perhaps even yours – it’s going to be worth quite a bit more than that.

Here’s the hard truth – AI integration doesn’t just happen. According to a McKinsey report, only 1 per cent of companies believe their AI investments have reached maturity. In other words, they have not mastered AI-related capabilities to deliver real benefits for customers and employees.

The solution is not to appoint a head of AI in your marketing department and move on. Getting transformative benefits from AI requires technical oversight, typically from an effective external provider.

Welcome to the managed intelligence provider, or MIP.

What exactly is a managed intelligence provider?

A managed intelligence provider (MIP) helps with the custom implementation of enterprise-grade AI tools, along with expert guidance and ongoing optimisation. The service is essential for many businesses because AI technology – whether it’s advanced language models, autonomous agents or intelligent process automation – is powerful but requires strategic deployment. This will include proper integration with your existing systems and continuous refinement to deliver genuine business value.

Deploying AI correctly is not just about maximising the benefits. The flipside is that getting it wrong can cause serious harm. For instance, AI could share highly sensitive and classified data inappropriately. This may happen if you haven’t already undertaken rigorous data classification and sensitivity labelling, or your organisation fails to do the correct groundwork during setup.

An MIP will help you ensure your AI rollout is not just hugely beneficial in terms of operational efficiency, but safe too.

What’s the difference between an MSP and an MIP?

The IT services landscape has undergone a radical transformation. A decade ago, most SMEs worked with providers who’d show up when something broke, fix it and leave. Then came managed service providers (MSPs), who proactively monitored systems and prevented problems before they escalated. That was progress, but in today’s AI-driven business environment, it’s no longer enough.

Managed intelligence providers (MIPs) represent the natural next step in this evolution. Rather than simply keeping your systems running, MIPs leverage data analytics, business intelligence and AI automation to transform how your business operates. We’re talking about moving from ‘your email server is up’ to ‘here’s how AI can reduce your invoice processing time by 70% and identify cost savings you didn’t know existed’.

Why now? The AI imperative for SMEs

SMEs may see AI integration as something that’s around the corner.  But they would do well to realise that for large enterprises it’s happened already.

According to PwC’s October 2024 Pulse Survey, nearly half (49%) of technology leaders said that AI was “fully integrated” into their companies’ core business strategy. The businesses that thrive over the next five years will be those that leverage AI to punch above their weight, and that requires specialised expertise.

There’s also a hidden risk that most business leaders don’t see coming: shadow AI. We bet your employees are already using AI tools – ChatGPT for content, AI assistants for research, automated tools for design. The problem is that these are almost certainly not governed, secured or integrated with your business systems. One employee copying sensitive financial data into a free AI tool could represent a catastrophic compliance breach. (There’s much more on this subject in our comprehensive guide AI in the Workplace: Responsible Use for Businesses.)

A managed intelligence provider helps you harness AI’s benefits while maintaining proper governance and security.

Managed intelligence in action: real use cases

Here’s a snapshot of what managed intelligence can actually help you deliver:

How a managed intelligence provider actually delivers

Unlike off-the-shelf software that arrives with a manual and a prayer, managed intelligence is a hands-on partnership. Here’s how it works in practice:

Strategic Discovery: Your MIP starts by mapping your business processes to identify high-impact automation opportunities. 

Custom Implementation: Using tools like Copilot Studio, your provider builds autonomous agents tailored to your specific needs. These aren’t chatbots answering FAQs – they’re intelligent systems that plan, execute and orchestrate complex multi-step tasks independently.

Enterprise Integration: Your MIP ensures these agents work seamlessly within your existing Microsoft ecosystem –Teams, Outlook, Excel – embedding intelligence into your team’s natural workflow.

Continuous Optimisation: Perhaps most crucially, your provider monitors performance, refines agents based on real-world results and scales successful implementations across your organisation. It’s an ongoing evolution, not a one-time deployment

A note on Microsoft 365 Copilot deployment: We get it – right now, many businesses will mainly be fixated on getting the most out of the Microsoft 365 Copilot tool in a safe and optimal way. Your MIP can not only ensure this happens, but really unlock the benefits of the tool by creating specialist role-based versions like Copilot for sales, service and finance, along with industry-specific adaptations.

‘This is the difference between having AI and actually being an AI-enabled business’

Says Mark Kirby, Professional Services Director at Intersys,

‘We’ve seen too many businesses purchase AI tools and then struggle to extract value from them. As a managed intelligence provider, we don’t just implement technology – we become a strategic partner in your transformation. We understand your business processes, identify the highest-impact opportunities and then build, deploy and continuously optimise AI solutions that deliver measurable ROI. It’s the difference between having AI and actually being an AI-enabled business.’

Signs you’re ready for managed intelligence

Here’s some strong indicators that you might benefit from managed intelligence services.

• Your team is drowning in repetitive administrative tasks that could be automated
• You’re collecting data but not extracting actionable insights from it
• Competitors seem to be moving faster despite similar resources
• You’re concerned about employees using unsecured AI tools
• You’ve purchased AI software but struggle to implement it effectively

Says Mark, ‘In my experience, the businesses seeing the greatest returns are those that don’t see managed intelligence as another IT project, but as a business transformation initiative. It’s about showing a willingness to rethink processes, not just digitise existing workflows. These are organisations that’ll be setting the pace in their industries five years from now.’

Find out more about Intersys’ managed intelligence provider service

Intersys is now providing managed intelligence provider services to existing MSP clients and new customers. This includes preparing your organisation for safe and optimal Microsoft 365 Copilot integration.

For a free initial consultation to find out how we can help you – including monthly pricing plans – get in touch now.

Further reading

• AI in the Workplace: Responsible Use for Businesses – a comprehensive Intersys guide with free resources
• Get Ready for Copilot – our safe Microsoft 365 Copilot setup service
• Do You Need a Chief AI Officer? – thought leadership from Intersys MD Matthew Geyman
• Resilience Against Shadow AI — thought leadership from Intersys Professional Services Director Mark Kirby