--- title: "Summit Interview Series: ChannelPro Network’s Rich Freeman" description: "During the Acronis #CyberFit Summit Miami in October 2021, the host of The Business of Tech podcast, Dave Sobel, interviewed ChannelPro Network’s Executive Editor Rich Freeman to discuss some of the key findings and conclusions resulting from the MSP-focused market research that Acronis and ChannelPro Network jointly published during the conference." canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/summit-interview-series-channelpro-networks-rich-freeman/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) # Summit Interview Series: ChannelPro Network’s Rich Freeman During the Acronis #CyberFit Summit Miami in October 2021, the host of The Business of Tech podcast, Dave Sobel, interviewed ChannelPro Network’s Executive Editor Rich Freeman to discuss some of the key findings and conclusions resulting from the MSP-focused market research that Acronis and ChannelPro Network jointly published during the conference. [Join our events](https://acronis.events/) [![Image 2: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png)](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/ "Acronis Editorial Team") [Acronis Editorial Team](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/) 2 min read Last updated 23 February 2022 During the Acronis #CyberFit Summit Miami in October 2021, the host of The Business of Tech podcast, Dave Sobel, [](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/summit-interview-series-channelpro-networks-rich-freeman/)[interviewed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttmUJ0tG91w) ChannelPro Network’s Executive Editor Rich Freeman to discuss some of the key findings and conclusions resulting from the [MSP (managed service provider)-focused market research](https://www.acronis.com/en-us/resource-center/resource/648/) that Acronis and ChannelPro Network jointly published during the conference. Sobel and Freeman touch on topics covered in the research, including how channel leaders are facing key challenges, including a treacherous cybersecurity landscape, customers not willing to pay for the safeguards they need, and the eroding margins service providers are experiencing. Freeman comments, “These challenges set the stage for much of the other report data and the interest in automation, integration, and consolidation.” [Video 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttmUJ0tG91w) During the interview, Sobel and Freemen also discuss their opinions on other research topics, including vendor/MSP trust rates, SaaS management, and whether MSPs have a balanced focus on people, process and tools. Acronis kicked off the Acronis #CyberFit Summit World Tour in Miami, Florida with subsequent hybrid events in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Dubai and Singapore. If you missed the Miami Summit, all keynotes and sessions are now available on-demand - [https://acronis.events/summit2021/miami/](https://acronis.events/summit2021/miami/) [Cybersecurity](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cybersecurity/) [Cyberthreats](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cyberthreats/) [MSP cybersecurity](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/msp-cybersecurity/) ## Written by ![Image 3: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png) Acronis Editorial Team Acronis is a global cyber protection company that provides natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection, and endpoint management for managed service providers (MSPs), small and medium businesses (SMBs), and enterprise IT departments. [Previous post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/top-takeaways-from-the-acronis-cyberfit-summit-miami-2021/) [Top Takeaways from the Acronis #CyberFit Summit Miami 2021](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/top-takeaways-from-the-acronis-cyberfit-summit-miami-2021/) [Next post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-cyber-infrastructure-47-gains-new-features-and-better-performance/) [Acronis Cyber Infrastructure 4.7 gains new features and better performance](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-cyber-infrastructure-47-gains-new-features-and-better-performance/) About Acronis Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=acronis.com) ## Related stories Want to learn more? Read the latest stories featuring this solution on our blog. [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) ![Image 4: 10 new Acronis integrations helping MSP workflows run better](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/fefedc01bffaaf168944f852f833ec10.png) [10 new Acronis integrations helping MSP workflows run better](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/10-new-acronis-integrations-helping-msp-workflows-run-better/) In this blog, we highlight 10 recent additions to the Acronis Technology Ecosystem. From AI-powered automation and security insights to documentation, password management, remote support and lifecycle planning, these integrations help MSPs spend less time moving between systems and more time delivering value to clients. **October 15, 2026**5 min read ![Image 5: From AI vision to MSP action: The journey continues this October](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/65821c3bd72f935cd680e584fe43de66.png) [From AI vision to MSP action: The journey continues this October](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/from-ai-vision-to-msp-action-the-journey-continues-this-october/) The first event answered why AI matters and the second event demonstrated what's possible. Acronis Accelerate: Time to Act brings those ideas to life through a practical, workflow-driven experience that follows a future day in the life of an MSP. **September 23, 2026**4 min read ![Image 6: Why the best vendor relationships go beyond technology in Australia](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/blog-card/5e04b89948d9f1fa28095b7ff7206957.png) [Why the best vendor relationships go beyond technology in Australia](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/why-the-best-vendor-relationships-go-beyond-technology-in-australia/) Many MSPs know their clients well but have limited time to build campaigns from a blank page. Effective vendor marketing support removes work while preserving the MSP’s own brand and market position. Sports marketing can add another dimension. Through the Acronis #TeamUp Program and Acronis #SportsIgnite Program, participating MSPs can use opportunities such as premium hospitality, business development events, brand exposure **September 11, 2026**5 min read