--- title: "Summit Interview Series: Erick Simpson" description: "During the Acronis #CyberFit Miami Summit in October 2021, the host of The Business of Tech podcast, Dave Sobel, interviewed Erick Simpson, MSP business channel growth expert, and discussed what the future looks like for the managed service provider (MSP) industry." canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/summit-interview-series-erick-simpson/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) # Summit Interview Series: Erick Simpson During the Acronis #CyberFit Miami Summit in October 2021, the host of The Business of Tech podcast, Dave Sobel, interviewed Erick Simpson, MSP business channel growth expert, and discussed what the future looks like for the managed service provider (MSP) industry. [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 Miami Summit in October 2021, the host of The Business of Tech podcast, Dave Sobel, [interviewed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb1zHHOJSS0&t=261s) Erick Simpson, MSP business channel growth expert, and discussed what the future looks like for the managed service provider (MSP) industry. Simpson hosted a workshop on this same topic at the Summit and provides Sobel with some highlights. Simpson comments: “MSPs have already invested in remote work optimization, cybersecurity and the cloud and the MSP industry will continue to accelerate forward and invest in these areas.” Simpson also pointed out that 47% of MSPs have changed their perception of IT costs, which they considered a necessary evil in the past but are now considered a strategic initiative within the organization. [Video 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb1zHHOJSS0) During the interview, Sobel and Simpson discussed the challenges MSPs face as the Great Resignation makes it difficult to retain and hire the technical talent they need. They also discussed how the talent shortage is impacting pricing and the delivery of services and how MSPs should relook their solution stacks to better fit the needs of both existing and new clients. 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/) [Cyber protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cyber-protection/) ## 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/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/) [Next post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/summit-interview-series-compliancy-groups-paul-redding/) [Summit Interview Series: Compliancy Group's Paul Redding](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/summit-interview-series-compliancy-groups-paul-redding/) 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