Journalist, editor, blogger, and digital content specialist who’s been covering the IT industry for 22+ years. Entrepreneur & techno-geek at heart.
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Articles by Jay McCall
How modern devs must approach cyber insurance
Summary This article provides critical risk management advice for independent software vendor (ISV) founders, executives, and software development leaders regarding cyber liability insurance. It explains why traditional technology errors and omissions (Tech E&O) insurance and general business policies often contain glaring coverage gaps when it comes to modern cybersecurity incidents, ransomware, and upstream software supply chain attacks.
Closing the gap between technical specs and business value through storytelling
Summary This article addresses the common struggle backend and infrastructure-focused software companies face when trying to communicate their value to non-technical stakeholders. It explores how moving away from abstract technical jargon and toward experiential demonstrations, visual workflows, and grounded real-world examples can make complex systems more relatable and easier to sell.
The hidden gap in most software startups is a lack of go-to-market vision
Summary This article explores why technical founders often overlook go-to-market (GTM) strategy in favor of product development. It details the risks of neglecting sales positioning and monetization while highlighting how leveraging channel partnerships and mentorship can help software startups scale more effectively in a competitive landscape. You’ve likely spent countless late nights refining your codebase, squashing bugs, and ensuring your user interface is as intuitive as possible.
Why your clients are failing the 2026 email security test
If you’ve been in the channel as long as I have, you remember when a phishing email was easy to spot because of poor grammar or a weirdly formatted logo. Those days are officially over. According to the Barracuda 2026 Email Threats Report, which analyzed over 3.1 billion emails, we’re seeing an industrialization of cybercrime that should change how you talk to your clients about risk. The report found that 90 percent of high-volume phishing campaigns now use phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) kits.
Why your dev team is the next target for AI-driven email attacks
Summary With 34% of companies facing monthly account takeovers, software leaders must rethink security. Discover actionable insights to secure your dev environment. You’ve likely spent the last few years obsessing over your code’s security, your cloud infrastructure, and your CI/CD pipeline. But while you were busy hardening your tech stack, the front door to your business, the humble email inbox, became a war zone.
Why your technical voice wins deals that marketing copy can’t touch
Summary This article explores the shift from corporate-led marketing to individual technical advocacy for ISV leaders. It highlights how founders and C-suite executives can leverage their deep expertise on platforms like LinkedIn to build trust, humanize their brands, and influence high-stakes B2B purchasing decisions in an era dominated by AI-generated content. You’ve probably noticed your LinkedIn feed is getting a bit crowded lately.
Bridge the gap between a great software demo and a successful implementation
Summary This article explores the critical transition from the initial software sale to successful implementation. It argues that ISV leaders must treat technical onboarding, including data migration and API setup, with the same engineering rigor as the product itself to reduce churn and accelerate time to value. By automating the first 90 days of the customer journey, software founders can ensure their product's impact is felt before the initial excitement fades.
The hidden risks of staying with Stripe as your software matures
Summary This article explores the necessary evolution of an ISV’s payment strategy. While easy-to-use platforms like Stripe are ideal for startups, mature software businesses should transition to embedded payments to capture a larger share of transaction fees and improve user experience. The piece outlines the financial benefits of becoming "fintech-enabled," the impact on company valuation, and the practical steps for managing risk while scaling.
Build a professional support desk for your growing ISV
Summary This article guides ISV leaders through the process of professionalizing their support operations. It covers the essential features to look for when selecting a ticketing system, how to structure Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that are realistic yet professional, and how to use support data as a strategic tool to improve product development and customer retention.
The 2026 compliance trap: why your automation strategy is failing
If you’ve been following my columns for a while, you know I don’t like to sugarcoat the state of our industry. We’ve spent the last 18 months hearing about how AI is going to revolutionize everything from ticketing to coffee breaks. But as we sit here in early 2026, the honeymoon period is officially over. We’re moving into a phase I call the compliance trap, and if you aren’t careful, your AI pilots won’t just waste time—they’ll land you in legal hot water.
Why your old SaaS pricing will fail in the Ambient IoT era
Summary As Ambient IoT moves into the mainstream in 2026, software leaders face a pricing crisis. The sheer volume of battery-free sensors makes per-device licensing obsolete. This article outlines how ISVs must pivot toward value-based and outcome-driven monetization models to maintain margins while handling massive telemetry data. We explore the shift from "counting things" to "selling answers" and how to protect your bottom line from rising cloud ingestion costs.
Why your software business needs more than just a simple cloud backup
Summary This article addresses the strategic necessity of data backup and business continuity for independent software vendors (ISVs) in observance of World Backup Day on March 31. It moves the conversation beyond IT maintenance and into the realm of executive leadership, emphasizing that a software company’s data is its primary asset. By incorporating insights from industry CEOs and recent data protection research, the piece highlights the risks of ransomware and system failure.
Scale your MSP with a white-labeled elastic service model
The managed services industry is hitting a critical inflection point. As we enter the era of MSP 5.0, providers are facing a “compression of time” where technology moves faster than human teams can scale. According to OMDIA Research, while the market is projected to exceed $650 billion, nearly 30% of MSPs fear their business could shrink this year due to operational complexity. I sat down with Juan Fernandez, Co-Founder of Summit Holdings, to discuss their launch of MSP-as-a-Service (MSPaaS).
The software leader’s guide to conducting a successful code audit
Summary This article provides a strategic overview of why code audits have become a mandatory practice for ISVs in 2026. It focuses on the unique challenges introduced by AI-assisted coding, specifically the black box nature of AI snippets and the resulting technical debt. The piece outlines the dual importance of audits for both security and business valuation (particularly for due diligence during M&A).
Why your software strategy needs to account for ambient IoT in 2026
Summary This article serves as a strategic briefing for ISV and software development leaders on the rise of ambient IoT. It defines the technology as a battery-free, self-powered evolution of connectivity that leverages existing wireless infrastructure like Bluetooth and 5G. The piece highlights significant market growth, with the global ambient intelligence market valued at USD 36.29 billion in 2025 and projected to reach USD 45.2 billion by 2026.
From dashboards to decisions: How streaming data transforms vertical software
Summary This article explores the strategic shift for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) from traditional batch processing to real-time data streaming. It covers nuanced monetization strategies, the "edge" vs. cloud trade-offs in vertical markets like retail and manufacturing, and how to manage the operational complexities of event-driven architectures (specifically Apache Kafka) without eroding SaaS margins. For years, the standard for vertical software has been the nightly sync.
Protecting your users from the 2026 wave of AI phishing kits
Summary As we navigate 2026, the phishing landscape has shifted from clumsy emails to AI-driven, high-fidelity simulations that bypass traditional security. For ISV leaders, this isn't just a security concern, it is a product integrity issue. This article explores how software developers must pivot from reactive filtering to identity-centric security, integrating AI-driven validation and phishing-resistant authentication directly into their platforms to protect users.
Defending your dev business against the rise of deepfake social engineering
Summary This article examines the evolution of deepfake technology as a social engineering tool in 2026. It highlights specific risks for ISV and software development leaders, including help desk exploitation and executive impersonation. The piece provides a framework for multi-modal verification, "proof of personhood" protocols, and cultural shifts required to defend the human perimeter. For years, we’ve told our developers that if they secure the code and harden the API, the business is safe.
How agentic reasoning is redefining the modern service desk
For the last decade, managed services providers’ (MSPs) Holy Grail was the automated “service desk. We built elaborate script libraries, perfected RMM alert thresholds, and integrated PSA workflows to ensure that when a server breathed heavily, a ticket was born. But as we cross into 2026, we’re realizing that traditional automation had a hidden tax: the context gap.
From automation to autonomy: The dawn of the agentic MSP
For decades, the managed services industry has been defined by a relentless pursuit of efficiency. We moved from the reactive break-fix model to the proactive world of remote monitoring and management (RMM), and eventually to the era of basic scripting and automated alerts. But as we enter 2026, the goalposts have shifted. Efficiency is no longer enough; autonomy is the new mandate.
NRF 2026: The rise of agentic commerce
Summary This article explores the concept of agentic commerce as defined at NRF 2026, focusing on the shift from AI assistants to autonomous AI agents that research, negotiate, and complete transactions. It outlines the technical and strategic implications for ISVs, including the need for machine-readable data, API-first architectures, and the adoption of new protocols like Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol to remain relevant in an agent-mediated economy.
How vibe coders can transition from building apps to running profitable ISV businesses
Summary This article provides a strategic roadmap for "vibe coders" and AI-assisted developers to transition from building functional prototypes to running professional, secure, and profitable ISV businesses. It covers the critical gaps often missed by AI tools, including technical debt, security-by-design, and the nuances of vertical market sales. While AI may allow you to manifest functional applications with unprecedented speed, a working prototype isn’t a viable commercial product.
The ROI of AI agents: how MSPs are turning digital labor into actual profit in 2026
The conversation surrounding artificial intelligence in the managed services channel has moved past the “what if” stage and firmly into the “how much” stage. For two years, managed services providers (MSPs) have experimented with large language models and chatbots, but the real winners this year are those who have successfully deployed AI agents – autonomous “digital workers” capable of executing complex workflows without constant human oversight.
Why integrated payments and long-term contracts are your best exit strategy
Buyers, whether they’re strategic competitors or private equity (PE) firms, aren’t buying your code. They’re buying your future cash flow. If your revenue depends on you selling a new server every month or landing a massive custom development project, that’s considered risky. To a buyer, that looks like a job, not a business. To get the exit number you have in your head, you’ve got to stop thinking like a developer and start thinking like an annuity salesman.
Turn your security posture into a competitive advantage for the channel
Summary With the rise of supply chain attacks, MSPs are no longer just looking for features; they are assessing liabilities. The article advises ISV leaders to move beyond vague assurances and provide concrete proof of security through a "Trust Pack." There was a time when the conversations had with channel partners focused almost exclusively on functionality. When a VAR or MSP looks at your software now, they’re not just seeing a solution for their client; they’re looking for a potential lawsuit.
Why Q1 is the most dangerous quarter for your new customers
Summary This article focuses on the transition from "sales" to "support." It highlights the danger of the "deployment hangover," where a customer rushes to get a system live for the holidays using only a fraction of its features and then gets frustrated in Q1 when they don't know how to use the rest. It advocates for a "re-onboarding" strategy. The champagne corks from your Q4 sales celebrations have likely landed by now.
How to maximize ROI at spring industry events
Summary This article challenges the traditional "build it and they will come" approach to trade shows. It argues that in 2026, the booth is merely a meeting point rather than a lead generation tool. It advises ISV leaders to force their sales teams to pre-book 80% of their show time with existing partners and high-value prospects before they even get on the plane. We are entering the peak of the spring trade show season.
How to raise your software prices without a channel revolt
Summary This article guides ISV leaders through the delicate process of a price increase. It focuses on the "how" rather than the "why," emphasizing the need to equip channel partners with the talking points and collateral they need to defend the increase to their customers without damaging the relationship. The economics of software development have shifted drastically over the last few years.
Your software infrastructure isn't ready for real AI integration
Summary This article serves as a reality check for ISV leadership. It posits that "technical debt" is actually "business risk." It advises leaders to use the beginning of the year to refactor legacy code before attempting to integrate resource-heavy AI or machine learning modules, framing the cleanup as "AI readiness" to satisfy stakeholders. By now, the “why” of AI integration is settled. You know you need it, and your customers demand it.
Stop selling software: Why AWS demands ISVs become end-to-end solution companies now
AWS is driving a major change in how independent software vendors (ISVs) go to market, shifting them from being pure software partners to end-to-end solution companies. The market, including major global governments and enterprises, no longer wants piecemeal components but seeks pre-integrated solutions that deliver rapid outcomes. This means successful ISVs are packaging their software, integration services, and managed services into a single motion and selling it through the AWS Marketplace.
How to fire yourself from daily ops by Q2
Summary This article addresses the common "founder's trap" where business owners stifle growth by remaining too involved in daily operations. It provides a structured approach to "firing yourself" from tactical roles. The process involves a rigorous two-week time audit to identify low-value tasks, recognizing the psychological "trust gap" that prevents delegation, and executing a "Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Sprint" to document processes.
Marketing is expensive, but fixing your close rate is free.
Summary This article challenges the common assumption that software companies simply need more leads to grow. It argues that for many ISVs, the problem is a "leaky" sales process that wastes existing opportunities. The author provides a step-by-step audit guide, recommending a "secret shopper" test to evaluate response times, a restructuring of product demos to focus on workflows rather than features, and a revamp of follow-up protocols to eliminate "just checking in" emails.
The most important meeting you will have this December
Summary This article provides a tactical guide for software business owners on how to conduct "stay interviews." It argues that retaining high-performing staff is critical for stability in 2026. The piece offers a specific framework for the meeting, distinguishing it from a performance review. It includes a scripted set of questions designed to uncover motivations, roadblocks, and flight risks.
Field service software in 2026: Moving from automation to autonomy
I remember the days when “field service management” meant a whiteboard, a Nextel brick phone, and a glovebox full of carbon-copy invoices. I watched that world transition from ruggedized handhelds to the sophisticated SaaS platforms we see today. But if you think the jump from paper to digital was big, the shift we are hitting in 2026 is seismic. The game has changed. Your customers are no longer asking for digital versions of their clipboards.
How to maximize your dev team's output and performance
Andrew S. Grove’s “High Output Management” is a foundational text for anyone in leadership, offering a rigorous, engineering-minded approach to management perfected during his time as CEO of Intel. The book views a managerial organization as a production system whose output must be constantly optimized through disciplined processes, high-leverage activities, and a relentless focus on training and motivation.
The biggest data streaming mistakes ISVs make and how to avoid them
As an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) leader, you know that real-time responsiveness is the new baseline for application excellence. Technologies like Apache Kafka, Amazon Kinesis, and other data streaming platforms promise to deliver this advantage, transforming your product from a transactional tool into a dynamic, event-driven powerhouse. Yet, the road to real-time functionality is littered with costly mistakes.
Essential steps for preparing your software business for expansion
The siren song of new markets is incredibly alluring, isn’t it? You’ve poured your heart and soul into developing a solid software solution, found your special place in the market, and now you’re eager to reach more people, attract additional customers, and grow your revenue. It’s an exciting time, filled with promise and potential.
A Beginner's Guide to DevSecOps for ISVs
As a leader in the B2B Independent Software Vendor (ISV) industry, you recognize that both speed and quality are essential. Your company relies on providing ongoing innovation to clients in high-demand industries such as retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services. Sadly, security has frequently been sacrificed, typically handled as a last, hurried step before deployment. That old way of doing things – known as “waterfall security – is now a high-risk liability.
Top cybersecurity missteps ISVs must avoid
The software landscape is constantly evolving, bringing with it incredible innovation, but also a rapidly expanding attack surface for cyber threats. For developers, security isn’t just a feature; it’s the foundation of trust, reputation, and business continuity. Ignoring cybersecurity or making common mistakes can lead to devastating data breaches, financial losses, and irreparable damage to client relationships.
Turn Windows 10 end-of-support into your MSP’s next growth driver
The October 14, 2025 end-of-support deadline for Windows 10 creates a prime opportunity for managed services providers (MSPs) to deliver strategic value through Windows 11 migration services. ControlUp’s analysis of over one million enterprise devices highlights serious risks for organizations still running Windows 10, including security vulnerabilities, compatibility challenges, and costly hardware refreshes.
The ultimate payments partner vetting checklist for software companies
Selecting a payments partner is one of the most important decisions for your business. It’s about more than just processing credit cards; it’s about choosing a strategic partner that can improve your product, generate new revenue, and safeguard your brand. Here is a checklist of key areas to evaluate when you’re in the market for a payments integration partner. Technical and integration capabilities This is the foundation of the partnership.
Lessons from "The Mythical Man-Month" that still apply to modern software teams
More than 50 years ago, Fred Brooks Jr. wrote a book that every leader of a software development project should read. If you haven’t yet checked out “The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering,” I encourage you to pause what you’re doing and get a copy now. The insights shared in its pages remain just as important and applicable today as they were when the book was first published.
Quantum shifts demand rapid adaptation
A “quantum shift” in technology, as JFrog VP of Communications Jens Eckels describes, isn’t merely another wave of incremental change – it’s a sudden, dramatic transformation that upends established norms and injects uncertainty and excitement into the atmosphere. Unlike ordinary transitions, these shifts – which Eckels equates to the birth of eras like mobility, cloud, and now AI – quickly reshape what users and businesses expect, forcing organizations to adapt uncomfortably fast.
Why ISVs must prioritize governance to survive modern attacks
As the software supply chain faces escalating threats, independent software vendors (ISVs) can no longer afford to treat artifact governance as an afterthought. In a recent interview, JFrog’s Global Field CTO Ronen Lewit offered valuable insights on how robust governance – especially as AI-driven development and compliance pressures rise – can help ISVs avoid operational disruptions and costly regulatory penalties.
The AI business logic revolution your customers already expect
As a journalist steeped in enterprise software and the managed services world, I’ve chronicled my share of AI breakthroughs met with boardroom skepticism.
Take command of your software supply chain
Walking into the opening keynote at JFrog swampUP 2025, I immediately sensed the urgency and gravity in the room – a palpable shift in how our industry now sees the software supply chain. Shlomi Ben Haim, JFrog’s CEO, wasted no time getting to the heart of the matter: In this era, if you’re not controlling, shifting and delivering software releases securely, you’re already behind the curve.
How to build a world-class reseller ecosystem
The promise of a channel partner program is compelling: expanding your sales reach, breaking into new markets, and growing your business without increasing staff. However, many software development companies treat their channel as an afterthought, merely signing up resellers and expecting sales to follow. As a dev leader, you understand that success doesn’t happen by chance.
The hidden cost of sticking with legacy RMMs
For many managed services providers (MSPs), inertia is the greatest obstacle to innovation. Over time, reliance on outdated remote monitoring and management (RMM) platforms quietly accumulates hidden costs: operational bottlenecks, sluggish response times, mounting support frustrations, and missed opportunities for automation. When a tool starts demanding more time for troubleshooting than it delivers in value, it’s time to face the reality that loyalty to legacy systems is a strategic liability.
Why MSPs must rethink their defenses against the latest quishing attacks
The threat landscape for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) is shifting rapidly, and the latest threat spotlight from Barracuda reveals a new wave of “quishing” attacks that leverage split and nested QR codes, posing unprecedented risks and opportunities for cybersecurity teams.
Transcript: Drive MSP success with services-first distribution
The following is the transcript from the podcast interview featuring Jason Beal, President, Americas, and Andrew Warren, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, North America at Exclusive Networks: To listen to the podcast, click here. Jay McCall (Host): Managed Services Journal is an online publication built to help technology solution providers identify and tap into new sources of recurring revenue. Welcome to the Managed Services Journal podcast. I’m your host, Jay McCall.
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