From Plumbing to AI: The Evolution of Managed Services

In this episode of The Bridgecast, host Scott Kinka welcomes Frank Scanga, Executive Vice Chairman at XTIUM—the powerhouse formed by the combination of ATSG and Evolve IP. With over three decades of experience in the managed services and cloud space, Frank offers a candid look at how technology leadership must evolve from "wrench turning" to driving actual business outcomes. The conversation dives deep into the current state of AI, where Frank reveals a startling statistic: 70% of AI projects fail because organizations take a technology-first rather than a business-outcome approach. From winning top honors in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services to building an "AI Manager" platform to orchestrate LLMs, Frank explains why the "S" in MSP—Service—remains the most critical component of the tech stack. What you will learn: • Why 70% of AI projects fail and how to pivot toward business outcomes • The definition of a "full-stack" MSP and why point products are no longer enough • How XTIUM uses machine learning and AI for business impact modeling • Why the Windows 10 end-of-life is driving a massive resurgence in Desktop as a Service (DaaS) • The one question every business should ask an MSP: "How do you perform in a failure?" Why curiosity and listening to customers are the keys to long-term leadership Frank Scanga is the Executive Vice Chairman at XTIUM and a longtime leader in the managed services and cloud industry. A New York native and Fordham University graduate, Frank founded Maxpoint (later ATSG) in 1994 and has scaled the organization to support 1,700 clients across complex IT environments. Today, he helps drive XTIUM’s "security-first, AI-enabled" approach to IT, focusing on providing high-level business value by automating and managing the foundational technology stack. Chapters: [00:00] – Intro [02:12] Origin Story: From the Bronx to Building an IT Empire [03:31] Leadership Lessons: The Novell Server That Changed Everything [05:23] Constantly Curious: Helping Businesses Focus on What Matters [07:33] The MSP Resurgence: Why Managed Services Is "Sexy" Again [10:10] The CIO's Evolving Mandate: From Cost Center to Boardroom [11:17] The 70% Problem: Why AI Projects Are Failing [13:25] XTIUM's AI Approach: Building the "MSP of AI" [17:45] Gartner Magic Quadrant: #1 in Three MNS Categories [19:58] Product Philosophy: Listen to Your Customers [23:20] DaaS and the Windows 10 End-of-Life Opportunity [26:50] Evaluating an MSP: "How Do You Perform in a Failure?" [28:29] Bold Prediction and Contrarian Takes [29:21] AI Sprawl: The Contrarian Warning [30:33] Good to Great, Instagram, and Closing Thoughts Episode Resources: Dr. Eva-Marie Muller-Stuler on LinkedIn:   / frank-scanga-343aaa16   Scott Kinka on LinkedIn:   / scottkinka   Bridgepointe Technologies Website: https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/ For the full show notes, please visit: https://rebrand.ly/02ca10 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Also, rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, we appreciate all feedback from our listeners. 👉 Fame: https://bit.ly/3YXy9ET 👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4lRJAHZ 👉 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/4iIe2lj