Australian MSPs embrace hyperautomation to redefine security, scalability and revenue

Managed service providers in Australia are increasingly deploying hyperautomation – merging RPA, machine learning and AI – to enhance device management, close skills gaps, and monetise compliance and security services amid rising demand and industry shifts.

Australia’s managed service providers (MSPs) are increasingly turning to hyperautomation , the combination of robotic process automation (RPA), machine learning and artificial intelligence , to manage spraw...

ling device estates, close skills gaps and monetise compliance and security services, industry figures told a B2B Tech Talk Live session at the Ingram Micro Experience in Sydney, according to ChannelLife.

Danny Maher, CEO of FirstWave, framed hyperautomation as “the next generation of automation” that brings together RPA, machine learning and AI to take on tasks and workflows “that humans would otherwise have to perform,” saying modern toolsets already collect vast amounts of data but struggle to convert that data into timely decisions. “These systems generate enormous volumes of data,” Maher added. “Humans simply can’t analyse it all fast enough, especially across multiple customers and environments. Automation allows the system to do that analysis and act on it.”

FirstWave, a Sydney-headquartered technology company, positions its CyberCision platform and related tools as the operational centrepiece for that shift. According to FirstWave’s corporate material, the company offers network management, automation, audit and cybersecurity software, and in 2022 integrated Opmantek’s NMIS and Open-AudIT products to broaden its discovery and audit capabilities. FirstWave’s Open-AudIT is described as an agentless scanner that inventories hardware, software and configurations and produces licensing, warranty and vulnerability insights without disrupting user experience.

Industry practitioners at the session outlined three linked commercial drivers for MSP adoption. First, automation enables scale across heterogeneous environments: Maher pointed to a partner example, Telmex, running FirstWave software across more than 200 servers and managing in excess of 200,000 devices, and said automation helps systems “learn what ‘normal’ looks like in each environment and flag exceptions.” Second, partners can convert operational insight into monetisable services: Phil Duke, Senior General Manager at Ingram Micro, said partners use FirstWave software “to build new solutions and outcomes for customers” that “directly drives new revenue streams.” Third, automation addresses a structural skills shortage in Australia, allowing organisations to “do more with fewer people,” Duke said.

FirstWave claims strong demand for its approach: Maher told the audience the company is onboarding new customers “at a rapid pace – roughly one every 40 minutes,” and highlighted a freemium audit footprint of about 150,000 organisations using Open-AudIT globally. The company also emphasises usage‑based pricing designed to mirror MSP billing models: “They pay as they get paid,” Maher said, positioning that alignment as easing sales confidence.

Compliance and security have emerged as consistent entry points for MSP conversations, Duke said, noting that visibility into asset estates opens multiple go‑to‑market opportunities and that vendor-funded programmes , including AWS initiatives supported by Ingram Micro , can accelerate partner time to market. FirstWave’s push into public-sector work is materialising in commercial agreements: a company statement reported to FinNewsNetwork states FirstWave Cloud Technology extended an arrangement with Telstra to supply Information Security Manual (ISM)-compliant CyberCision software and services to a number of federal government agencies under a Secure Internet Gateway agreement effective from July 2025, with an option to extend.

The practical adoption path for MSPs outlined at the session starts with discovery , understanding the tools and telemetry customers already use, exploiting agentless audits where possible , then automating repetitive, decision-based tasks, and finally progressing to machine‑learning-driven automation that identifies patterns and recommends or executes actions without pre-set rules. Maher noted industry uptake remains uneven: “Only about two-thirds of organisations are using any IT compliance software at all,” and “very few have automated their audits.”

For MSP business owners the case for hyperautomation tends to rest on margin, coverage and retention. Duke argued that delivering more services without increasing headcount improves gross profit and deepens client relationships, while automation’s 24/7 operation “is critical when skilled staff are hard to find.” Maher stressed asset visibility as the foundation for credible security and spend recommendations: “When audits identify end-of-life products or vulnerabilities, customers know they need to act,” he said, adding that that insight allows partners to guide purchasing and remediation decisions.

Ingram Micro positioned itself as an intermediary that helps align vendors, MSPs and specialist services. “We help partners build go-to-market solutions and connect them with vendors like FirstWave,” Duke said, highlighting additional cybersecurity capabilities partners can layer on top, such as penetration testing.

Taken together, the discussion underlines a broader industry move from experimentation to operational necessity: automation is no longer merely a productivity enhancer but a strategic tool to manage complexity, defend environments and create recurring revenue. According to FirstWave and channel partners present at the event, the combination of audit-led discovery, scalable automation and vendor-backed commercial programmes is creating practical pathways for Australian MSPs to capture those opportunities while coping with the country’s persistent skills shortages.

Source: Noah Wire Services