Insights from Pax8 Beyond EMEA
At Pax8 Beyond EMEA 2025 in Amsterdam, Gene Kim, VP of MSPs at Absolute Security, sat down with Maciek Szcześniak to discuss how our enterprise-grade, firmware-embedded resilience is expanding into the SMB and MSP ecosystem and why this shift is essential for partners and their customers right now.
From “Find My PC” to Firmware-Level Resilience
Absolute’s story started decades ago, long before Find My iPhone existed. Its mission began with helping organizations locate and recover lost laptops when devices were rare and costly. That early innovation led to deep partnerships with OEMs, embedding Absolute Security directly into device BIOS.
As Gene explained: “We’re literally part of the hardware as it ships from the factory. That gives us a unique ability to manage and protect devices at a level no other company can.”
This embedded persistence enables MSPs to ensure critical security agents remain operational, even if a device is reimaged or taken offline.
Why Resilience Is the New Cybersecurity
When asked about the company’s evolution, Gene was clear: traditional cybersecurity alone isn’t enough. “The new imperative isn’t just about cybersecurity, it’s about resilience.”
For many small and midsize businesses that sit below the “cybersecurity maturity line,” the risk from ransomware or a breach is existential, but the ability to bounce back is limited.
Resilience reframes the goal: maintain essential operations, limit damage, and recover fast, even when prevention fails. Absolute’s focus is on making these enterprise-grade capabilities accessible to every business so MSPs can deliver security, compliance, and true business continuity as core services.
Enabling VARs and Resellers to Become True MSPs
In Europe, many technology partners still operate as traditional resellers or system integrators. Gene noted that helping them transition into service-led providers is essential.
“We’re partnering with organizations like Pax8 to combine our platform with the operational best practices and education VARs need to deliver managed cybersecurity services.”
Through collaborations like this, Absolute Security is not only offering advanced technology but also training and enablement frameworks that help partners monetize resilience and scale their service offerings.
Automation, Orchestration, and AI: The Next Frontier
Looking ahead, Gene sees automation and orchestration as the foundation for scaling both MSP operations and customer success.
“Automation and orchestration are the first steps toward building intelligent, scalable service delivery,” he said.
With more than 3 billion API calls daily, Absolute’s integration strategy positions it to help MSPs build the foundation for AI-driven managed services, a concept Gene linked to Pax8’s vision of the Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP) model.
“As resellers evolve into Managed Intelligence Providers, they’ll need the right tools, processes, and automation to teach AI how to deliver secure, efficient services.”
Supporting NIS2 and the Compliance Wave in Europe
As Europe prepares for NIS2 and other cybersecurity regulations, Gene highlighted how Absolute’s platform directly supports compliance goals.
“Our solutions address key areas like patching, configuration security, access control, and threat mitigation, all of which align with NIS2 requirements,” he explained.
By enabling continuous monitoring, reporting, and remediation, MSPs can help their customers meet new standards without overwhelming limited IT resources.
A Shared Vision for a More Secure Future
The interview closed with a clear message: resilience isn’t just for the enterprise anymore.
“We’re expanding into the SMB and MSP ecosystem because every business deserves enterprise-grade protection,” Gene concluded.
With 600 million devices already equipped with Absolute technology and partnerships that prioritize education and enablement, Absolute Security and Pax8 are helping partners worldwide move from managing risk to mastering it, one resilient endpoint at a time.
Watch the full conversation.
