Partner Audience: #AllPartners
Relevant to: #AllRoles #Event #GrowYourBiz #Azure #CrossSolution
NerdioCon 2025 brought together the heartbeat of the Managed Services Provider (MSP) community in sunny Palm Springs, California. NerdioCon isn’t just a tech conference—it’s a vibrant partner-first gathering designed to celebrate innovation, collaboration, and the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem. With more than 500 attendees from across the globe, the event was filled with stories of transformation, strategy, and practical innovation.
We captured the energy and insights of the event in a special podcast episode and recorded exclusive video interviews with Microsoft partners and leaders.
Why the MSP community shows up for NerdioCon
At NerdioCon 2025, the palm trees aren’t the only things thriving—so is the sense of community. For many attendees, this conference is a rare blend of strategic insight and peer-to-peer connection.
“It’s our fourth year doing this in person,” said Joseph Landes, Co-Founder and CRO at Nerdio. “And it’s amazing to look at the variety of partners and clients who come here to learn about innovation based on the Microsoft Cloud.”
For Jeremy Regehr, CEO of Inspiris, NerdioCon’s value goes beyond the stage. “We transitioned from being an on-prem MSP to having no customers on-prem at all, and that wouldn’t have been possible without Nerdio.”
This year, Pax8 brought more than 35 MSP partners to the event. That kind of commitment speaks volumes about NerdioCon’s relevance to today’s partner landscape. Oguo Atuanya, Corporate VP at Pax8, explained: “Nerdio is one of our premier Accelerate partners and the only global IP we have. Being here gives us the chance to support them and see how MSPs are using the technology.”
As Scott Manchester, VP for Windows Cloud at Microsoft, shared: “It feels like living in a college dorm room for a week. You bump into people all day long, and that’s where the real value lies.”
No more leaving money on the table
Our Americas GPS breakout session this year focused on a high-impact theme: helping MSPs modernize from on-premises services into the adaptive cloud. A big focus was a model that explored migrating Remote Desktop Services (RDS) running on SPLA licensing to Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)—and doing so in a way that maximizes partner profitability.
The room was full, and the conversations spilled over long after the session ended. “You could feel the hook land when we showed the real-world economics,” said Fernando Peeples. Using a 10,000-user example, the session highlighted how SPLA-based licensing alone cost around $1.24 million annually, while the equivalent AVD deployment—including infrastructure and Nerdio—came in lower. “One partner said, ‘You’re selling me the whole car for the same price I was paying for the leather seats,’” Fernando recalled. Joseph Landes reinforced this point with a powerful analogy: “If you’re building a house, why would you put in windows that are 25 years old? You’d get the most up-to-date windows. It’s the same with desktop virtualization. Why stick with RDS when we have AVD and Cloud PC? These technologies offer so much more innovation and opportunity.”
For Randy Kearn from Choice Solutions, the session proved to be a turning point. Coming in unfamiliar with Microsoft’s Datacenter Optimization (DCO) team, he left with immediate ideas to act on. “We’re leaving money on the table,” he said after exploring the Arc-enabled SQL use case. Pax8’s Angelika Schmeing summed up the opportunity: “It was an eye-opener to see how many MSPs still don’t know about the program. We’re seeing real success with those who engage.”
Announcements from Microsoft and Nerdio—innovation across the stack
This year’s announcements were as dynamic as the crowd. Microsoft’s announcements, presented by Scott Manchester, focused on platform advancements including:
- Migration API for Windows 365, enabling automated Cloud PC creation from VHDs.
- New disaster recovery options, including Disaster Recovery Plus and Cross-Region DR for enhanced resilience.
- Security updates, such as token refresh configuration and improved mobile application management.
- Expanded capabilities in the Windows app, including Android support and tighter integration with mobile management.
On the Nerdio side, the theme was clear: deeper insights and complete control. Key innovations include:
- Telemetry-powered right-sizing tools to ensure customers are matched to the right Windows 365 SKU—avoiding over-provisioning and helping partners “rightsize their budget.”
- Desktop-as-a-Service modeler to guide pre- and post-migration planning.
- Expanded support for Azure GovCloud in Nerdio Manager for MSPs.
- AI-powered diagnostics for rapid troubleshooting and increased visibility across Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Intune.
As Joseph Landes explained, “We’ve been working closely with Microsoft to deliver enhanced functionality. And this year we shared it all with our community, from Cloud PC to modern work to new enterprise capabilities.”
Looking ahead—join the conversation
NerdioCon wasn’t just about what happened on stage, it was about what partners took home. From the packed DCO session to product demos and peer conversations, the momentum was real.
We’ll continue reporting from the events shaping hybrid cloud and partner strategy across the Americas.
Calls to action
- Subscribe to the Hybrid Cloud News on LinkedIn if you want to stay tuned for more stories like this one.
- Connect with the DCO team if you want to explore your own path to grow your Microsoft Cloud practice. Have an event in mind where you think partner voices should be amplified? We’re all ears and always learning.
Stay tuned. We’re just getting started.
