Author Archives: Megan Carnes

Annual awards program recognizes exceptional partner collaborations  

Boston, Jan. 7, 2026 – Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, cloud, and IT managed services, today announced the winners of its Outstanding Partner Awards. Thrive is pleased to recognize Avant Communications as Technology Solutions Distributor (TSD) of the Year, Data Technology Brokers as Partner of the Year, and Bridgepointe Technologies as Challenger of the Year.

Thrive partners with the industry’s best-in-class technology and channel companies, enabling it to build, deliver, and support the superior NextGen 3.0 managed services its customers have come to expect. The company’s annual Outstanding Partner Awards honor Thrive’s partners who exemplify collaboration, innovation, and shared success that define its partner ecosystem. The winners of the 2026 Outstanding Partner Awards demonstrated significant contributions that allowed Thrive to continue to drive innovation and growth for its customers. Winners include:

• AVANT Communications, recognized for the second year in a row for TSD of the year, is a platform for IT decision-making and one of the nation’s premier Technology Services Distributors. AVANT helps Thrive keep ahead of the accelerating pace of change by providing the resources and relationships needed to navigate the ever-changing world of communications and IT infrastructure successfully.
• Data Technology Brokers, an innovative IT consulting firm, is recognized as Partner of the Year. Data Technology Brokers partners with Thrive to offer efficient, networking, voice, managed Services, cybersecurity, and AI— all backed by a risk-free consultation approach.
• Bridgepointe Technologies, one of the nation’s leading tech advisory firms, is recognized as the Challenger of the Year. Bridgepointe is a trusted partner to Thrive, bringing a breadth and depth of technical expertise, so all customers’ technology journeys are seamless and stress-free. The company was recognized for Partner of the Year in 2025.

“We’re proud to honor partners who consistently go above and beyond to deliver meaningful results and move our industry forward. This year’s recipients of the Outstanding Partner Awards have made an extraordinary impact on the customers we serve together,” said Bill McLaughlin, CEO of Thrive. “Avant Communications, Bridgepointe Technologies, and Data Technology Brokers all share our mission of providing exceptional services to enable our customers to focus on innovation and results.”

To learn more about how Thrive and its partners support businesses in their digital transformation journey, visit the website.

About Thrive

Thrive is a NextGen 3.0 global technology outsourcing provider that empowers small and mid-market organizations to transform their technology into a strategic advantage. Offering a breadth of services from AI and cybersecurity to cloud, compliance, and traditional MSP/MSSP solutions, Thrive’s team of seasoned experts develop strategies that standardize, scale, and automate technology to achieve outsized ROI. From advisory services to a 24×7×365 SOC and NOC, Thrive provides end-to-end IT and cybersecurity management so clients can focus on innovation and growth. With Thrive, your business is always supported and always secure. Learn more at www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Contacts

Hannah Johnston

thrive@v2comms.com

Case Study:

Challenge

To increase performance during regular and post-season basketball, NBA team, the Boston Celtics, have invested in a high-grade practice facility, the Red Auerbach Center. The 77,000 square foot facility houses two basketball courts with seating for audiences near 200, along with state-of-the-art media and sports medicine rooms. The difficult task facing the Celtics and Thrive was ensuring that the facility’s IT infrastructure would be able to support the various functions of the space, be secure and also perform at peak efficiency by a stringent grand opening deadline. The enormity of the task at hand included complete networking and security of the media room, and meeting strict compliance requirements for the health center.

Solution

Thrive’s consulting and project management teams partnered with the Celtics’ CTO, Jay Wessland, and his IT Team to create a strategic security plan, as well as a roadmap for the implementation of the center’s hosted environment. The solutions included a business continuity plan powered by Veeam, fully managed Meraki Networking Infrastructure and the successful implementation of a Microsoft Office 365 environment. Overall, the project took numerous hours of careful assessment, engineering and implementation, and was successfully completed in time for the grand opening on June 19, 2018.

Result

The solutions provided by Thrive have helped Mr. Wessland maintain a fully operational and secure facility since its opening in 2018 and allow his IT team focus on the daily operational needs that come with managing the technology of a professional sports team. The Red Auerbach Center is equipped to handle the demands that come with its multifaceted use.

“The Boston Celtics have been working with Thrive for over 14 years. We value the technical expertise they bring as an extension of our IT team. With the additional assistance and expertise of Thrive, we were able to open the Auerbach Center on time, despite the complexity of the project. They continue to provide 24×7 NextGen managed services that enable me and my team to focus on the unique elements and needs of a professional sports organization.” ~ Jay Wessland, CTO

How can Thrive help your business?

Thrive is a leading provider of outsourced IT Infrastructure designed to drive successful business outcomes with our talented engineering teams and suite of Cloud-First, NextGen Managed Services.

To learn more about our services, CONTACT US

Bill McLaughlin named 2025-26 American Heart Association Heart of New York City Chair

NEW YORK, NY, January 6, 2026 – Through the Heart of New York City campaign, Bill McLaughlin, volunteer chair and CEO of Thrive will lead community-wide efforts to help ensure every individual in New York City and beyond has the opportunity for a full, healthy life. The Heart of New York City engages companies, community leaders, and individuals to make a lasting impact across the four chambers of the American Heart Association’s work: discovery, advocacy, access, and knowledge.

Announced in a press release, Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider, is targeting a $1 billion market position by the end of 2029, following strong revenue growth throughout 2025. The company has executed 27 acquisitions since its inception, including five in 2025, which have expanded its geographic reach and service depth. According to CEO Bill McLaughlin, Thrive focuses on allowing businesses to concentrate on their core operations by addressing their technology needs.

Leading global NextGen 3.0 solution provider maintains strong momentum as year-end approaches

Boston, MA, December 17, 2025—Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, cloud, and IT managed services, today announced that it has continued its strong and steady revenue growth throughout 2025, with positive momentum even before the year’s close. With a proven track record of delivering high-quality services that address critical technology needs, paired with a best-in-class customer experience, Thrive is poised to build on this performance and advance toward its goal of becoming a $1B company by the end of 2029.

“2025 saw rapid technological evolution, changing market dynamics, and increased cyber risks. Through it all, companies still need to operate, sell, and grow,” said Bill McLaughlin, CEO of Thrive. “Thrive comes in to remove the distraction that technology can often cause so that businesses can focus on what they do best. The customer at the center approach, paired with our talented team, has been key to achieving our goals and will carry our success far into the future.”

Growth Through Acquisition

Thrive has completed 27 acquisitions since its founding, making it a key pillar of its growth strategy. In 2025 alone, Thrive bought five companies, expanding both its geographic footprint and depth of services:

• Secured Network Services, expanding Thrive’s New England presence and its ability to address industry-specific needs across healthcare, government, non-profits, and more;
• Abacode, deepening Thrive’s compliance and GRC capabilities;
• Baroan Technologies, strengthening Thrive’s growing footprint in the New Jersey and Tri-state area;
• VitalCORE and Worksighted, establishing multiple locations in the Midwest, as the company continues its westward expansion.

Between organic growth and acquisition, Thrive’s global headcount has increased 15% since the start of the year, and its customer count has increased 10%, serving as a major contributing factor to the company’s record growth.

Expanded Services, Innovation, & Partnerships

Thrive’s capacity to deliver advanced client solutions and security is unparalleled in the MSP/MSSP industry. Over the last 12 months, Thrive has vastly expanded its offerings and doubled down on its commitment to meeting customers where they are and getting ahead of future technology challenges. Thrive invested over $100M building its NextGen 3.0 platform capabilities, ensuring it can provide the most robust and seamless experiences for its customers. In addition, the company continues to invest in innovative technologies, including over $10M in AI alone.

Thrive’s NextGen platform is built on ServiceNow, the leading platform for Enterprise technology service providers, and consistently integrates the latest solutions—including AI, automation, and digital experience (DEX) to support operations and deliver exceptional user experiences. Thrive is one of the few companies aligned with Gartner MESH (CSMA) architecture, allowing for optimal security, visibility, intelligence and effectiveness, ensuring customers are protected from all angles.

Additions made to Thrive’s portfolio of offerings this year include:

• Managed AI Services: Thrive’s Managed AI services support businesses across the entire AI adoption journey. This offering provides customers with a dedicated team of experts to help build and implement AI strategy at scale, including everything from use case identification to security to data and AI Assessment tools.
• Thrive Client Portal: With the new portal—just launched last week—Thrive customers gain access to a central dashboard that shares insight into all the services they are using, where they can renew products, submit security tickets, and more.
• Network Detection and Response: This service uses AI-driven analytics to monitor network traffic in real-time and help clients detect and stop cybersecurity breaches before they cause damage. This offering adds a new layer to Thrive’s existing security portfolio, complementing its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) services to deliver comprehensive, end-to-end protection for customer IT environments.
• Compliance Center: Thrive’s Compliance Center provides mid-market businesses and public sector organizations with valuable content tailored to vertical-specific needs and international regulations, providing comprehensive support for diverse industries.

New Leadership for the New Era   

Since Bill McLaughlin was appointed CEO in February, he has built a strong leadership team that’s dedicated to Thrive’s mission of delivering exceptional services and support to customers, while focusing on the company’s continued growth and success. Over the past several months, Bill has appointed Nicholas Smolansky as Chief Legal Officer, Kimberly Saturley as Chief People Officer, Ben Reich as Chief Financial Officer, and Kirti Gavri as SVP of Corporate Development to lead the charge on the company’s acquisition strategy. Farhad Jowharsha and Naveen Chodavarapu were also brought on as Regional Vice Presidents to bolster operations and grow Thrive’s presence in the APAC region.

This year also marked recognitions for other key leaders in the organization, including Jonathan Philipsen, EVP of Channel & Alliances, being recognized as a CRN 2025 Channel Chief and Kristina O’Connell, Chief Marketing Officer, being named a finalist for CRN’s Women of the Year.

Industry Recognition

In addition to Thrive’s leaders being recognized by industry groups, the company as a whole took home over a dozen industry awards throughout the year, highlighting its innovative services, impressive growth, and extraordinary partnerships, including:

• Being named Cloud Service Provider of the Year for both Private Equity Wire Awards 2025 and Hedgeweek® Global Digital Assets Awards 2025, showing the power of Thrive’s solutions within a key vertical. Thrive was also shortlisted for the With Intelligence HFM US Services Awards for Best Managed IT Service Provider.
• Placing #10 on the Boston Business Journal’s Fast 50 list and landing on the 5000 list for the ninth consecutive year, both of which require you to show impressive growth over time.
• Landing on Maine’s Best Places to Work list, a nod toward Thrive’s dedication to company culture, both locally and company-wide.
• Receiving partner accolades, such as KnowBe4’s MSP Breakout Partner of the Year and Fortinet’s Security Operations Partner of the Year 2024.
• Securing inclusion on CRN’s 2025 Tech Elite 250 and CRN’s Solution Provider 500 lists, solidifying Channel leadership.
• Recognized at major managed services events, such as Avant Special Forces Summit’s Top Vendor Program and being named Top Supplier for Cybersecurity 2024 at the Telarus Partner Summit.
• Winning the MSP 501/Channel Partners Summit 2025’s MSP of the Year Award.

To learn more about Thrive and its award-winning services, visit the website.

About Thrive

Thrive is a NextGen 3.0 global technology outsourcing provider that empowers small and mid-market organizations to transform their technology into a strategic advantage. Offering a breadth of services from AI and cybersecurity to cloud, compliance, and traditional MSP/MSSP solutions, Thrive’s team of seasoned experts develop strategies that standardize, scale, and automate technology to achieve outsized ROI. From advisory services to a 24×7×365 SOC and NOC, Thrive provides end-to-end IT and cybersecurity management so clients can focus on innovation and growth. With Thrive, your business is always supported and always secure. Learn more at www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Contacts

Hannah Johnston

thrive@v2comms.com

Last year, many of us were introduced to agentic AI. In recent articles, I shared 50+ AI agents from top-tier SaaS and security companies, as well as another 30 from growing startups.

AI is reshaping business, but it isn’t transformational yet. In the 50+ expert predictions I captured for this article, you’ll see how AI impacts CX, DevOps, and C-level leadership, which will help drive the transformation. Other predictions on AI, data governance, security, and IT Ops outline what businesses must prioritize to enable compliant, safe, and ethical AI.

If the first part of our expert predictions series showed us how fast the threat landscape is shifting, part two shows us what happens when that shift becomes structural. Across this next set of expert insights, a pattern can be seen: the attack surface is no longer something organizations “manage”, it’s something that is growing on its own.

Agentic AI is scaling identities at lightning speed, leaving governance once set by people in the dust. Meanwhile, connectors and integrations are turning into silent backdoors, Zero Trust is buckling under the weight of non-human identities, and AI-driven malefactors are operating in ways that our conventional policy models do not address.

Welcome back to another installment of our “Thrive Spotlight” blog series.

Our featured employee is Michael Delany. As a Director of Project Delivery, he oversees a team of project managers that onboard new clients to Thrive. His role consists of training and mentoring, developing process, and even managing his own projects. Many people at Thrive view Michael as an SME on Thrive’s onboarding process. He also helps with pre-sales conversations, creating timelines and speaking about Thrive’s onboarding process to prospective new clients. He is based out of our Foxboro office.

Michael spends most of his free time at his home in Plymouth, Massachusetts with his wife Nicole and two sons, Colin and Leo. He used to be a gamer but now settles for watching pros play online, with a recent favorite being Age of Empires 4. His current version of gaming is playing or watching a good chess match! Michael enjoys reading sci-fi, fantasy, history, and classics. He also helps teach his son Colin’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. An avid runner for years, he tries to get in at least a few decent runs a week.

Hi Michael!  Can you tell us about your background and how you came to Thrive?

It sounds super cliché, but I promise it’s true – I’ve always wanted to work for Thrive. Growing up in the Boston area, Thrive was well-known in the MSP space. I interviewed at Thrive back in 2020 but did not get the job. I then interviewed again in 2021 for the Project Delivery Lead role and was hired. My dream of working for Thrive had finally come true! I previously worked at smaller MSPs in the Boston area as a Director of Professional Services and a vCIO.

Where did you go to school or get training?

I graduated from Bentley University in 2011 with a major in Finance and a minor in Economics. I received the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification in 2021. Most of my technical knowledge has been attained on the job over the last 25 years in IT but I do hold a few certifications – MCSE, A+, and N+. My MSP training started in 2012 when I founded an MSP called Applied Synergy Group along with a partner. We relied on TruMethods to build our practice.

What do you most enjoy about working for Thrive?

The culture at Thrive is hands down my favorite part about working here. Thrive is very much a team-oriented environment where everyone comes together to discuss and solve problems. No one is ever fully satisfied with the current process, and we are always iterating and making things better. It’s so refreshing to work with team members that are all focused on being the best MSP in the world, driving client satisfaction, and doing it all with a helpful and fun attitude.

Are there any recent exciting projects at Thrive you can tell us about?

I’ve recently been involved in pre-sales conversations with potential new clients describing Thrive’s onboarding process from the PMO’s perspective. I’m really enjoying being in the room and watching our sales team in action, helping frame client’s expectations for their onboarding to the Thrive platform.

Are you interested in learning more about Thrive? Click here! 

Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news, and continue checking our blog for more in our “Thrive Employee Spotlight” series. Until next time… 

Revamped client portal provides a holistic view of services provided by leading NextGen 3.0 Service Provider

Boston, MA, December 9, 2025— Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, cloud, and IT managed services, today announced its new Client Portal, which provides Thrive customers with a central dashboard and insight into their services and devices with reporting and management tools, simplified case submission, user onboarding, and more. As Thrive doubles down on its commitment to providing exceptional customer service and experience, the new client portal promises to deliver a streamlined, engaging, and trusted experience for customers.

A recent Gartner report (source: Debunking 5 Myths About Customer Self-Service Portals, August 2025) states that customer service and support leaders are expected to make the support portal a cornerstone of their delivery model. The Thrive Client Portal is entirely focused on delivering engaging, trusted, and responsive IT guidance while demonstrating the best-in-class customer experience Thrive is known for. With the Portal, Thrive has brought together the systems, people, and data needed to enable customers to manage their IT services in one place, while also giving them better visibility into how those services map to tangible business outcomes.

The Thrive Client Portal provides customers with:

• Access to robust reporting: Customers can find the reports required to ensure business continuity and ROI.
• Branded dashboard: Customers will be able to brand their dashboard and provide a personal experience.
• Employee onboarding/offboarding: Users can manage user roles, devices, and locations to ensure everyone has access to the correct level of information. Onboarding and offboarding users are simplified and can be managed right from the dashboard.
• Insight into performance: The Client Portal dashboard enables clients to view the performance of all services being used, providing customers with peace of mind that all programs are running smoothly.
• Management of IT lifecycle: The new Client Portal will proactively flag when a service is approaching the end of its contract and outline options for next steps.

“Whether you work on the IT team or you’re presenting to the board, being able to quickly surface relevant information is crucial to decision-making and ultimately business success,” said Bill McLaughlin, CEO of Thrive. “The Thrive Client Portal is designed with this in mind. We want our customers to be empowered to make quick and confident decisions, and benefit from Thrive’s best-in-class support and high-value services that move their business forward.”

“The new client portal’s centralized dashboard gives us a holistic view of all case statuses at a glance. We’re also fans of the improved navigation, which makes moving between assets and services much more intuitive,” said Alyssa Marshall, Director of Digital Strategy & Technology at Soroptimist International of the Americas.

To learn more about Thrive, visit the website. Watch new Client Portal video.

About Thrive

Thrive delivers global technology outsourcing for cybersecurity, cloud, networking, and other complex IT requirements. Thrive’s NextGen 3.0 platform enables customers to increase business efficiencies through AI, standardization, scalability, and automation, delivering oversized technology returns on investment (ROI). They accomplish this with advisory services, vCISO, vCIO, consulting, project implementation, solution architects, and a best-in-class subscription-based technology platform. Thrive delivers exceptional high-touch service through its POD approach of subject matter experts and global 24x7x365 SOC, NOC, and centralized services teams. Learn more at www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Contacts

Hannah Johnston

thrive@v2comms.com

It might have felt like there was an industry-wide desire to put “a whole AI umbrella over your company” in 2025, but it didn’t work for everyone.