The debut episode explores how strong partnerships help MSPs reduce complexity and deliver customer value

Key takeaways

• Barracuda has launched Partner-First Conversations, a new podcast series spotlighting the partners leading innovation across the channel.
• The first episode features Richard Flanders, Commercial Director at Aura Technology and Barracuda Partner Advisory Board member.
• The conversation explores how MSPs can reduce complexity, consolidate security operations and create secure, resilient, outcome-driven environments for customers.

Managed service providers (MSPs) are navigating a market defined by rising customer expectations, evolving threats, tool sprawl, and growing competition. Customers want stronger cybersecurity, simpler operations and strategic guidance from partners they trust – and MSPs are looking for models that help them deliver all three.

Barracuda has launched Partner-First Conversations, a podcast series spotlighting the partners shaping the future of the channel. The first episode features Richard Flanders, Commercial Director at Aura Technology, a member of Barracuda’s Partner Advisory Board.

In the episode, Host Michelle Hodges, Senior Vice President of Global Channel and Alliances at Barracuda, and Richard explore how MSPs can build secure, resilient, outcome-driven environments for customers — and why strong partnerships remain essential as the market changes.

Why these conversations matter

For MSPs, success is about more than technology. Richard explains that Aura Technology’s proactive model uses technology roadmaps, cyber resiliency reviews and a dedicated engineering team to give customers a clear view of where they are today and where they need to go next.

That approach moves the relationship beyond reactive support. Instead of waiting for problems to surface, MSPs can focus on strategy, risk, resilience, and long-term business priorities. Richard describes this as building a roadmap customers have already bought into, rather than pushing one-off services or point solutions.

True partnership matters most when it helps MSPs reduce complexity while continuing to deliver exceptional service, strong security and measurable business outcomes.

What does being partner-first mean today?

Michelle and Richard dig into the practical side of partner-first thinking: understanding customers before recommending technology. For Aura Technology, that means looking at growth plans, staff, ways of working, and client base before building a roadmap.

Richard also highlights Barracuda’s role in helping Aura Technology simplify security delivery. He points to BarracudaONE®, Managed XDR and other security solutions as helping consolidate operations into a more manageable model for sales and service delivery. That consolidation helps MSPs reduce overhead, control costs and deliver more effective security services.

Richard also notes that partners cannot be product-led anymore; they need to be outcome-led. He points to Barracuda’s partner portal, strategy reviews and Partner Advisory Board as examples of structured engagement that helps partners provide feedback, unlock opportunities and move from insight to action.

Watch the episode

Join the conversation

Whether you are an MSP owner, a channel leader or part of a team helping customers become more secure and resilient, this new podcast series offers practical perspectives from partners who are helping shape what comes next.

Watch the first episode to hear Richard’s perspective on outcome-led growth, customer roadmaps, security consolidation, and what partner-first engagement looks like in practice. Then join the conversation: What does being partner-first mean to your business?