Software Distributor Pax8 Launches 8os and 8bot to Help IT Partners Govern AI Agents for SMBs
Pax8 introduces new platforms allowing IT partners to deploy and supervise AI agents for small businesses, addressing the lack of formal AI policies.
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US software marketplace distributor Pax8 announced two new products, 8os and 8bot, at its Beyond EMEA conference in Copenhagen on October 19. 8os is an operating system designed to let information technology service provider (ITSP) partners govern artificial intelligence agents running inside their customers' businesses. 8bot serves as a managed AI coworker, deployed and supervised by partners through 8os, for use by customer employees.
The launch targets a governance gap identified in Pax8's quarterly "SMB AI Pulse" surveys. According to the company, nine in ten small businesses are using or experimenting with AI, but only 23% have a documented policy covering it. Among those using AI, 71% have built at least one tool of their own, while just 31% of builders have a formal review or approval process. Nearly half of respondents reported finding unsanctioned "shadow AI" in the past six months.
8os is built on the marketplace already used by more than 47,000 IT providers to sell software to some 800,000 small businesses. Partner and client identities carry over, and agents and models from different vendors are managed together as one workforce, with partners setting ownership and operating rules client by client. Each customer's memory and context are kept separate, making the AI workers more useful to that client over time.
Usage and spending are metered per user and per customer, with hard caps cutting off consumption before bills get out of hand. Partners decide what to charge, with billing handled through their existing Pax8 account. Employees receive 8bot, which takes on everyday tasks and returns work for staff to review and refine. Resellers offer it as a packaged service under 8os governance. Pax8 CEO Scott Chasin stated that AI is becoming a worker, changing what small businesses need from their technology partners. Limited early access to both products opens this week, ahead of general availability planned for early next year.