WATCH: Aabyss chairman Andrew Allen on his day’s standout moments

In a rapid-fire video Q&A filmed at CRN XChange MSP, Aabyss chairman Andrew Allen shares his highlights from the floor, why he makes time for XChange, and the personal milestone that defined his year

If you want the unvarnished view from the coalface of the UK managed services market, ask someone who’s been building and backing MSPs through thick and thin.

In this short video, Andrew Allen, chairman of Aabyss, talks through the moments that cut through for him at XChange MSP, from the conversations that sharpen strategy to the chance encounters that turn into next quarter’s opportunities.

Allen explains why events like XChange earn a recurring slot in his calendar: concentrated time with peers and partners, a reality check on where the market is moving, and a stack of practical takeaways he can bring back to the business.

It’s less about buzzwords and more about benchmarking : what’s working, what isn’t, and where operators should focus their next unit of effort.

He also reflects on the day’s best bits: the sessions that gave him something genuinely new to consider, the hallway chats that only happen when the industry is under one roof, and the value of comparing notes with leaders at different stages of the MSP journey.

For Allen, that mix of learning, pressure-testing assumptions, and building relationships is exactly why XChange remains a productive use of time.

We wrap with his personal highlight of the year — a marker he says will influence how he thinks about the next phase for Aabyss and the wider channel. Hit play below for the full conversation, and keep an eye on CRN for more rapid-fire insights from XChange MSP.