Keepit has made its SaaS data protection platform available through the Pax8 Marketplace, giving Pax8 partners access to its backup and recovery services for cloud applications.

The listing makes Keepit’s service available to managed service providers and channel partners that buy and sell software through Pax8’s marketplace, which focuses on small and medium-sized business customers. Those partners can now offer backup and recovery for a range of SaaS applications used by their clients.

The arrangement covers business software including Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Okta, Jira, Confluence and Docusign. Keepit said its system stores backup data in a separate cloud environment rather than in the production software environment or with the same large cloud infrastructure providers.

Keepit is positioning that separation as a way to address growing concern over how organisations protect data held in software-as-a-service tools. Many businesses now rely on those applications for email, identity, collaboration, customer management and document workflows, increasing scrutiny of recovery planning and compliance controls.

For service providers, the marketplace route could widen access to a segment of the backup market that has become more crowded as software vendors and specialist providers seek a larger share of recurring security and resilience spending. Pax8 has built its business around aggregating cloud software for resellers and managed service providers, giving vendors access to a broad partner base.

Keepit said its platform is designed to help partners extend backup services beyond a single workload. It also cited centralised management, predictable pricing and support for more than 17 SaaS applications as part of its channel offering.

Demand for independent data protection is rising as customers seek to avoid concentration risk in cloud systems, according to Keepit. It also linked that demand to cyber resilience requirements and concerns over threats that could affect the integrity of production data.

Jan Ursi, Global VP of Channels at Keepit, described the marketplace listing as a route to wider partner adoption. “Bringing Keepit to the Pax8 Marketplace is about making it easier for partners to access SaaS data protection built for the cloud – sovereign, unlimited and simplified. Pax8 has strong reach into the MSP partner community, and this availability gives more partners the ability to deliver independent protection and recovery for critical SaaS data – helping their customers stay resilient, compliant and in control,” Ursi said.

Channel focus

The agreement underlines the importance of indirect sales for software vendors in the backup and security sector. Managed service providers increasingly package data protection with migration, monitoring and compliance services, making marketplaces such as Pax8 a route to scale without building a large direct sales operation.

Pax8 said the addition broadens the options available to partners serving customers running a mix of cloud applications. For those providers, backup products that cover several SaaS tools can be easier to bundle than software limited to a single platform.

Phillip Seigenfeld, Global Director, MSP and Cloud Distribution at Keepit, said the company sees a commercial opening in broader SaaS coverage. “Partners need SaaS data protection that is simple to deliver, easy to manage and relevant to how customers actually use cloud applications today. Expanding access through the Pax8 Marketplace helps partners broaden their backup offering while reducing operational friction, and opens a meaningful opportunity to grow across the entire SaaS estate,” Seigenfeld said.

The relationship also adds another data protection vendor to Pax8’s marketplace, where channel partners source cloud software for deployment and management on behalf of customers. Pax8 said more than 47,000 IT partners and 800,000 small and medium-sized businesses use its platform.

That scale matters for vendors seeking to reach service providers already accustomed to buying software through a centralised marketplace. Instead of negotiating individual supplier relationships, partners can add new products to their portfolios through the platform and manage billing through an established process.

Oguo Atuanya, Corporate Vice President of Vendor Experience at Pax8, said the company expects interest from partners serving customers with critical data held in cloud applications. “Keepit brings a compelling SaaS data protection solution to the Pax8 Marketplace, and we’re excited to welcome them into our vendor ecosystem,” Atuanya said. “As partners look for scalable ways to help customers protect critical cloud application data, Keepit’s platform expands the options available through Pax8 and gives MSPs another strong solution for applications their customers rely on every day.”

Keepit’s product is now available through the Pax8 Marketplace.

A petition has been presented to wind up Ducker & Young Scaffolding Limited, a based in Witney High Street.

On its website, the firm says it has worked for historic Oxford colleges and large contractors across Oxfordshire and other neighbouring counties.

This was lodged by HMRC, claiming to be creditors of the company, on June 12, 2026.

The case will be heard at the High Court in London on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

The firm’s latest accounts, ending December 2025, available on Companies House show the company has £2.43 million in assets, but it owes short-term creditors £2.56m, up from £433,543 in 2023.

It is also waiting on £1.5m tied up in long-term debtors, which would have been due this year.

Latest UK research from SAP Engagement Cloud suggests enterprise AI is becoming embedded in business workflows, while human oversight remains firmly in place.

The findings are based on a survey of more than 750 UK enterprise IT decision-makers. Among them, 79% said AI-driven assistants had increased productivity without reducing human control, while 35% strongly agreed that AI is now embedded in business workflows rather than operating as a standalone tool.

The results point to a shift in how large organisations use AI in customer engagement and wider operations. Rather than limiting it to chatbots or separate tools, businesses are increasingly integrating AI into routine processes that shape customer interactions and internal work.

Governance remains central to that shift. In the survey, 78% of respondents said their organisation had clear AI guardrails covering data lineage, personally identifiable information handling, and human approval points.

The same share, 78%, said their organisations were making significant investments in AI-powered customer engagement. This suggests spending is continuing even as companies face pressure to show AI systems can operate within established controls.

Sara Richter, Chief Marketing Officer at SAP Engagement Cloud, said the issue for many businesses is no longer whether AI is useful, but where it should be allowed to operate autonomously.

“Most businesses already know that AI can help them. The question now is where it should be allowed to act, and where people still need to stay in control,” Richter said.

She added: “AI agents can remove a lot of the slow, manual work that obstructs good customer engagement. But they are only successful when the data is connected, the rules are clear, and teams trust what the AI is doing.”

Governance focus

The emphasis on controls reflects broader market concerns about accountability for AI-driven decisions. As companies deploy AI in customer-facing and operational workflows, they must also manage how data is sourced, how outputs are approved, and where responsibility sits when automated systems influence outcomes.

Professor Mark Ritson described AI as a tool that still requires human direction.

“AI is the racehorse, not the jockey. It’s remarkably effective at covering ground quickly, but it still needs someone holding the reins. The best companies are using AI to accelerate execution while keeping strategic decisions, judgement, and accountability firmly in human hands,” Ritson said.

The survey also suggests connected data remains a practical barrier to broader deployment. SAP linked successful AI adoption to the quality of connections between customer information and operational systems such as inventory, fulfilment, service, loyalty, and finance.

This matters because disconnected systems can lead to inconsistent customer experiences. If AI recommends an action a business cannot support operationally, the technology may expose weak coordination rather than improve service.

Data challenge

Richter said poor data and fragmented systems can undermine the value of AI.

“AI agents are incredibly effective. But if your data is messy or your systems don’t talk to each other, layering AI on top will only make those problems more visible,” she said.

“The brands that get this right will be those that start with strong foundations: connected data, clear permissions, and workflows that improve as they learn. That’s how you move faster with AI without losing control,” Richter added.

SAP also pointed to early adoption by brands seeking to combine customer insight with operational context. One example was Jack Wolfskin, which is exploring how AI can bring together customer data and surface information that helps teams tailor interactions more closely to behaviour and channel preference.

Michael Walter, Senior Direct Marketing Manager at Jack Wolfskin, said the company saw scope to use AI and data insight to tailor journeys across touchpoints.

“One of the biggest opportunities we see is combining data insight and AI to personalise journeys in real time across all touchpoints,” Walter said.

He added: “We can respect channel preferences, trigger communication based on behaviour, and use AI-enhanced recommendations for next-best actions, offers, and context-aware engagement. For our customers, this means communication that feels relevant and personal; for us, it means higher engagement, stronger loyalty, and more efficient use of every channel.”

The research covered decision-makers in IT, technology, marketing, service, and revenue roles at UK businesses with more than 500 employees and annual turnover above USD $250 million.