Coretek’s upcoming segment on the nationally syndicated business program “Trending Today” places a fast-growing, cloud-first managed services provider squarely in the public spotlight — and for good reason: the company bills itself as a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Provider with deep investments in artificial intelligence, enterprise-grade security practices, and a productized set of Azure services aimed at accelerating digital transformation for mid‑market and enterprise customers.
Coretek began as a regional systems integrator and — according to its public materials — has spent the past two decades pivoting to a cloud-first posture that emphasizes managed Azure operations, security, and applied AI. The company was named as an Azure Expert MSP in public announcements going back several years and continues to promote Azure-focused managed services, analytics offerings, and security integrations with strategic partners.
The business program “Trending Today,” which has aired on Fox Business and other networks, will feature Coretek in an episode scheduled to air on Saturday, September 27 (the press campaign lists September 27 as the air date). The segment is being used to showcase Coretek’s approach to cloud modernization, Azure security, and how it helps clients operationalize AI to reduce costs and improve outcomes. “Trending Today” itself has received industry recognition — notably multiple Telly Awards — and positions the episode within a broader content strategy that highlights entrepreneurs and B2B technology providers.
That said, broadcast exposure does not replace rigorous technical validation. IT decision-makers should convert marketing claims into measurable proof through pilots, verified security attestations, and vendor-referenced case studies — especially when the work touches regulated data or mission-critical systems. The combination of Azure-native security controls, applied AI, and managed services that Coretek promises is compelling in outline; the real test for buyers will be documented delivery, transparent governance, and contractual assurances that protect data, continuity, and the ability to change providers if business needs evolve.
Source: The Clarion-Ledger 'Trending Today' TV Series on Fox Business to Feature Coretek's Cutting-Edge Cloud and AI Solutions in Upcoming Episode
Background / Overview
Coretek began as a regional systems integrator and — according to its public materials — has spent the past two decades pivoting to a cloud-first posture that emphasizes managed Azure operations, security, and applied AI. The company was named as an Azure Expert MSP in public announcements going back several years and continues to promote Azure-focused managed services, analytics offerings, and security integrations with strategic partners. The business program “Trending Today,” which has aired on Fox Business and other networks, will feature Coretek in an episode scheduled to air on Saturday, September 27 (the press campaign lists September 27 as the air date). The segment is being used to showcase Coretek’s approach to cloud modernization, Azure security, and how it helps clients operationalize AI to reduce costs and improve outcomes. “Trending Today” itself has received industry recognition — notably multiple Telly Awards — and positions the episode within a broader content strategy that highlights entrepreneurs and B2B technology providers.
What the broadcast covers (short summary of the press material)
- Coretek will appear on a national episode of “Trending Today” airing on Fox Business on Saturday, September 27; the segment is framed as part of the show’s regular lineup that profiles technology and business innovators.
- Coretek’s public materials and the feature emphasize three core capabilities: cloud modernization (Azure), security and compliance, and AI-driven business outcomes (cost reduction and quality improvement). The company also highlights industry-specific approaches — healthcare, manufacturing, retail — and its Microsoft partnership credentials.
- The television feature is presented as validation of Coretek’s evolution from a regional player to a nationally recognized Azure specialist; the program’s producers frame Coretek as a timely example of how businesses adopt cloud and AI.
Why this matters to Windows‑focused IT leaders and buyers
For IT professionals who manage Windows servers, Microsoft 365, and Azure workloads, this feature is more than a marketing moment — it’s a public demonstration of what an Azure‑centric managed services provider claims to deliver. Several reasons make this notable:- Vendor proof points matter: The Azure Expert MSP designation requires a documented audit and is a recognized trust indicator in the Microsoft partner ecosystem. Multiple public notices and Coretek’s own site confirm the designation. CIOs weigh partner certifications like this when selecting managed services providers or cloud integrators.
- AI & Azure integration is mainstream: Coretek’s messaging — that it invested significantly in AI in 2022 and now helps customers operationalize models on Azure — reflects a broader industry shift from experimentation to production-ready AI services. For Windows environments that already rely on Microsoft tooling, the ability to keep data and inference pipelines within Azure reduces integration friction.
- Security is front-and-center: Coretek promotes Azure security and compliance services, and membership in Microsoft’s partner security ecosystem (e.g., Microsoft Intelligent Security Association) is presented as part of that story. Security posture and managed detection are primary concerns for enterprise Windows administrators, and a partner that promises both Azure-native controls and security operations is addressing a real need.
Verifying the key claims (what’s confirmed and how)
- Coretek’s status as an Azure Expert Managed Service Provider is confirmed in Coretek’s own documentation and in an earlier independent press announcement (BusinessWire). The Azure Expert MSP program requires partners to pass an independent audit of people, processes, and technologies, which adds weight to the claim. This status appears in multiple official announcements and on Coretek’s corporate site.
- The TV feature and air date are corroborated by multiple press outlets republishing the show’s press release and listing the Fox Business air date for the episode; the show itself has public pages that document distribution on Fox Business, Bloomberg, and A&E. While syndicated broadcast schedules can vary by market, the press calendar lists the September 27 air date referenced in Coretek’s announcement. Viewers should verify local listings for final channel/time.
- Trending Today’s production credentials — including its Telly Awards recognitions — are also publicly noted in press releases issued by the show’s producers. Those awards provide independent, industry-level validation that the program is established and recognized for branded storytelling.
- Coretek’s website contains aspirational claims such as being the “#1 Microsoft Azure Cloud Provider in the United States.” Those are marketing statements that do not correspond to a single industry-standard ranking published by an independent third party. Treat superlative claims as vendor-marketing unless supported by independently verifiable market share reports or third‑party rankings.
Deep dive: Coretek’s technical positioning and product set
Cloud-first managed services and Azure specialization
Coretek’s public materials position the company as an Azure-first MSP with a portfolio that includes:- Managed Azure operations and monitoring (Insights and managed services).
- Data and analytics services built on Azure Synapse and related data tooling.
- Security operations and integration with Azure security services.
- Cloud migration and modernization services for legacy workloads.
AI investments and applied use cases
Coretek states it made a heavy investment in AI in 2022 and now helps clients apply AI to improve quality and lower costs. Public materials show the company promotes AI-enabled analytics, MLOps practices, and Azure-hosted inference and data processing. For organizations already invested in Microsoft stacks, this reduces integration complexity: Azure-native models, Azure Machine Learning, and Synapse pipelines work naturally with Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and other Microsoft governance services.Security and compliance focus
Coretek highlights Azure security specializations and membership in Microsoft security ecosystems. For regulated industries — healthcare, financial services, public sector — an MSP that can demonstrate Azure-native security controls, regulatory tooling (audit logs, data residency, encryption at rest/in transit), and incident response processes is valuable. However, buyers should always request third‑party security attestations (SOC2, penetration test reports) and inquire about real-world incident response playbooks and SLAs.Strengths: What Coretek’s public positioning gets right
- Alignment with Microsoft ecosystem: Coretek’s Azure Expert MSP recognition and visible Microsoft partnerships mean quicker access to product roadmaps, more direct support channels, and a partner playbook that favors Azure-native implementations. For enterprises using Windows Server, SQL Server, Microsoft 365, or Dynamics, a tight Azure partnership can reduce integration friction.
- End-to-end delivery model: The company emphasizes assessments, migrations, managed operations, and ongoing security — a typical set for an MSP built around cloud adoption lifecycles. This continuity can lower operational handoffs and accelerate time to value compared with piecemeal vendors.
- Applied AI capability: Public materials suggest Coretek moved past early experimentation into productized AI capabilities (analytics pipelines, MLOps support). For organizations who want to operationalize models without building teams from scratch, that kind of managed offering can be attractive.
- Brand amplification via media exposure: Being featured on a nationally syndicated show like “Trending Today” can increase vendor visibility and attract mid‑market buyers who may otherwise only consider larger national integrators. The show’s industry awards (Telly Awards) also lend credibility to the program’s production and distribution.
Risks, gaps, and what to validate during vendor due diligence
While Coretek’s public profile is strong, prudent IT leaders should evaluate these risk vectors before committing to a large engagement.- Vendor concentration and cloud lock‑in: Firms that push a single-cloud strategy can create switching costs. Buyers should require multi-region resilience, documented exit strategies, and clarity on where data and backups reside. Contracts should include data extraction, DR runbooks, and migration assistance if you later choose a different provider or cloud. (This risk is common with deep Azure integrations; mitigate with contractual SLAs and technical runbooks.)
- Security posture vs. marketing claims: Public claims about security specializations and MISA membership are useful signals, but they are not a substitute for independent third‑party attestations and red-team results. Require SOC2 Type II reports, penetration test summaries, and references from customers in similar regulatory regimes.
- AI governance and hallucination risk: Applying generative AI in business processes introduces new operational hazards (misinformation, hallucinations, incorrect recommendations). Any AI solution should include explainability, human-in-the-loop verification, data lineage, and strong prompt governance. Ensure model hosting, versioning, and retraining practices are transparent.
- Ambiguous performance claims: Marketing language like “#1 Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider in the U.S.” or “leader in Azure” should be treated as vendor positioning unless backed by industry-wide, independent rankings. Ask for measurable case studies with baseline metrics, exact ROI calculations, and access to customer references.
- Broadcast vs. product validation: Media exposure is not the same as independent technical validation. A TV feature is helpful for awareness but does not replace technical proof points, independent audits, or pilot projects.
Practical vendor evaluation checklist (for IT decision-makers)
- Request documented evidence of Azure Expert MSP status and the associated audit reports or attestations. Confirm the date of the last audit and any scope limitations.
- Obtain SOC2 Type II (or equivalent) reports and a summary of penetration testing and vulnerability remediation timelines.
- Ask for two to three customer references in your industry and ask to speak with operations and security contacts.
- Insist on a technical pilot scope with defined success metrics (performance, latency, cost savings, security KPIs).
- Verify AI governance procedures: model provenance, drift monitoring, human‑in‑the‑loop triggers, and data retention policies.
- Confirm contractual exit, data egress, and disaster recovery responsibilities — including sample runbooks.
- Request marketplace or bookstore artifacts (Azure Marketplace listings, technical whitepapers) and verify certifications of the delivery team (Azure certifications).
How Coretek’s approach maps to common enterprise architectures
- For Windows Server and SQL Server customers: Coretek’s Azure migration and managed operations are intended to replace on‑prem hosting with Azure IaaS/PaaS constructs while preserving identity via Entra ID and leveraging Azure Backup and Azure SQL Managed Instances. Buyers should map legacy dependent services (e.g., on‑prem AD trusts, specialized peripherals) to the migration plan.
- For hybrid cloud enterprises: Coretek’s messaging includes hybrid controls and Azure Arc–ready management patterns (Coretek references Azure management and hybrid tooling in its product descriptions). Confirm the specific hybrid architecture components (Arc, Stack HCI, ExpressRoute, SD‑WAN) and who owns each SLA during co‑managed phases.
- For AI and analytics workloads: The use of Azure Synapse or managed ML platforms keeps analytics close to source data and within Microsoft’s compliance boundary. Confirm model hosting options (Azure Machine Learning vs. Azure OpenAI vs. customer-owned inference runtimes), data residency, and whether models are trained on customer data or proprietary corpora.
The marketing moment: what being on “Trending Today” actually changes
Television exposure amplifies brand credibility and can accelerate lead generation, but its business value depends on follow-through: case studies, technical collateral, and rapid engagement mechanisms for prospects.- Visibility yields interest, but technical due diligence determines selection. The show’s storytelling is designed to humanize and simplify complex services for corporate buyers and boardroom audiences, not to substitute for technical audits.
- Reputational upside vs. procurement cycle: For mid‑market buyers who make faster purchasing decisions, the TV feature can shorten the consideration phase. For large enterprises with procurement, the segment functions more as a top‑of‑funnel brand play; procurement teams will still require deep technical validation.
Recommendations for prospective clients and partners
- Treat the broadcast as an invitation, not a commitment. Use the media exposure to initiate conversations and request a technical workshop or a short pilot. A well-scoped pilot with measurable KPIs is the best way to validate claims about cost reduction, quality improvement, and operational readiness.
- For security-conscious organizations, make SOC2 Type II reports and recent penetration test summaries gating factors for any discussions. Insist on contractual obligations for incident response timelines and cross‑tenant access controls.
- Evaluate AI engagements with a clear governance checklist: who owns the model, where training data is stored, how retraining is controlled, and what human oversight exists for production outputs.
- If multi‑cloud flexibility matters, require clear migration/egress clauses, and test a DR failover plan during a pilot phase.
Conclusion
Coretek’s appearance on “Trending Today” puts a Microsoft-aligned, Azure-centric managed services firm in front of a national audience at a time when enterprise buyers are actively consolidating cloud and AI relationships. The company’s Azure Expert MSP designation and its marketing around Azure security and AI investments are supported by multiple public statements and partner announcements, creating a credible narrative for organizations looking to accelerate cloud modernization on Microsoft technologies.That said, broadcast exposure does not replace rigorous technical validation. IT decision-makers should convert marketing claims into measurable proof through pilots, verified security attestations, and vendor-referenced case studies — especially when the work touches regulated data or mission-critical systems. The combination of Azure-native security controls, applied AI, and managed services that Coretek promises is compelling in outline; the real test for buyers will be documented delivery, transparent governance, and contractual assurances that protect data, continuity, and the ability to change providers if business needs evolve.
- Key takeaways:
- Coretek is publicly documented as an Azure Expert MSP and promotes managed Azure, security, and AI services.
- The company will be featured on “Trending Today,” a syndicated business program recognized with Telly Awards; the episode’s media push intends to showcase Coretek’s cloud and AI work.
- Purchasing teams should demand measurable pilot scopes, security attestations, and contractual exit/egress terms before committing to large engagements.
Source: The Clarion-Ledger 'Trending Today' TV Series on Fox Business to Feature Coretek's Cutting-Edge Cloud and AI Solutions in Upcoming Episode
