Leading channel distributor adds enhancements to its signature platform to help Trusted Advisors assist enterprise customers faster with IT decision-making
July 21, 2020 – CHICAGO – AVANT Communications (“AVANT”), a platform for IT decision-making and the nation’s premier distributor for next generation technology, today released new enhancements to Pathfinder — the most powerful face-to-face IT decision-making tool for enterprise customers. Pathfinder is now equipped with Quick Quote and five new Dynamic Matrices to provide enterprise customers with faster, more comprehensive information. Accessible on any device, Pathfinder is available exclusively to AVANT’s growing ecosystem of Trusted Advisors.
“AVANT is thrilled to be offering Quick Quote, as well as several new matrices, to our community of Trusted Advisors, partners and enterprise clients,” said Ian Kieninger, CEO and Co-founder, AVANT. “We’re always listening to our stakeholders and looking for new opportunities to innovate and enhance the high-quality tools we already provide. We normally release three matrices in a year, but our team has gone above and beyond in the first half of 2020 by doubling that. This data, which could normally take months to acquire and compile, is available and customizable in real-time at a moment’s notice on Pathfinder. As technology selection continues to accelerate, our enterprise customers can be confident in the fact that they have the most up-to-date and comprehensive information available.”
Newly added enhancements to Pathfinder include:
- Quick Quote – Allows Trusted Advisors and pricing analysts to get the latest pricing information on any fiber-optic cable, broadband, 5G or MPLS solution in the United States from over 26 providers. By simply selecting the type of network connectivity and desired address(es), Trusted Advisors can receive real-time information within 60 seconds from all nearby providers, helping their clients make faster and better informed decisions.
- DaaS Matrix – Desktop as a Service provides virtual desktops to end users, allowing them to use any mobile device. It differs from VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) in that the provider hosts and manages the desktop virtualization platform.
- IaaS Matrix – Infrastructure as a Service provides virtual or physical servers on demand. The servers, storage and network hardware are located in the provider’s data center and abstracted from the customer.
- TEM Matrix – Telecom Expense Management involves the analysis of telecom service orders, inventory, bills and disputes, in order to reduce telecom spend. This matrix includes a la carte outsourced services across a business’s entire telecom lifecycle, from initial orders to ongoing management to contract terms. It can include auditing, inventory creation, project management, trouble ticket management and escalation management.
- Email & Productivity Matrix – It is a managed SaaS solution providing hosted email, web and desktop applications (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, etc), file storage and optionally voice. Popular solutions include Microsoft 365 and Google G Suite.
- UCaaS Matrix: Network – This matrix outlines network-related services Unified Communications as a Service providers can offer, including SD-WAN, Internet Circuits, dedicated voice circuits and SIP trunking. It also indicates carriers these UCaaS providers have NNIs with and which benefits a customer might derive by connecting to UCaaS via each carrier’s network.
AVANT’s network of Trusted Advisors is made up of channel professionals fully enabled to help CIOs, CISOs and other enterprise decision-makers keep up with the rapid rate of technological change. Pathfinder is an integrated platform built on Salesforce Communities, with multiple modules to facilitate IT decision-making. Dynamic matrices on Pathfinder allow for side-by-side, real-time comparison of key solution areas, such as UCaaS, Security, SD-WAN and Cloud with dynamic criteria selection and ranking.
“This platform for IT decision making allows our customers to make better informed and faster decisions,” said Ron Hayman, Chief Cloud Officer and COO, AVANT. “We have upgraded the Pathfinder with the latest in AVANT’s arsenal of technology, market research and insights. Our Trusted Advisors need to guide enterprise customers to the optimal technology selection, navigating past the accelerating pace of change and confusion in today’s IT world. Quick Quote and our several new dynamic matrices reduce the time and complexity involved in gathering telecommunications solutions, providers and their pricing. This next-level intel helps Trusted Advisors deliver next-generation services to their enterprise customers, ensuring they stay ahead of the competition.”
To learn more about Pathfinder and AVANT’s offerings visit the AVANT website: https://goavant.net/
About AVANT Communications
AVANT Communications is a platform for IT decision-making and the nation’s premier distributor for next-generation technologies. AVANT provides unique value to its extensive network of Trusted Advisors with original research, channel sales assistance, training, and tools to guide decision-making around IT services that promote business growth. From complex cloud designs to global wide-area network deployments to the latest in security services, AVANT sets the industry standard in enabling its partners and clients to make intelligent, data-driven decisions about services, technology and cost-effective communications. For more information, visit www.goavant.net, or connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.