Sales Engineering Ninja Notes: Technology and Vendor Updates

In the dynamic technology landscape, staying ahead of the latest updates is crucial to effectively guide and advise your clients. At AVANT, we recognize that your success hinges on having access to a strong foundation of knowledge. To achieve this, our Sales Engineers go beyond traditional training. They work hard to forge powerful connections with key solution providers. They also seek out and acquire the latest vendor-agnostic certifications so ensure our Trusted Advisors are equipped with the most current technology developments. When partners engage with AVANT SEs, they don’t simply tap into a wealth of information. They instantly connect with a heightened level of vendor insight that sets them apart in the competitive tech landscape.  

SEs don’t just use these trainings to evolve their own expertise. To make updates accessible and digestible for Trusted Advisors, they curate Ninja Notes. These are a deep dive into new products, features, and vendor updates. With these notes, partners can keep customers connected with the latest technologies for their business needs. Check out a recap of some of our newest Ninja Notes, below! Make sure to log into your Pathfinder 2.0 and see a full breakdown of our Ninja Notes, under the Education & Training tab on your home page. 

Security

• eSentire – The eSentire SOC consists of 150 analysts: 50% tier 1, 30% tier 2, 20% tier 3. They continue to invest in automation and AI to increase detection and improve the customer experience. 
• Ontinue – Ontinue is 100% focused on Microsoft (365, Sentinel, Teams, Defender) for MXDR. Leveraging AI, reactive & proactive support, and four top-tier SOCs, they achieve high customer retention and MSFT awards.
• Simeio – Simeio is 100% focused on identity. They provide pro & managed services for all the top products in access management, PAM, identity governance & administration, and risk intelligence.
• Trustwave – Trustwave is a key security provider for Microsoft customers, winning numerous partner awards. They offer complimentary workshops, paid advisory services, and ongoing managed security for MSFT 365 Defender, Sentinel SIEM, and Defender for Cloud. 

CCaaS & UCaaS

• Observe.ai – Observe.ai offers a number of contact center overlay technologies that augment the underlying contact center platform. Their offerings include real-time AI-powered assistants to help human agents retrieve timely information, as well as post-interaction analytics to help organizations improve their quality of service. 
• Uniphore – Uniphore offers a number of contact center overlay technologies that augment the underlying contact center platform. Their offerings include virtual agents wielding natural language processing and understanding technologies to facilitate automated self-service, as well as post-interaction analytics to help organizations improve their quality of service.
• LiveVox – LiveVox a number of contact center overlay technologies that augment the underlying contact center platform. Their offerings include virtual agents wielding natural language processing and understanding technologies to facilitate automated self-service, as well as post-interaction analytics to help organizations improve their quality of service.
• SimpleVOIP – SimpleVOIP is a UCaaS/CCaaS vendor whose specialty is in servicing restaurant and retail companies with 10+ branch locations. They are a US-based organization with data centers in Chicago, Newark, and San Jose (CA). They also offer POTS line replacement solutions.
• Net2Phone – Net2Phone now offers their own proprietary CCaaS solution called uContact. It is digitally enabled, including email/chat/SMS/WhatsApp/Instagram/Facebook channels, is priced on a concurrent agent basis (vs. named user licensing), and offers AI-powered post-interaction analytics for agent coaching and sentiment analysis.
• Zoom – A recent acquisition by Zoom, Workvivo is an Employee Experience (EX) solution meant to keep internal culture and morale high. It encompasses internal communications, a digital workplace (intranet), and engagement tools. Available standalone, you can think of it as a social network for work.  

Cloud & Colocation

• CoreSite – CoreSite has data centers in new markets: Atlanta and Orlando. They’re seeing a colocation surge due to AI use cases and high performance computers. And they continue to expand their Open Cloud Exchange with vRouter and Virtual Edge to enable multi cloud access.
• DataBank – DataBank offers four primary services: Colocation, Bare Metal (coming soon), IaaS (self-service or managed), and DRaaS. Differentiators include compliance (they can support FedRAMP for government customers), flexibility to shift contract spend, and their data center presence (70 facilities in 30 edge markets). 
• Equinix – Equinix is the #1 provider of multi cloud on-ramps, globally, with nearly 250 data centers in 52 metros on five continents, providing access to AWS, Azure, Google, Oracle, IBM, Alibaba, and more. 
• Evolve IP – As IT budgets decrease, Evolve still sees investment in Security and Customer Experience, which fits directly into their product set: Desktop as a Service & Office 365, and Communications, Collaboration, & Contact Center. Virtual desktops (even with GPUs), Cisco Webex, and Microsoft Teams are all great fits.  
• Flexential – Flexential’s pro services encompass Architecture & Transformation, Cloud Optimization, DevOps, CyberSecurity, Compliance, and DR. Their new “Plan, Test, Ready” bundle makes it easy for midsize clients to consume DRaaS. 
• TierPoint – TierPoint has expanded their managed services for AWS and Azure, including compensation on Azure spend and free cost optimization workshops. They’re also offering high-density colo, up to 85 kW/rack, in select markets. This is more and more common with customers running AI workloads. 
• Ubistor – UbiStor has brought on Druva as another backup and DR technology. This solution is entirely cloud-based, provides broad protection of various workloads, and eradicates workloads across backups.
• UpCurve Cloud – Upcurve, the Google SMB Partner of the Year, is 100% focused on Google Workspace. They provide migration services, training, security, support, and client management.
• Zenlayer – Zenlayer offers CDN, cloud networking, and bare metal all over the world. They specialize in hard-to-reach locations, like the Middle East, South America, India, Africa, and China. Of their 300 POPs, more than 70 offer bare metal cloud.

Connectivity & SASE

• CATO Networks – Cato continues to refine their all-in-one SASE solution, encompassing use cases like SD-WAN, SSE, FWaaS, and remote users (ZTNA). They continue to add functionality, like granular CASB, Remote Browser Isolation, and SaaS API security.
• Netskope – We can offer Netskope SASE via Halo Global. Netskope is a Gartner MQ leader for Security Service Edge (SSE), inclusive of SWG, CASB, ZTNA, RBI, and Cloud Firewall. They also offer SD-WAN via their acquisition of Infiot in August 2022. 
• vMOX – vMOX, who is primarily focused on mobility services, is now offering managed services around SD-WAN for restaurant and retail locations using two or more wireless internet circuits.
• ZTNA – Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) can be a standalone technology or a feature of SSE/SASE that provides secure remote access to a company’s applications and resources by verifying the users’ identity and context before granting access to only the specific resources that user needs.

In a fast-paced world of technology evolution, AVANT Sales Engineers are a strong bridge that connects you and your customers to the latest in IT solutions. Their commitment to continuous learning and strategic collaborations empowers AVANT partners with a distinct advantage over competition! Leverage AVANT resources like our SEs and provider portfolio to access a direct link to vendor and solution knowledge. 

Log into your Pathfinder 2.0 account now and fill out an Interactive Quick Assessment to connect with our SEs today! Plus, check out our entire AVANT portfolio here or in your Pathfinder 2.0 account. From there, dive into additional content like key differentiators, training modules, and marketing materials.