In this episode, we discuss enterprise technology management and what it can do for your business. Gone are the days of having a small pool of vendors supporting your business. Now, it’s dozens of technologies, and brand-new or evolving ones at that! We explore some of the common questions that arise as a result of these changes. How can you keep track of the rapid pace of evolution in technology? How do you know what you’re actually spending your money on? How do you integrate new technologies into various businesses? Listen in and learn as we answer these questions and more!

There is a lot of evolution in the UCaaS and CCaaS space these days. In this episode, Brent Wilford, AVANT’s Director of Cloud Engineering, talks to Ken Presti about the benefits of convergence, the right place to begin migrations, and how all of this is impacting customer expectations.

UCaaS and CCaaS are growing together! In this episode, Ken Presti interviews AVANT’s Chris Brennan on what’s driving the convergence, how to approach it from a strategic point-of-view, the role of AI and more!

Secure Access Service Edge is a technology framework that combines a variety of security features with higher levels of network performance. In this episode, Ken Presti speaks with Matt Douglass of CBTS about how to get the most out of SASE, given your current IT environment.

What are the key indicators that a ransomware attack is getting underway? In this episode, Ken Presti interviews Mark Sangster, VP, Industry Security Strategies at eSentire. We’ll talk about what to look out for, how often to be on the lookout, how to build a response plan and more!

Unified Communications as a Service, better known as UCaaS, and its sister technology for the Contact Center, CCaaS, have been growing towards one another. In this episode, Ken Presti and Fuze CRO Chris Jones discuss the primary drivers, technical considerations, workforce considerations, and the overall impact of this development.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has emerged as the new frontier of IT security and application performance. In this episode, Ken Presti speaks with Mark Peay, a channel director at Cato Networks, who specializes in SASE and offers great insights for decision makers wondering where SASE should fit into their strategies.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a framework for improving security and application performance. In this episode, Ken Presti speaks with Masergy's Rich Korn about how enterprise decision-makers and their Trusted Advisors can plan, implement, and get the most out of SASE.

IT Security is a constantly moving target that makes this fundamental necessity an inherently complex challenge. In this episode, Ken Presti speaks with Seth Marsh of the McCracken Group about how to build an effective security strategy.

Your selection of a UCaaS platform is one of your company's most far-reaching technology decisions. Ken Presti interviews Dialpad's Jen Jackson on key things to consider when making your decision. Highlights include differentiation, evaluating features, economics, and when to begin the process.

Picking the right balance between cloud technologies and on-prem solutions can be a major challenge. In this episode, Ken Presti speaks with Howard Shaw, director of technical strategy & engineering at SHI, about best practices to navigate Hybrid IT. 3:42 Key Factors 6:26 Is Hybrid an Interim Strategy? 10:00 Cost vs. Performance 14:39 Sorting through Options

Zoom's projected $14.7 billion acquisition of Five9 is clearly a game-changer for this technology space. In this episode, AVANT's Ken Presti hosts Forrester analyst Jay McBain for a thought-provoking analysis of the underlying strategy.

The Work-from-Anywhere model has inspired the rapid emergence of the Digital Workspace. In this episode, Scott Kinka of EvolveIP discusses the opportunity to differentiate your company, the lessons of Covid, how IT is changing, and more.

With a ransomware attack happening as often as every 11 seconds, Thrive's Dave Sampson tells Ken Presti how companies need to plan for prevention, response, and recovery. Don't let your company become the next victim. Here's some hands-on advice!

The Verizon DBIR is a bellwether of what's happening in IT Security. Our guest, Verizon's Chris Novak, covers the main takeaways of the report, and also explains how paying off ransomware just might get the victim into legal trouble.

New technologies are driving much more than stronger value propositions. They are driving the next industrial revolution, according to Bryn Norton, VP of IT Solution Sales at Lumen Technologies. In this episode, Bryn and Ken Presti discuss how to plan, navigate, and maximize success in the new paradigm.

IT Security is an ongoing fight between good guys and bad guys. In this episode, Ken Presti talks to Adam Burke, VP of Sales at Quest, about best practices for defining risks and fending off attacks -- especially along three very important vectors.

When it comes to leveraging technology for the betterment of your company, Digital Transformation is the strategic underpinning that makes good things happen. In this episode, Ken Presti talks to Advocate CMO Chad Doiron about how to get the most impact for your technology dollars.

Cybersecurity is a fundamental necessity for every company. The fact that there is a security labor shortage adds an extra layer of complexity. In this episode, Ken Presti and Matthew Toth, president of C3 Technology Advisors, discuss how to maximize your company's defenses at a time when staffing is such a challenge.

Cloud computing may be the default technology option to many IT executives, but, in many cases, a hybrid approach may be your best option. Ken Presti interviews Greg Moss, CEO of CloudAdvise, in this episode.

As the business world continues to ride the wave of a dangerous global pandemic, how has the past year impacted management from a relationship standpoint? In this episode, Ken Presti speaks with AVANT's Bana Qashu about lessons learned while managing through Covid-19.

Artificial Intelligence has become a key component to maintaining solid customer satisfaction. In this episode, Ken Presti speaks with Amir Hameed of RingCentral about how this development impacts businesses and raises the bar for success. Sentiment analysis, analytics, and the future of AI are among the main topics.

The rush to a work-from-home business model began just about a year ago. In this episode, Ken Presti talks with LogMeIn's Sid Castle about what we've learned from the experience, new approaches to technology, and how the much-anticipated hybrid work model is likely to evolve.

AVANT's new State of Disruption Report is a market research document that measures the rates at which new technologies are displacing older ones. In this episode, Ken Presti outlines the details of this free report with AVANT CSO, Alex Danyluk.

UCaaS and CCaaS both represent a chance to leverage software tools toward higher effectiveness and customer satisfaction. In this episode, Ken Presti tackles this topic with Greg Franzen of Vonage, who examines this opportunity and its impacts on the sales process.

Disaster Recovery as a Service, commonly known as DRaaS, has emerged as a critical IT component in the midst of hacks and other risks that can take down your business. In this episode, Ken Presti talks to Dante Orsini of iland about how DRaaS services have gained market traction, and how enterprise decision-makers can plan, implement, test, and get the most out of their DRaaS solutions.

A major breach captures world attention. Then there's ransomware, the effects of Covid-19, the emergence of SASE, and a whole lot of other IT security impacts. In this episode, analyst and author Richard Stiennon explores these topics with Ken Presti in advance of Stiennon's upcoming release, "The Security Yearbook 2021."

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is the new frontier of security and networking. In this episode, Dave Nuti, head of channels at Open Systems, walks us through how this approach to technology might raise your company to a higher level in the age of the cloud.

Some tools are so ingrained in the professional human psyche that they can essentially force their way into environments built around competing products. In this episode, Ken Presti discusses this phenomenon with 8x8 CTO Bryan Martin, who shares his views on how companies can most effectively navigate this trend.

Post-Covid? Or maybe mid-Covid. Whatever your views, Scott Kinka of EvolveIP talks to Ken Presti about five IT considerations your competitors hope you'll forget.

Customer experience has emerged as a key component of the sales offer. In this episode, Geoff Chretien of Genesys tells Ken Presti about the critical role of enhanced communication leveraging artificial intelligence and a host of other capabilities.

The move back to the office brings about a range of new challenges. In this episode, Kevin Thomsen of Zoom Video Communications offers some real world options for a safe transition.

While closing the deal is the focal point of Sales, getting your foot in the door is the all-important first step. In this episode, Ken Presti talks to Ray Ruecker, author of the book, "How to Score from 1st Base (in Sales)."

Backup and Disaster Recovery get no respect -- at least not until bad things happen. In this episode, Ken Presti interviews AVANT Director of Engineering, Niko O'Hara, about how to build and execute a solid plan for backup and DR, providing high functionality without breaking the bank.

Workforce Optimization and Speech Analytics are factoring heavily into the future of CCaaS. In this episode, Ken Presti speaks with Ryan McCormick of Five9 about how all this impacts plans made by today's enterprise decision makers.

When it comes to IT Security, the stakes are higher than ever before! Especially in the midst of Covid-19. We're talking to Steve Durbin, Managing Director of the Information Security Forum, about how CISOs can more effectively balance risk, establish better disaster planning, build successful security policies, and more.

Artificial Intelligence is not just a futuristic pipedream; it's here now! Rusty Jensen of Nice inContact tells us how AI fits into hosted voice, and how that combination translates to higher customer satisfaction.

Hosted Voice has gathered huge momentum -- especially amidst the global pandemic. But what about the security aspect of this technology? AVANT's Ken Presti speaks with Mark Marquez of Momentum Telecom to assess the risks and the remedies.

CCaaS is increasingly augmented by AI as a means of building world class customer service. In this episode, Ken Presti talks to Andy Dignan of Five 9 about what all this can mean to YOUR business.

Cyberattacks have seen major growth in the midst of the global pandemic. Phishing tactics have changed. Ransomware is taking on a whole new dimension. Ken Presti speaks with Derek Manky, from Fortinet, which has released its new Global Threat Landscape Report that details these developments and more.

The "New Normal" has become society's new buzz term. In this episode, Ken Presti talks to Forrester analyst Jay McBain about how the New Normal applies to the use of technology. Let's talk about automation, security, cloud acceleration, and more! What's the next step in planning your company's tech strategy?

In this episode, Ken Presti interviews Valerie Espie Bourseau, of 8x8, discussing the benefits this technology can bring to customer relationships, how to leverage a multichannel and omnichannel environment, how to align your staffing with call routing capabilities, and a whole lot more. 

Ensuring success amidst a global pandemic and related economic issues poses a challenge for companies of every size. In this episode, AVANT CFO Brendan Taylor outlines key issues, including contingency planning, the costs of action vs. inaction, and strategies for keeping your people focused and secure.

CCaaS has emerged as a key technology in strengthening customer relationships. In this episode, Ken Presti talks to Tim Montgomery, of Alamo Cloud Solutions, who gets us up-to-speed on both the technical and human implications. Tune in!

AVANT's new 6-12 Report on UCaaS brings a wealth of market research on Unified Communications-as-a-Service. In this episode, AVANT's Ken Presti walks you through the highlights, including an 86% surge in UCaaS customer interest when the Coronavirus pandemic began.

Digital Transformation involves a wide range of options for your consideration. In this interview by Ken Presti, AVANT Cloud Engineer Bill Franklin helps us navigate the process while using an analogy guaranteed to kick up some suds. (This podcast should be poured down the side of your glass)

What happens when your company is required to use specific software in order to do business in a foreign country, and that software carries malware providing a free pass to your intellectual property? Ken Presti interviews Steve Pierce of Trustwave, whose researchers uncovered that exact scenario.

"Most of the breaches took less than 10 steps" and many took less than five. In this episode, we discuss the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) with Chris Novak, director of Verizon's Threat Research Advisory Center, which looks at incidents and breaches by the numbers.

Where should Microsoft Teams fit in to your communications infrastructure strategy? Bundled with Office 365, Teams offers certain capabilities while other capabilities are delivered by other companies, making cost/feature comparisons especially important. AVANT director of cloud engineering, Brent Wilford, provides his opinions on this topic with host, Ken Presti. 

Aryaka Networks has recently released its "Global State of the WAN Report" for 2020. In this episode, Aryaka's SVP of WW Channels, Olen Scott, sits down with Ken Presti for a lively discussion on how the WAN is evolving to support the worldwide emphasis on cloud-based apps.

A well-designed proof-of-concept can be a huge advantage in making the right technology decision.  In this episode, Ken Presti talk to AVANT Sr. Cloud Sales Engineer John Paullin about best practices to maximize your success through effective POCs.

Is GDPR going to die? In this episode, AVANT's Ken Presti takes a deep-dive into this European privacy regulation with Ian Thornton Trump, a CISO based in London, England who is well-versed in  matters of risk and governance.

Zero Trust has become a key strategy in cloud security. In this episode, AVANT's Ken Presti speaks with Chris Riley, CISO of Ntirety, on how to fully leverage this approach for the defense of your company.

Defenses against phishing a ransomware factor HUGELY In Part One of our special panel discussion, based on the AVANT 6-12 Report on IT Security. Join AVANT's Ken Presti with Jack Danahy of AlertLogic, Leo Taddeo of the Cyxtera Federal Group and Ray Watson of Masergy for a lively discussion.

Fast cars can go faster because they have good brakes!  Find out what that has to do with IT security in Part Two of my panel discussion with Jack Danahy of AlertLogic, Leo Taddeo of the Cyxtera Federal Group, and Ray Watson of Masergy. We also talk about securing home networks (and related liability), credential theft, and a whole lot more.

SASE, or Secure Access Service Edge, promises to bring many of the same advantages of the cloud to IT security. In this episode, AVANT's Ken Presti talks to subject matter expert Dave Greenfield of Cato Networks. Can SASE help your company to achieve higher levels of security and operational efficiency? Tune in to find out.

Dropping in a UCaaS system is only half the battle. The next step is about training and user acceptance. In this episode, Ken Presti interviews Blair Pleasant, an independent industry analyst with CommFusion and BC Strategies, abut issues around the conversion, and how to win hearts and minds.

Ken Presti interviews Jed Brown, SVP of Product & Design at Fuze. We discuss ways in which UCaaS meets customer needs, key verticals in which this technology is especially useful, how to spot the necessary differentiators, stage an effective proof-of-concept, and ultimately make the best decision.

What does it take to protect your company in a world of data breaches and, most recently, exploits associated with the Coronavirus? in this week's episode, AVANT's Ken Presti speaks with cybersecurity and data privacy attorney Shawn Tuma about the legal implications of a cyberattack, and how you can make sure your company can defend itself from the legal implications.

Our world is going through a phase that will have long-term ramifications to how we think about remote work. AVANT's Ken Presti speaks with Dialpad chief strategy officer Dan O'Connell about a new emphasis on video and messaging as people seek easier ways to communicate without being in the same room.

The move to a remote workforce includes a variety of factors, both human and technological. In Episode 14, Ken Presti has a chat with Dan Harrison, president of Up-Front Technologies, a Denver-based Trusted Advisor, about how to manage the transition without forgetting anything important.

Whether it's based on concerns about global pandemics or the more traditional need for cost control, UCaaS is something that every company should consider. AVANT's Ken Presti visits with Kendra Karczewski, Enterprise Technology Advisor for Stratosphere Networks, who shares some compelling ideas on how to assess UCaaS -- especially when speed is important.

Your company wants to decide how to communicate with your company, and technology is available to make that happen. In Episode 12, Jim McGarry, Regional Vice President of Channel Sales at Mitel, talks about key differentiators, important training aspects, and the most compelling use cases for Unified Communications as a Service.

Assessing UCaaS solutions, identifying the differentiators, and understanding the benefits of this critical communications technology. In Episode 11 of "AVANT Technology Insights with Ken Presti," Jamaal Savwoir, Director of Sales Engineering at 8x8, helps enterprise decision-makers successfully make the call.

Adoption of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) can provide a major benefit to your customer experience scores. In Episode 10, AVANT's Ken Presti speaks with Dave Dyson, CEO of Eclipse Telecom, who explains how to assess UCaaS offers, derive the most benefit from this technology, and step around the unseen pitfalls.

Security needs to be integrated into every aspect of IT, but how can you accomplish that? In Episode 9, Opex Technologies CTO Ben Thornton provides clear guidelines, and also explores how to become the "solution" person instead of the "no" person.

In Episode 8 of 'AVANT Technology Insights with Ken Presti," our guest is Ben Ferguson, EVP and Network-Cloud Architect at Shamrock Consulting Group, a Trusted Advisor to Enterprise IT leaders. Ben talks about IT security, including setting up your infrastructure, access control, authentication, encryption, dealing with GDPR and more.

In Episode 7 of AVANT Technology Insights with Ken Presti,  our guest is Ray Watson, VP of Technology at Masergy. Ray and Ken talk about ransomware, the nightmare scenario of IT security faced by companies of all sizes and geographies. When your data is locked up, should you pay or not pay? We tackle this question, as well as a number of issues related to keeping your data safe.

SCADA vulnerabilities, nation/state actors, and a host of other IT security issues factor heavily in the role of Principal Incident Responder Lesley Carhart. Episode 6 of "AVANT Technology Insights with Ken Presti" shows you where the IT Security "puck" is going.

Becoming a Trusted Advisor is about solving your customers' business problems in an "agnostic" way that ultimately solidifies the relationship between the Trusted Advisor and the customer. In this podcast, Drew Lydecker and Ken Presti discuss how companies can raise this customer-centric focus towards better meeting the needs of the customer while building their own success -- thereby making them true Trusted Advisors.

Key players in the IT Security field provide best practices and advice on how your company can keep your data safe in the fast-moving threat landscape of 2020.

Members of the tech industry provide predictions, ideas, ad great thoughts on what the IT industry has in store for 2020. Be sure to subscribe to the show!

Cybersecurity has become one of the most challenging aspects of modern-day business in a world constantly threatened by a wide variety of exploits. In this episode, AVANT's Ken Presti introduces you to Leo Taddeo, former FBI agent in charge of the bureau's New York cybersecurity operation and current chief information security officer at Cyxtera. Our interview covers how to get the most from your cybersecurity investments, and how to engage real-time response when attacks happen. Be sure to subscribe to the show!