DataBank Announces Strategic Investment in AVANT's New Dallas, TX Battle Lab

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Apr 10, 2019, 09:01 ET

LAS VEGAS, April 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CHANNEL PARTNERS CONFERENCE -- DataBank and AVANT Communications ("AVANT"), a platform for IT decision-making and the nation's premier distributor for next generation technology, have joined forces to drive further partner awareness of DataBank in the strategic Dallas, Texas market and beyond. DataBank, a leading provider of enterprise-class data center, connectivity, managed services and cloud, understands the changing landscape that enterprises face in managing their critical IT requirements.

AVANT BattleLabs are state-of-the-art training and channel sales enablement centers for use by its ecosystem of partners. The first BattleLab opened in Chicago in 2016, at AVANT's global headquarters. The BattleLab was created as a training center for channel sales-enablement, a lab to demonstrate UCaaS solutions side by side and an executive briefing center for use by its channel community with customers. The new Dallas BattleLab is a key investment in AVANT's Channel Sales Enablement capabilities and will help bring the full AVANT ecosystem of IT solutions to life for customers and partners.

BattleLabs are used for activities including:

Closing sales opportunities with partners' customers
Live demonstrations with partners and their customers in the UCaaS/CCaaS demo lab

SD-WAN live demonstrations will be integrated in the near future

Training events
New agent sales onboarding sessions
Partner pitch practice sessions
BattleBriefing broadcasts
AVANT Special Forces training
AVANT Advisory Board meetings
Office hours with AVANT partners

The company envisions BattleLabs as world-class training facilities to accelerate enablement of channel sales. Every aspect of the design of each BattleLab is built with sales enablement in mind.

"We are extremely excited to be a part of such a monumental step in AVANT's North American expansion initiatives," said Bill Pratt, DataBank's VP of Channel and Managed Services. "DataBank is investing heavily in partnerships as part of our go-to-market strategy and AVANT is one of those key players in the space."

DataBank's 3^rd Dallas facility, DFW3, is located just down the street from AVANT's new BattleLab location.

"We are pleased that DataBank has decided to become a part of the AVANT family and we look forward to great success with the newly forged partnership," said Ian Kieninger, CEO of AVANT. "The time could not be better for a hybrid cloud and security provider like DataBank, and we expect big things from their FedRAMP/FISMA capabilities in the channel."

About DataBank
DataBank is a leading provider of enterprise-class data center, cloud, and interconnection services, offering customers 100% uptime availability of data, applications and infrastructure. Databank's managed data center services are anchored in world-class facilities. Our customized technology solutions are designed to help customers effectively manage risk, improve their technology performance and allow them to focus on their core business objectives. DataBank is headquartered in the historic former Federal Reserve Bank Building, in downtown Dallas, TX. For additional information on DataBank locations and services, please visit www.databank.com or call 1(800) 840-7533.

About AVANT Communications
AVANT Communications is a platform for IT decision-making and the nation's premier distributor for next generation technologies. AVANT adds unique value with its focus and expertise in channel sales assistance, sales training, sales guidance, and sales tools to fuel IT services business growth. From complex cloud designs to global wide-area network deployments, AVANT sets the industry standard in enabling its partners and clients to make intelligent decisions about services, technology and cost-effective communications. For more information, visit www.goavant.net, or connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE DataBank