Mattias Fridström continues the conversation with Rob Merhej, VP EMEA at AVANT, exploring how advisory‑led partners create long‑term value for customers – and why connectivity remains central to everything from AI to customer experience.In this episode, they discuss:<ul><li>How AVANT supports partners beyond the initial deal through ongoing advisory, cross‑sell, and up‑sell engagement</li><li>What separates top‑performing trusted advisors – and why selling multiple services per customer matters</li><li>How AVANT stays ahead of vendor roadmaps with specialist engineers and tools like Pathfinder and Atlas</li><li>Why AI deployments often fail without the right data center, bandwidth, and network design in place</li><li>The shift of unified communications into broader CX and contact‑center transformations</li><li>Growing awareness of AI security, governance, sustainability, and talent challenges</li><li>A look ahead at the next five years – from multi‑gig connectivity to AI as an everyday work companion</li></ul>A lively conversation on connectivity, AI, and the advisory models powering the next wave of the technology channel. Tune in and get ahead of what’s next.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Mattias Fridström continues the conversation with Rob Merhej, VP EMEA at AVANT, exploring how advisory‑led partners create long‑term value for customers – and why connectivity remains central to everything from AI to customer experience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, they discuss:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;How AVANT supports partners beyond the initial deal through ongoing advisory, cross‑sell, and up‑sell engagement&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;What separates top‑performing trusted advisors – and why selling multiple services per customer matters&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How AVANT stays ahead of vendor roadmaps with specialist engineers and tools like Pathfinder and Atlas&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why AI deployments often fail without the right data center, bandwidth, and network design in place&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The shift of unified communications into broader CX and contact‑center transformations&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Growing awareness of AI security, governance, sustainability, and talent challenges&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;A look ahead at the next five years – from multi‑gig connectivity to AI as an everyday work companion&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;A lively conversation on connectivity, AI, and the advisory models powering the next wave of the technology channel. Tune in and get ahead of what’s next.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Mattias Fridström continues the conversation with Rob Merhej, VP EMEA at AVANT, exploring how advisory‑led partners create long‑term value for customers – and why connectivity remains central to everything from AI to customer experience. In this episode, they discuss: How AVANT supports partners beyond the initial deal through ongoing advisory, cross‑sell, and up‑sell engagementWhat separates top‑performing trusted advisors – and why selling multiple services per customer mattersHow AVANT sta...

EP64: Trusted advisors, AI infrastructure, and the evolving role of connectivity

What’s reshaping the future of the technology channel? Rob Merhej, VP EMEA at AVANT, joins Mattias Fridström to discuss:<ul><li>How AVANT evolved from a small startup to a global advisory‑led technology services distributor</li><li>The shift from traditional reselling to a modern trusted‑advisor model across cloud, connectivity, co‑location, cybersecurity, and AI</li><li>Why recurring‑revenue, as‑a‑service solutions are now central to partner go‑to‑market strategies</li><li>How AVANT supports partners with engineering expertise and agnostic guidance to navigate complex, multi‑site customer requirements</li><li>Key differences between the US and European channel ecosystems – and how European markets are rapidly catching up</li><li>The impact of AI deployments, co‑location growth, and increasing connectivity demands on the channel’s momentum</li></ul>Don’t miss this insightful look into how the partner landscape is evolving – and why the trusted‑advisor model is becoming indispensable in today’s technology world.

<description>&lt;p&gt;What’s reshaping the future of the technology channel? Rob Merhej, VP EMEA at AVANT, joins Mattias Fridström to discuss:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;How AVANT evolved from a small startup to a global advisory‑led technology services distributor&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The shift from traditional reselling to a modern trusted‑advisor model across cloud, connectivity, co‑location, cybersecurity, and AI&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why recurring‑revenue, as‑a‑service solutions are now central to partner go‑to‑market strategies&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How AVANT supports partners with engineering expertise and agnostic guidance to navigate complex, multi‑site customer requirements&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Key differences between the US and European channel ecosystems – and how European markets are rapidly catching up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The impact of AI deployments, co‑location growth, and increasing connectivity demands on the channel’s momentum&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don’t miss this insightful look into how the partner landscape is evolving – and why the trusted‑advisor model is becoming indispensable in today’s technology world.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

What’s reshaping the future of the technology channel? Rob Merhej, VP EMEA at AVANT, joins Mattias Fridström to discuss: How AVANT evolved from a small startup to a global advisory‑led technology services distributorThe shift from traditional reselling to a modern trusted‑advisor model across cloud, connectivity, co‑location, cybersecurity, and AIWhy recurring‑revenue, as‑a‑service solutions are now central to partner go‑to‑market strategiesHow AVANT supports partners with engineering experti...

EP63: Channel transformation, global growth, and advisory‑led partnerships

What does the future of telecom look like? Kent Lidström, CTO of Smartoptics returns to the podcast for a discussion with Mattias Fridström on:<ul><li>The increased importance of where components are manufactured</li><li>How the convergence of IP and optical layers has impacted suppliers</li><li>Hyperscalers building their own gear</li><li>Hollow-core fiber</li><li>Where quantum networking research stands today</li><li>Sustainability challenges in networking</li><li>Optical innovations to expect in the coming years</li></ul>Don’t miss this deep dive into the trends shaping tomorrow’s networks.

<description>&lt;p&gt;What does the future of telecom look like? Kent Lidström, CTO of Smartoptics returns to the podcast for a discussion with Mattias Fridström on:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;The increased importance of where components are manufactured&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How the convergence of IP and optical layers has impacted suppliers&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Hyperscalers building their own gear&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Hollow-core fiber&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Where quantum networking research stands today&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Sustainability challenges in networking&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Optical innovations to expect in the coming years&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don’t miss this deep dive into the trends shaping tomorrow’s networks.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

What does the future of telecom look like? Kent Lidström, CTO of Smartoptics returns to the podcast for a discussion with Mattias Fridström on: The increased importance of where components are manufacturedHow the convergence of IP and optical layers has impacted suppliersHyperscalers building their own gearHollow-core fiberWhere quantum networking research stands todaySustainability challenges in networkingOptical innovations to expect in the coming yearsDon’t miss this deep dive into the tre...

EP62: Trends and challenges in optical networking – Part II

How has optical networking evolved over the past 25 years – and what’s next? In this episode, Kent Lidström, CTO at Smartoptics, joins Mattias Fridström to explore:<ul><li>The biggest shifts in optical networking and what still needs to change</li><li>Openness and disaggregation in the telecom industry</li><li>Shannon’s limit</li><li>How mergers and acquisitions are reshaping the industry</li><li>Why enterprises are moving toward simpler services like “raw bandwidth”</li><li>Encryption-based and physical security </li><li>Strategies for managing component shortages through dual sourcing</li></ul>If you’re curious about the past, present, and future of optical networking, this conversation is packed with insights.

<description>&lt;p&gt;How has optical networking evolved over the past 25 years – and what’s next? In this episode, Kent Lidström, CTO at Smartoptics, joins Mattias Fridström to explore:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;The biggest shifts in optical networking and what still needs to change&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Openness and disaggregation in the telecom industry&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Shannon’s limit&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How mergers and acquisitions are reshaping the industry&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why enterprises are moving toward simpler services like “raw bandwidth”&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Encryption-based and physical security &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Strategies for managing component shortages through dual sourcing&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re curious about the past, present, and future of optical networking, this conversation is packed with insights.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

How has optical networking evolved over the past 25 years – and what’s next? In this episode, Kent Lidström, CTO at Smartoptics, joins Mattias Fridström to explore: The biggest shifts in optical networking and what still needs to changeOpenness and disaggregation in the telecom industryShannon’s limitHow mergers and acquisitions are reshaping the industryWhy enterprises are moving toward simpler services like “raw bandwidth”Encryption-based and physical security Strategies for managing c...

EP61: Trends and challenges in optical networking

Markus Viitamäki, Senior Infrastructure Architect at Embark Studios is back on the podcast. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss Markus’ previous engagement in the world’s largest gaming festival DreamHack, when to establish local gaming sites to meet customer needs (and what the requirements are), DDoS attacks in the gaming industry, and whether gamers really understand how the Internet is working.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Markus Viitamäki, Senior Infrastructure Architect at Embark Studios is back on the podcast. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss Markus’ previous engagement in the world’s largest gaming festival DreamHack, when to establish local gaming sites to meet customer needs (and what the requirements are), DDoS attacks in the gaming industry, and whether gamers really understand how the Internet is working. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Markus Viitamäki, Senior Infrastructure Architect at Embark Studios is back on the podcast. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss Markus’ previous engagement in the world’s largest gaming festival DreamHack, when to establish local gaming sites to meet customer needs (and what the requirements are), DDoS attacks in the gaming industry, and whether gamers really understand how the Internet is working.  

EP60: Connectivity in the gaming industry: DreamHack, local sites, and future of gaming

In this podcast, networking guru Mattias Fridström, Chief Evangelist at Arelion and industry experts discuss all things Internet, networks, cloud and connectivity.

The Connectivity Podcast

Details

Recent Episodes