NEXTGEN’s CyberLAB revolutionises the way Vendors, Partner and End Users collaborate to deploy the best solutions.

When deploying new technologies, organisations rely on the expertise and experience of Vendors and Partners to design, implement and support them through their digital transformation journey. Most projects start with a proof of concept (PoC) to align solutions with the customer’s needs. But creating relevant PoCs – at scale and speed – is a challenge that multiplies exponentially with complexity. Inertia frequently wins out as the perceived risk of change becomes a roadblock to change for the enduser.

It was this challenge that inspired NEXTGEN, one of Australia’s leading technology distributors, to develop its CyberLAB – a transformative platform designed to create bespoke PoCs or labs based on specific use cases tailored to unique environments and verticals. Architect of the CyberLAB, Hayden Loader from NEXTGEN explains.

“Many organisations want to upgrade to newer security solutions but creating an environment where they can see platforms running is challenging. Overcoming this challenge, the CyberLAB can assemble coherent multi-vendor solution PoCs or simple single-vendor repeatable demonstrations – in either case providing precise, relevant experiences aligned to a customer’s operational realities.”

Aligning solutions with real-world needs

The CyberLAB is a production environment equipped with data, simulated user activity and common productivity applications. It enables software vendors and their partners to show how their platforms work in a real environment. For their customers, this is a huge boon as they can have the CyberLAB configured with their applications to see how new software works alongside it – whether that’s one new application or several.

The benefits for Vendors and Partners are significant. Often, deals are slowed down or even stalled as customers grapple with risk of adding a new system to their technology stack. The CyberLAB reduces that risk by allowing them to see different tools working in tandem.

“This isn’t just about proving apps can work alongside each other,” explains Loader. “We can introduce malware, create intentional misconfigurations or execute DDoS attacks in the CyberLAB so they can see the platforms actually working. These are things that most customers can’t do, either because of the risk it introduces or because they lack the resources.”

Benefits for the whole value chain

NEXTGEN says the CyberLAB is a powerful tool that enables everyone engaged in solution design, purchase and implementation to make informed choices at every step along the way. For customers, they can see how different tools work together. For example, if they are already using a particular SEIM solution, that can be configured in the CyberLAB and they can see it work with different identity and access management platforms they are considering. Or, if they want to see how a new next-gen firewall interacts with their CRM, they can see that in a live environment that’s equipped with simulated production data.

While this is the aim of most PoCs, the CyberLAB provides a more comprehensive experience. And it does this without costly overhead as NEXTGEN provides access to the CyberLAB for free to its partners across Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific. Partners also have access to the Dynamic Learning Centre through the CyberLAB.

The Dynamic Learning Centre is an education platform that helps vendors and partners put together multi-vendor solutions. This is a collection of information that is easily accessible and provides guidance on how different platforms can work together.

Unique, powerful and easy to use

“The CyberLAB is more than an environment where Vendors and Partners can set up PoCs. It helps them develop and show integrated solutions in a real representation of a production environment. With the resources in the CyberLAB, Vendors and Partners can accelerate and boost the deals they make,” adds Loader.

Whether adding or upgrading a single application or building a new technology stack, there is always some risk associated with implementing new technology. The CyberLAB reduces the risk of implementation failure by enabling all stakeholders to see all the pieces working together.

When end users win, everyone wins

Want to see how it works? Or ready to dive right in? Contact NEXTGEN now and start revolutionising the way you collaborate to deploy better solutions.