Ascenda

What Ascenda does

Ascenda is a privately held total experience (TX) technology services company headquartered in Lisle, Illinois, that advises, implements, and manages cloud communications, contact center, and cybersecurity solutions for enterprise and mid-market organizations. The company was formed in 2019 as a TX advisory firm and substantially scaled in October 2022 through a three-way merger with Advanced Telecommunications of Illinois (ATI, founded 1983) and Third Generation (Pittsburgh, founded 1983), which together brought more than 4,000 customers and four decades of telecom operational heritage under the Ascenda brand. The portfolio is organized around six service pillars: Strategic Consulting, Customer Journey mapping, Solution Engineering, Technology Alignment, Implementation Services, and Premium Staffing, supplemented by two product assets: the proprietary SkyVoice cloud phone system (geo-redundant data centers in New York and Dallas) and a Cybersecurity Suite built around the April 2023 acquisition of xdr.global.

The technology stack is tech-agnostic and multi-vendor, with Ascenda holding Diamond status in RingCentral's Reach partner program (the top tier globally, achieved 2023 and renewed 2024) and maintaining active technology alliances with Microsoft Teams, NICE, Genesys, Talkdesk, Five9, 8x8, Mitel, Zoom, and Salesforce. Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring cloud communications subscriptions (UCaaS/CCaaS via SkyVoice and partner platforms), professional services and consulting (including multi-year strategic engagements), managed security services (XDR, MDR, 24/7 SOC, cyber risk advisory), and hardware sales. Pricing is anchored by SkyVoice at $10.99-$24.99 per user per month across three tiers, with a freemium vendor alignment engagement designed to convert into paid consulting work.

Go-to-market is sales-led and channel-driven, targeting CIOs and business IT leaders through a hybrid segmentation approach spanning size tiers (enterprise and mid-market) and verticals (healthcare, manufacturing, private equity). Named customers include Preferred Risk (insurance), BioIVT (life sciences/research), and Evergreen Bank Group (banking). The company is led by Co-Founder and Senior Managing Director Jonathon Shaver and Managing Director Mike Bergin, with no disclosed institutional investment, parent company, or revenue figures.

Name

Ascenda

Legal name

Ascenda

Website

https://goascenda.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ascenda is a privately held, Lisle, IL-based total experience technology services firm that advises, implements, and manages cloud communications, contact center, and cybersecurity solutions for 4,000+ enterprise and mid-market customers globally, operating a tech-agnostic multi-vendor model anchored by RingCentral Diamond partnership and proprietary SkyVoice platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Communications Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Architecture & IT Operating Model (BPAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Cloud communications services
• Unified communications consulting
• Contact center solutions
• Cybersecurity managed services
• Digital transformation advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cloud Communications Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from UCaaS and CCaaS solutions including SkyVoice hosted phone systems, RingCentral partnerships, and related cloud communication services. Billed monthly or annually per seat.
2. Professional Services: Paid consulting engagements including deep-dive customer journey analysis, solution engineering, implementation services, and strategic technology advisory.
3. Hardware Sales: Sale of IP phones, multimedia terminal adapters, and other equipment used with cloud communication services.
4. Managed Security Services: Cybersecurity services including XDR, MDR for Microsoft Defender, cybersecurity insurance advisement, 24/7 SOC services, and cyber risk advisory programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ascenda is a technology services firm that advises and implements cloud communications, contact center, and cybersecurity solutions for enterprise and mid-market organizations. The company operates a tech-agnostic consulting practice spanning strategic advisory, customer journey mapping, solution engineering, and implementation services, while reselling and supporting leading UCaaS/CCaaS platforms. It also operates SkyVoice, a proprietary cloud phone system, and a cybersecurity suite (XDR/MDR) acquired from xdr.global.

Product overview

Ascenda is a total experience (TX) technology services company offering a portfolio of integrated consulting and technology solutions. The core offerings span six service pillars: Strategic Consulting, Customer Journey mapping, Solution Engineering, Technology Alignment, Implementation Services, and Premium Staffing. The company resells and implements leading UCaaS and CCaaS platforms including Microsoft Teams, RingCentral, NICE inContact, Genesys, Talkdesk, Five9, 8x8, Mitel, and Zoom. The proprietary SkyVoice cloud phone system provides hosted voice with geo-redundant data centers. The cybersecurity portfolio, expanded through the acquisition of xdr.global, offers XDR, MDR for Microsoft Defender, managed risk services, and 24/7 SOC capabilities. All offerings are delivered through a tech-agnostic, consultative approach focused on aligning technology with business outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Consulting Innovation advisory service that tailors technology strategies and uncovers right solutions for toughest business problems, steering digital transformation with latest technology, design thinking, and expertise.
• Customer Journey Mapping Customer experience mapping service that uncovers reasoning and metrics behind customer perceptions, developing CX playbooks to transform organizations from deep listening to deep understanding.
• Solution Engineering Technology and talent matching service that engineers right solutions to increase customer loyalty and insights, revenue and margins, enabling rapid adjustment to market realities.
• Technology Alignment Tech-agnostic approach to solving business needs by bringing together right mix of software, services, capabilities and professionals across UCaaS, CCaaS, and network solutions.
• Implementation Services Hands-on support ensuring recommended strategies and technologies are successfully implemented through initiative alignment, budget alignment, business structure assessment, employee engagement, and training.
• Premium Staffing Executive search and strategic talent advisory services for private equity-backed and public organizations needing interim or full-time IT talent, with curated technology leaders.
• SkyVoice Cloud Phone System Proprietary cloud phone system with geo-redundant data centers in New York, NY and Dallas, TX, offering unlimited calling, conferencing, call reporting, mobile apps, and call recording with 24x7 support.
• Cybersecurity Suite (XDR/MDR) Comprehensive security solutions including XDR, MDR for Microsoft Defender, cybersecurity insurance advisement, 24/7 SOC, and cyber risk advisory programs, acquired via xdr.global.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% improvement in customer experience
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• RingCentralcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 April 2024Ascenda is a Diamond partner in RingCentral's Reach partner program, one of few globally to achieve this status. The partnership focuses on delivering RingCentral's AI-driven cloud communications, contact center, video meetings, and hybrid events solutions to businesses worldwide.
• NICEsecondaryTechnology or Integration · 27 November 2023Joint webinar partnership for AI in the CCaaS Market, exploring how AI revolutionizes customer engagement and communication strategies in contact center environments.
• xdr.globalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2023Ascenda acquired xdr.global, a cybersecurity consulting firm specializing in Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solutions. This acquisition adds cybersecurity experts, XDR/MDR capabilities, cybersecurity insurance advisement, 24/7 SOC services, and cyber risk advisory programs to Ascenda's portfolio.
• ATI (Advanced Telecommunications of Illinois)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2022Merger combining ATI's Chicagoland support, 24x7 TAC, and SkyVoice hosted platform with Ascenda's capabilities. ATI brought 3,000+ clients served since 1983.
• Third GenerationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2022Merger expanding Ascenda's Mid-Atlantic presence. Third Generation brought Mitel MiVoice Business expertise, hosted voice support and engineers, and 1,000+ customers since 1983.
• Microsoft TeamssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration partner for unified communications and collaboration solutions.
• GenesyssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationContact center technology integration partner for customer experience solutions.
• TalkdesksecondaryTechnology or IntegrationContact center as a service technology partner for cloud contact center solutions.
• Five9secondaryTechnology or IntegrationContact center technology integration partner for cloud contact center capabilities.
• 8x8secondaryTechnology or IntegrationUnified communications and contact center technology partner for cloud solutions.
• MitelsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationLegacy and cloud communications technology partner, especially Mitel MiVoice Business through Third Generation partnership.
• ZoomsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationVideo meetings and collaboration technology partner for total experience solutions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SHI International: Large IT solutions provider offering UC, networking, cloud, and security services — competes with Ascenda on enterprise and mid-market Total Experience engagements, especially with healthcare and manufacturing verticals.
• ePlus Technology: Public technology solutions provider spanning UC, security, cloud, and managed services. Competes with Ascenda on enterprise transformation engagements with significantly greater balance-sheet capacity.
• CDW: Large, public-company multi-brand technology solutions provider covering UC, networking, and security. Represents the broad-incumbent competitive threat on enterprise communications and cybersecurity contracts.
• ConvergeOne (Converge Technology Solutions): Larger, public-company systems integrator delivering UC, contact center, and managed services to enterprise — the scale competitor Ascenda benchmarks against and could lose deals to on capacity grounds.

Direct peers

• Avant Communications: Technology services distributor and master agent focused on UCaaS, CCaaS, and cloud services. Competes head-to-head with Ascenda for the same RingCentral/Microsoft/Genesys-led enterprise deals.
• Arctic Wolf: Pure-play MDR/XDR managed security provider that competes directly with the xdr.global portfolio Ascenda acquired — the security-pure-play benchmark for Ascenda's cybersecurity bundle.
• Telarus: Master agent and technology services distributor specializing in UCaaS, CCaaS, network, and cloud security — the same vendor-agnostic partner model Ascenda operates, and a direct competitor for RingCentral Diamond-tier business.
• Sandler Partners: Large master agent and technology advisor distributing UC, CC, network, and security solutions from the same vendor ecosystem as Ascenda, targeting overlapping mid-market and enterprise customers.
• AppSmart (AppDirect): Technology marketplace and advisor aggregating UCaaS, CCaaS, cloud, and security solutions for SMB and mid-market — overlapping Ascenda's tech-agnostic advisory go-to-market.
• Bridgepointe Technologies: Tech advisory firm helping enterprises navigate UCaaS, CCaaS, SD-WAN, and security vendor selection — a near-identical Total Experience advisory value proposition to Ascenda's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goascenda1
• Facebookfacebook.com/goascenda
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goascenda1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ascenda