This article was originally posted on Verizon.com.

Adversity often carries the seeds of innovation, and at a time when many customer experiences are redirected to digital channels by necessity, new ideas are forming that demonstrate how to exceed customer expectations through automation and intelligence.

With online shopping, remote collaboration and remote customer service channels surging during COVID-19, the time to invest in digital-learning tools and solutions is now. If you're looking to exceed customer expectations, here are five avenues to consider.

What customers are telling us . . . and what it could mean for you.

Following a challenging 2020, businesses are looking to transform in large part due to COVID-19, their ability to adapt to and leverage new technologies. To understand the role of 5G technology and its use cases that are being implemented today and are valuable in driving businesses forward, Verizon Business commissioned a nationwide survey of 700 technology decision-makers.

Security incidents can happen in the blink of an eye, leaving you little time to react. With the Verizon Rapid Response Retainer service, you can react quickly to mitigate threats. You get access to the expertise, tools, and intelligence you need to limit the theft of data, preserve incident evidence, and maintain your reputation. 

TBI and Verizon case study

We’re excited to collaborate with our new and existing TBI members to offer the opportunity to sell a blended portfolio of Verizon wireline and wireless business solutions. With over 25 million Small Business customer prospects, we have tremendous opportunity to leverage the scale and expertise of the channel to meet customers where they want to buy.

Software Defined Secure Branch is a purpose built solution designed for businesses and organizations with complex multi-location IT management needs and the desire for more visibility, security protection, and control of their network. Once in place, it helps keep the network secure and accessible through a combination of simplified management, the intuitive software defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solution, and security.

The new Verizon Partner Program launched April 1 to better serve it’s program members.

A new and improved master agent model has been deployed in the US to enhance the program’s agility and responsiveness and to better meet the needs of program members.  

Overcome the limitations of traditional routing and offer Cisco to your customers with Verizon's Cisco IWAN solution. Through application-aware routing, this CPE-based technology allows for intelligent distribution of traffic across multiple available paths, enhanced application prioritization, and secure connectivity across all enterprise locations. 

Described as the emerging WAN solution, SD-WAN allows customers to control their WAN service through software while linking across multiple connection types. The improved implementation process and remote management functions of SD-WAN permit retail locations, healthcare facilities, banks and other organizations with a high number of branch-type locations to realize huge benefits.