A Customer Success Expert on Counter-UAS Deployment

Counter-UAS deployment brings a technology decision into the customer’s working environment. The questions quickly become practical: What does the team need to accomplish? Who will use the capability? How will it fit into existing procedures? And what support will the team need to operate with confidence? 

For Matthew Portanova, D-Fend Solutions’ Senior Director of Customer Success, U.S., those practical questions are central to his work. He supports defense and public safety agencies adopting EnforceAir, with a focus on aligning the capability with their operational needs and outcomes.

Matthew began his career in the U.S. Army before taking on leadership roles at Dataminr, Booz Allen Hamilton, Mark43 and Street Smarts VR.

In this Q&A, he shares his perspective on preparing customers for counter-UAS deployment and supporting the teams that put counter-drone systems into operation.

What does customer success mean in your role at D-Fend?

My work focuses on supporting defense and public safety agencies as they adopt and use EnforceAir. The customer’s operational needs are the starting point: what the team needs to accomplish and what the capability needs to support in the field.

That makes the relationship important. Working closely with customers gives us a clearer understanding of their priorities and the practical problems they need to solve. My focus is on keeping those needs met.

What motivates your work?

I’m driven by helping customers make complex, high-stakes deployments successful through honest communication and a clear focus on what they need.

The part that matters to me is understanding the people who will actually use the technology. What are they responsible for? What does a demanding day look like for them? What do they need to feel prepared? Those conversations give you a much clearer picture of what success means for that particular team.

My background in the Army and in technology companies has shaped that perspective. People have a job to do, often under pressure, and the capability we provide needs to fit that reality. You have to listen carefully, ask useful questions and be straightforward about expectations.

There’s real satisfaction in helping a customer work through a practical problem and prepare their team for the mission ahead. That’s what keeps the work meaningful for me: knowing who we’re supporting and keeping their mission in focus.

What should a customer clarify before a counter-UAS deployment?

I would start with a simple question: what does a successful outcome look like for your team? It sounds obvious, but it’s worth taking the time to answer it clearly. 

Then we need to understand the environment. Who and what needs protection? Which activities must continue during a drone incident? Is authorized drone activity part of the operation? Those details give us a clearer picture of what the customer needs the capability to support.

Responsibilities also need to be clear. Who assesses the situation, who makes the decision to respond? What authorities, procedures and escalation paths are in place? A team can have suitable technology and still need to resolve those questions before putting it into use.

I’d also encourage customers to think about the people using the equipment: their experience, the preparation they need and where the capability fits within their existing responsibilities. That makes the conversation much more useful for everyone involved.

The goal is to reach a shared understanding early. When the customer and our team are clear on the mission, the constraints and the acceptable outcome, we have a stronger basis for planning the deployment and setting realistic expectations.

What separates a delivered system from a capability a team is prepared to use?

Delivery is an important milestone, but it is only one part of operational readiness. The team also needs to feel prepared, with clear procedure and pre-defined responsibilities.

Operators need preparation that reflects their working environment, alongside procedures they understand and can put into practice.

The team should understand what the capability can support, what is expected of them and where to turn when they need assistance. Technology, training, operational procedures and ongoing support all need to work together. 

Your career spans the U.S. Army and several technology companies. What perspective do you bring from that experience?

My background has helped me better understand the conditions defense and security teams work in. 

I try to bring that perspective into customer conversations, where we discuss how D-Fend’s products can align with operational needs and answer the practical challenges these teams face in the field.

What would you like customers to understand about the role of customer success?

I’d like customers to see us as people they can have a straightforward conversation with. Questions, concerns and changing requirements are all useful things to bring to the table.

Our role is to stay connected to what they need from the products and keep expectations clear. That requires listening, following through and being honest about what needs attention.

The relationship matters because a customer’s needs can develop over time. Keeping that conversation open gives us a better understanding of what support is useful as their team and mission evolve.

Ultimately, customer success is about helping customers get lasting operational value from the system, not simply completing a delivery. 

For a broader discussion of operational preparation, read Matthew’s article, From Capability to Confidence: What Major-Event Counter-Drone Operations Require.