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Calyx is innovating broadband with industry standards By Techagents

Calyx is a leading provider of broadband communications access systems and software that helps broadband service providers (BSPs) provide Internet-related services to homeowners, renters and businesses.

The company, founded in 1999 and based in San Jose, California, provides cloud, software platforms, systems and services to BSP and has adopted an innovative strategy around industry standards that help BSP stay ahead of the competition while providing an advantage. helps and their clients.

The primary advantage of following industry standards is that it ensures interoperability. Calix leverages several independent guidelines to ensure that its equipment works seamlessly with other manufacturers’ products and hardware used by other BSPs.

Interoperability is essential in the broadband industry because it helps foster competition, innovation, and ultimately provide higher quality services to end users.

By complying with industry standards such as DOCSIS, ITU-T G.hn, and independent protocols such as the Wi-Fi Alliance certification program, Calix also warrants that its products and services meet the highest levels of quality, security, and reliability.

This approach is fundamental because the broadband industry is constantly evolving, and adherence to standards confirms that BSPs can keep up with these changes.

Furthermore, Calyx’s adherence to industry standards ensures that its products and services are future-ready. In the broadband industry, new protocols are constantly emerging, and following them ensures that BSPs can adopt new technologies when they become available.

By staying ahead of the curve in this regard, Calyx’s product and service offerings maintain relevance and competence to meet the evolving needs of BSPs and their customers.

Standard turbocharged services and stability

One of the most important benefits of Calyx’s strategy around industry standards is allowing service providers to offer a wider range of services to their customers.

For example, by supporting the Wi-Fi Alliance certification programs, Calyx allows BSPs to offer advanced Wi-Fi services such as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6e – and Wi-Fi 7, which is expected to debut in early 2024. Must be certified. These advanced Wi-Fi services offer faster speeds, better coverage and increased capacity, while providing a better overall experience to end users.

Calyx’s commitment to industry standards allows service providers to deploy new technologies more quickly and efficiently. The company’s support for DOCSIS 4.0 allows BSP to deliver gigabit speeds over existing cable networks without the need for costly infrastructure upgrades.

This approach helps BSP remain competitive by providing faster speeds and better services to its customers without significant costs.

Another benefit of Calyx’s strategy around industry standards is its ability to provide its customers with enhanced security and privacy features. By adhering to ITU-T G.hn standards, Calix ensures that its equipment uses advanced encryption technologies to secure communications over power lines, providing end users with a more secure and private broadband experience.


It should also be noted that Calyx’s approach to industry standards is in line with the company’s commitment to sustainability.

Calyx adheres to these independent protocols to ensure that its products and services are designed for energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. The company’s support for DOCSIS 3.1 allows BSPs to offer higher speeds while consuming less power, reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Another great example is Calyx’s commitment to industry standards for the TR-369 technical standard, also known as the User Services Platform, or USP.

TR-369 is described as an application layer protocol for remote management of connected consumer and enterprise devices by BSPs and end users. This standard is a follow-up to the TR-069 protocol, which was released in 2004 to help with remote management of modems, routers, and gateways at a time when households had no more than one or two PCs.

With today’s homes often containing 25 or more connected devices, the TR-369 provides greater scale in the ability to control lifecycle management of smart and IoT devices while also facilitating interoperability between providers.

closing thoughts

Ultimately, Calyx’s industry standard strategy is a significant advantage for BSP. By following these independent protocols, Calyx ensures that its products and services are interoperable, secure, reliable, future-proof and aligned with its sustainability commitment.

The ability to offer a wider range of services to its end users, as well as deploy new technologies more quickly, efficiently, securely and privacy-consciously, are key advantages for BSPs. Ultimately, a better overall broadband experience for end users results in fostering innovation, competition and a sustainable future for the broadband industry as a whole.

I recently hosted Bob Carrick, Global Strategic Lead of Calyx Cloud, on my podcast to explain why the company believes true industry standards are central to the long-term success of its broadband service providers and customers.

It’s an important dialogue that doesn’t deserve enough attention, especially in light of BSPs focusing more energy, resources and creativity on delivering greater value to their customers.

Since the dawn of the Industrial Age, industry standards have played an essential role in ensuring that infrastructure, products and services are safe, reliable and of high quality, while fostering innovation and interoperability.

Bizarre as it may sound today, it is difficult to imagine building a home, building, airport, or other public works project without standards that enhance scalability, faster production, cost efficiency, and safety.

Unfortunately, the benefits of these independent protocols are muted when one company controls the standard, forcing users to use its own products or services.

The Apple and Windows ecosystems are telling examples of two competing industry standards that force iPhone users to stay in the Apple ecosystem and forcefully deny Windows users the benefits of accessing text messages on a Windows PC. In that scenario, Windows users who own iPhones are penalized, thereby limiting their overall productivity.

An industry standard approach drives innovation in a way that is not possible if only one company owns the standard. It also has a differentiation advantage that allows BSPs of all sizes to customize their offerings for homeowners, renters and small businesses in a resource-efficient manner.

We need only look back to when the Bell System operated (eg, limited competition, high prices, sparse offerings and little innovation) before deregulation in 1982. 41 years. Are we going back to those days? Not if Calyx can help it.

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Internet

Bark and Calyx team up to combat cyberbullying By Techagents

The issue of cyberbullying has received significant attention in recent years, particularly due to the widespread use of the Internet and social media platforms.

Cyberbullying is classically defined as the use of electronic communication to threaten, harass, or intimidate another person. This can have serious consequences – and sometimes fatal – for the mental health and wellbeing of the victim.

Fortunately, there are now software tools available to help combat cyberbullying, and one of the most popular is BARC.

What is bark?

Bark is a software tool that uses advanced Artificial Intelligence algorithms to monitor and analyze the digital activity of children and adolescents. It is designed to help parents and guardians keep their children safe from online predators and cyberbullying. Once installed, the app can be used to manage and monitor their kids’ Apple iOS and Google Android devices.

Bark monitors a wide range of digital platforms, including social media, text messaging and email, and can alert parents and guardians to potential issues before they become a serious problem.

How does BARC work?

BARC uses advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze the content of digital messages and identify potential threats. The software can analyze text, images, and videos and recognize patterns that may indicate cyberbullying, threats of violence, or other dangerous behaviors.

When Bark detects a potential problem, it sends an alert to the child’s parent or guardian and a summary of the content that triggered the alert. The software can provide guidance on how to handle the situation and suggest resources for further support.


Given the widespread popularity of smartphones and tablets, the cold-turkey approach of restricting children from using digital devices is generally unsuccessful. Outrage is often a result – not to mention that many kids will use their ingenuity to get their hands on a digital device.

The genius of Bark’s approach is that it allows kids to continue using their digital devices — especially smartphones. Parental monitoring of smartphones encourages children to act responsibly, earns trust, and alerts parents to potential cyberbullying-related problems before tragedy strikes.

characteristics of the bark

Bark has a range of features designed to help parents and guardians monitor their children’s digital activity and protect them from online threats. Some of the most notable features include:

  • Monitoring of multiple digital platforms: BARC monitors a wide range of digital platforms including social media, text messaging and email. This aspect means that parents and guardians can monitor their child’s activity across multiple platforms without having to log into each platform separately.
  • Customizable Alerts: Parents and guardians can customize the types of alerts they receive from Bark based on the age of their child and the type of content they wish to monitor. For example, they can set up alerts for cyberbullying, sexting, or violent threats.
  • Intelligent Analysis: BARC uses advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze the content of digital messages and identify potential issues. The software can recognize patterns and spot potentially dangerous situations before they escalate.
  • Support for multiple devices: Bark can be installed on multiple devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops, making it easy to monitor a child’s digital activity across devices.
  • easy to use: Bark is easy to set up and use, with a simple interface that allows parents and guardians to view their child’s digital activity and receive alerts.

benefits of bark

BARC offers several benefits for parents and guardians concerned about the online safety of their children.

First and foremost, BARC facilitates early detection of potential issues. Bark can identify potential issues before they become a serious problem, allowing parents and guardians to intervene early and prevent damage.

Second, Bark provides peace of mind to parents who want to keep an eye on their children inside and outside the home. This comfort is manifested in the knowledge that parents, caregivers or guardians are taking steps to protect their children from online dangers.

Infographic: Why monitoring social media by parents and guardians is important

In addition, Bark’s solution provides customizable alerts that allow parents and guardians to personalize the types of alerts they receive, to focus on specific types of content that are relevant to them. Are. This ability is important because different children have different maturity levels, and it allows parents to personalize the kind of content children have access to. The result is an opportunity to build more adequate trust between parent and child.

Since children often have access to multiple connected devices, Bark can be installed on multiple products, so parents and guardians can monitor their child’s activity across all of their devices. It’s also helpful that Bark is easy to set up and use, with a simple interface that allows parents and guardians to monitor their child’s digital activity and receive alerts. In other words, even technology-challenged parents can use Bark without a steep learning curve.

Partnering with Calyx

Last year, Calyx announced a strategic partnership with BARC. Calyx is one of the leading global providers of cloud and software platforms, systems and services used by broadband service providers (BSPs) to deliver unified access networks and the smart home of tomorrow.

Infographic: The Bark-Calyx Partnership

The BARC partnership is telling because it underscores Calix’s mutual concern about cyberbullying, as a specific form of harassment faced by teens and tweens. Calyx has cleverly added BARC to its Calyx Revenue EDGE suite of premium system offerings in a growing suite of offerings that can be offered to BSP broadband customers.

Through this partnership, Calyx and BARC allow even the smallest BSPs, who often do not have the resources to implement capabilities like BARC, to enhance their value proposition to the communities in which they operate. Are. The result is that BSP is empowered to help. Families keep children safe at home, school and virtually anywhere in the world.

In a recent SmartTechCheck podcast, I had the opportunity to speak with Bark’s Global CMO, Titania Jordan, and Megan Powell, Director of Product Marketing at Calyx, where we discussed the company’s partnerships and commitment to combating cyberbullying.

closing thoughts

Cyberbullying is a serious issue that can have significant consequences for children and adolescents. Fortunately, software tools like Bark are now available to help parents and guardians proactively and assertively deal with this issue.

The rise of the smartphone and its popularity among children has created unprecedented challenges for parents. BARC reports that its solutions have already covered 6.5 million children, detected 1.1 million serious self-harm situations and 3 million serious bullying situations.

Calix has a long and impressive history with BSP in ensuring that children’s online presence is protected. In fact, Calyx was one of the first companies to offer parental controls to BSPs through its ExperienceIQ offering in 2019.


The business implications of the Calyx/BARC/BSP dynamic also deserve mention. Calyx’s DNA is characterized by its ability to allow BSPs to manage, deploy, market and operate these types of premium services in a resource-optimized manner. Bark Elements enhances Calyx’s value proposition with BSP as it accelerates time-to-market with fully integrated turnkey solutions.

Cyberbullying may be a 21st century problem that may never go away completely. Nevertheless, its partnership with Bark and Calyx is a decisive step in the right direction that could help dramatically reduce this problem.

Sadly, families face many digital threats that put their children at risk on a 24/7 basis. By combining forces, Calix and Bark have raised the bar — and expectation — on what technology companies responsible for protecting the lives of our children can and should do.

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Internet

Calyx Expands Managed Services Capability in SMB, MDU Markets By Techagents

Calix has been one of the major success stories in the highly competitive technology communications sector over the past several years. While it’s a company few consumers will immediately recognize by name, Calyx cloud and software platforms empower Internet service providers of all categories and sizes to transform and electrify their businesses.

On a more practical level, Calyx’s capabilities and tools allow business service providers (BSPs) to support and promote their customers through compelling experiences, which we’ll explain in more detail. For BSPs, this translates into building a stronger, stickier bond with customers through more substantial customer acquisition, increased loyalty and long-term revenue potential.

Calix’s strategy of focusing on BSP, in an almost manic way, has paid off with business results. The company recently reported record revenue of US$236.2 million for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2022, despite challenging supply chain issues. Calyx is on track to exceed its 2021 revenue to $679.4 million, a 25.5% improvement over fiscal 2021.

SMB and MDU market opportunity

Calyx announces new solutions on November 16 specifically designed to help BSPs expand their footprint in the SMB (small and medium-sized business) and MDU (multi-dwelling unit) markets .

Built on a foundation of Calyx’s proven appeal in the single-family home market, these new products will leverage use cases that solve real connectivity problems in small businesses, apartment complexes, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes and mixed-use properties .

Calyx has good reason to believe that its managed Wi-Fi strategy, which has enjoyed strong appeal in the single-family home market, will experience significant traction in the SMB and MDU markets.

There’s a healthy demand for ubiquitous Wi-Fi coverage in these markets as well, and the management aspects are often the same pain points as single-family homeowners. Said slightly differently, most SMB and MDU customers do not like to deal with the hassle of managing the technical complexity of router setup, maintenance, and upgrades.

The SMB and MDU markets are not small. The US Small Business Administration reports 32.5 million small companies – broadly defined as businesses with fewer than 500 employees – operating in 2021, a remarkable 99.6% of all businesses. In addition, it is estimated that there will be 126.7 million multi-family dwellings at the end of 2022, up from 68.8 million in 2019.

New Wi-Fi systems meet connectivity needs

Calyx introduces two new systems, the GigaPro GPR8802x and the GigaSpire Blast u4g. Both products are explicitly designed to meet the wireless connectivity needs of the SMB and MDU markets.

The GigaPro GPR8802x is a “purpose-built” switch designed for use by SMB and MDU customers. At a technical level, it is an Ethernet-based managed switch/ONT (Optical Network Terminal, aka modem) solution that provides seamless WAN integration, leveraging the ability of BSPs to manage it as a single system. makes it easy.

This aspect is important because it provides end-to-end visibility and management to the BSP with the Calyx Support Cloud and the Calyx Operations Cloud. With eight configurable Ethernet ports, eight analog voice ports, and automated service provisioning, this switch can open up new markets for BSPs who wish to grow their value proposition within their local communities.

The Calyx Family of Gigaspire Blast U4 Wi-Fi Systems

The Calyx Family of Gigaspire Blast U4 Systems | Image credit: Calyx

The appeal of Calyx’s managed services gets a shot of adrenaline with the Gigaspire Blast U4G, an integrated GPON (Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network) with residential gateway capability. Calyx designed this product with an “aesthetic shelf appeal” that homeowners and renters will find fresh and cool. The product supports fast Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, making it ideal for apartment or condo dwellers in large properties or buildings.

benefit to BSP

From a business perspective, the Gigaspire Blast u4g could potentially optimize the opportunity for BSPs to attract the residential market as it can provide formidable and highly secure Wi-Fi to MDUs. Most importantly, the product integrates well into the Calyx Revenue Edge platform to reliably transport the company’s growing list of managed services.

The following examples come to mind that outline what the business impact can be:

  • BSPs can use these solutions to help provide apartment owners with the ability to provide highly secure surveillance services in their units, for example, smart door lock control and video surveillance.
  • From an SMB perspective, BSPs can use these products to provide retailers with the ability to provide guest Internet services with interesting e-commerce and advertising implications.
  • Calyx’s ability to provide BSPs with a customized mobile app — not to mention BSP co-branding possibilities with SMB and MDU customers — sets it apart from larger, institutional Internet providers like Comcast and Spectrum.

These solutions set the stage for Calyx to perfect its “SmartTown” concept, which will allow BSPs to support continuous, seamless Wi-Fi to homes, businesses and schools in local communities.

analyst view

It’s hard to deny the momentum behind Calyx’s strategy, which has been under way for the past several years. Clearly, the favorable market winds are in favor of what the company is trying to accomplish in the communication and connectivity sectors.

Interview with Michael Wenning, CEO and President of Calyx

First, consumers are tired of the seemingly endless parade of new “alphabet soup” wireless topologies that hit the market every 18 months or so.

Even though new wireless topologies offer substantial speed and latency advantages for consumers in gaming, working from home, videoconferencing, and video streaming, many users resist upgrading their wireless routers themselves to avoid the hassle .

Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E are rolling out now, and yet, many consumers won’t upgrade if the complexity is bothersome and the benefits of upgrading aren’t made clear and compelling.

Second, Calyx finds that SMB and MDU customers are just as interested in the new wireless capabilities as single-family homeowners.

Renters, in particular, want to enjoy the speed and latency benefits of a faster router but don’t want to invest in their own hardware. In addition, there are significant incremental revenue opportunities for landlords who can offer their tenants bundled value-added wireless services that are fast, secure and easily managed.

SMB customers depend on fast, operational and reliable wireless connectivity at the “guest client” level. Unlike enterprises, SMBs often lack the dedicated IT staff and necessary resources that a local BSP can provide to manage the small business’s wireless system and support any value-added services offered by the BSP. Can do.

marketing priorities

It cannot be overstated that the broadband market is highly competitive. Calix is ​​acutely aware of this and is taking significant steps to differentiate itself with platforms and solutions that allow BSPs to reduce operating expenses, provide more value-based “sticky” services to their customers, and allowing them the ability to customize their offerings.

Going forward, Calyx should continue to create examples of unique, compelling and highly extensible use models that BSPs can adapt and convey to their customers.

Creating and delivering new, easy-to-understand marketing content (especially videos), including subscriber testimonials, that homeowners, SMBs and MDU residents can wrap their heads around should continue to be a priority for the Calyx marketing team.

The company’s relative anonymity with consumers hasn’t deterred Calyx as it is clear in its view that its success is highly dependent on the success of its BSPs.

From a business outcome perspective, this has proven to be highly effective as Calyx happily plays a behind-the-scenes role that allows BSP to build solid and sustainable relationships with its customers.

With this backdrop, there’s little reason to believe the Calyx PlayBook won’t work in the SMB and MDU markets, given the similarities of challenges, needs and long-term desires shared with the single-family homeowner market.

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