Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) in February introduced new automation capabilities across the Calix platform to shorten the time it takes to activate new subscriber services by up to 67 percent and dramatically reduce human error.
By using the Calix Intelligent Access EDGE and Calix Cloud platforms, broadband service providers (BSPs) are automating provisioning and accelerating the launch of the new Calix SmartLife managed services portfolio, tailored to residential, community, and small business markets.
By leveraging the Calix Operations Cloud, broadband operations teams can apply workflow automation, machine learning-based insights, configurable network health thresholds, and automated alarm management across the entire subscriber-facing network. The company says this new automation capability transforms how operations teams handle reporting, notifications, alarms, and monitoring for network performance and health.
As a result, teams have the tools to get new subscribers and services up and running quickly and spend less time configuring, managing, and troubleshooting the network. The combination of these new automation capabilities allows BSPs to transform their broadband operations with the goals of zero human error in end-to-end service provisioning, and optimized network performance, says Calix.
By leveraging the new automation features on the Calix platform, BSPs can streamline new network services and the company's SmartLife managed services turnup. Guided workflow automation enables operations teams to simply select a subscriber and assign and configure new services.
Then, the end-to-end service provisioning capability is automatically pushed to subscriber residential gateways and ONTs through to the OLT. This automated provisioning extends not only to services like voice and data, but to the full range of SmartLife managed services, seamlessly enabling the launch of new subscriber experiences and additional revenue streams.
The company says the new capabilities also allow operators to address network issues proactively, before they impact subscribers. Thanks to complete visibility of network events through Operations Cloud, operations teams can automatically identify and resolve issues—even before the subscriber is aware of a problem. Notifications about threshold-crossing events like ONT low light levels and PON errors enable teams to address problems more quickly, leading to increased subscriber satisfaction.
With the Calix platform, BSPs are raising industry standards by performing live network upgrades with Intelligent Access EDGE that result in zero downtime and no subscriber interruptions. The Calix Always On network eliminates the need to individually touch subscriber ONTs during an upgrade, resulting in simplified operations and reduced operational expenses.
Meanwhile, increased automation on the Calix platform enables operations teams to streamline workflows and automate network health monitoring and troubleshooting. This gives them time back to focus on deploying new services that drive revenue growth.
“We have a long record of innovation, going back to 1910 and our founding as the electric utility in central Massachusetts,” asserted Bill Underhill, network coordinator at Sterling Local Area Municipal Broadband (LAMB). “Today, Sterling LAMB is a town-owned and managed internet service, innovating to bring value to our community. By investing in the Calix platform, we built a scalable access network architecture that accommodates new technologies and increases operational efficiency. We are excited to benefit from the continued innovation and increased automation from Calix as we leverage their technology to capture market share at the expense of much larger rivals.”
“The new automation features on the Calix platform will enable operations teams to reach their goals of end-to-end service provisioning, maintenance, and performance monitoring—with zero chance of human error,” concluded Shane Eleniak, chief product officer at Calix. “Speed matters in our industry—but not in the way you might think. Calix-partnered BSPs focus on more than just connection speed; it’s also about increasing speed to market and revenue. By fully automating subscriber turnup and a range of network tasks, operations teams leveraging the Calix platform will innovate at speeds that outpace their competitors.”