Calix launches SmartBiz so service providers can offer more than basic connectivity to every small business with a simple yet comprehensive solution—delivering security, content control, mobile backup, and more—while leveraging their existing Calix Cloud management solutions to ensure an exceptional experience for small businesses and their patrons

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced the launch of SmartBiz™ so broadband service providers (BSPs) can offer more than basic connectivity to every small business. SmartBiz is the first managed service from Calix that is purpose-built to unlock a scalable small business market expansion opportunity for BSPs of any size. Now Calix-partnered BSPs can address unique productivity challenges for more than 30 million small businesses in the United States by leveraging the same end-to-end platform they use to serve residential markets. While small businesses account for nearly all businesses in the U.S., only half survive more than five years. Small business owners are often left without solutions to fully address their business productivity needs. SmartBiz integrates everything BSPs need—from secure connectivity to business productivity applications—so they can catalyze small business growth in their communities while driving new revenue. Today, SmartBiz is composed of SmartBizWorx™ productivity software and the CommandWorx™ mobile app, integrated with award-winning Calix Wi-Fi systems and Calix Support Cloud (Support Cloud). With this foundation, BSPs can now quickly launch and deliver personalized services for small businesses. As Calix evolves the SmartBiz ecosystem with additional managed services (like threat detection and response, asset and inventory loss prevention, and retail footfall traffic analysis), BSPs can continue to grow the value they provide for their small business customers.

The SmartBiz managed service is integrated with the Calix platform, which includes Calix Intelligent Access EDGE™, Calix Revenue EDGE™, and Calix Cloud®. Increasingly, BSPs are leveraging the power of the Calix platform and success services to refocus their value propositions toward tailored Wi-Fi experiences rather than speed alone. As a result, they are winning in residential markets—growing revenue and achieving Net Promoter Scores℠ far above industry averages while dramatically lowering operational expenses. With the timely launch of SmartBiz, Calix delivers an opportunity for BSPs to extend the value of their investment in Calix innovation and easily expand into the small business market. This is critical as funding continues to fuel long-term growth for the industry.

With today’s news, the rapidly growing portfolio of Calix SmartLife™ managed services addresses the needs of three unique markets: residential (SmartHome™), community (SmartTown™), and now small business. SmartBiz enables BSPs to:

• Unlock new growth opportunities with a managed service purpose-built to help small businesses thrive. SmartBiz enables BSPs to provide the essential small business productivity applications that residential Wi-Fi solutions lack, without the complexity and costliness of enterprise solutions. While only half of small businesses last more than five years, almost 20 percent do not survive past year one. This comprehensive solution unlocks the opportunity for BSPs to drive more value in the communities they serve by delivering the productivity that more than 30 million U.S. small businesses need to thrive.
• Move beyond connectivity to deliver valuable productivity capabilities tailored to the needs of small businesses. The locally deployed SmartBizWorx productivity software includes dedicated Wi-Fi and Ethernet networks for the owner, point of sale (POS), staff, and customers so business networks are easily isolated. Wireless mesh control extends Wi-Fi to every corner of the business while network security and intrusion prevention keep networks safe. SmartBizWorx also includes customizable content filtering and a locally hosted and branded Wi-Fi portal to enable internet connectivity for customers. The customizable CommandWorx app gives business owners the control to manage their networks. Additionally, integrated mobile backup network resilience ensures critical small business systems remain online.
• Leverage the same scalable and cost-optimized cloud platform and systems they use for residential markets. The award-winning Support Cloud empowers BSP customer support teams with full remote configuration of all SmartBizWorx capabilities. It enables customer service representatives to quickly identify and resolve business subscriber issues with Wi-Fi performance analysis and a recommendation engine. Calix Marketing Cloud helps BSPs easily identify potential businesses in their coverage area that could benefit from SmartBiz, while Calix Operations Cloud enables automated configuration workflows and traffic analysis. SmartBiz is deployed using the ever-expanding portfolio of Calix GigaSpire® BLAST and Calix GigaPro™ Wi-Fi systems that meet the needs of every small business.

As they grow their businesses to introduce new managed services, Calix-partnered BSPs have access to Calix Smart Start for Managed Services (Smart Start). Part of the award-winning Calix Customer Success Services offering, Smart Start ensures success by providing cross-functional guidance and resources that decrease the time to launch from months to weeks and enable BSPs to ramp revenue faster. Broadband marketers also have access to world-class marketing materials as part of the Calix Market Activation Program.

“While the broadband market continues to transform, the agility of the Calix platform to service differentiated market segments is yet another proof point that supports our investment in their technology,” said Michael Wynschenk, chief executive officer at Hunter Communications. “As a provider of fiber to the business as well as fiber to the home, we are excited about the impact that SmartBiz will make in our communities throughout Oregon and Northern California.”

“The reality is that half of small businesses do not exist longer than five years,” said Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer at Calix. “SmartBiz is the comprehensive solution that enables BSPs to help those small businesses win. SmartBiz helps BSPs move beyond speed and connectivity to deliver the productivity that small business owners in their communities need to succeed. SmartLife managed services, which now extend to meet the needs of three unique market segments—residential, community, and small business—enable BSPs to quickly deliver experiences that improve their subscribers’ lives and support business growth in increasingly competitive broadband markets.”

Watch the webinar replay, “Beyond Residential: Capturing New Markets in Your Community,” to learn how BSPs are expanding into new markets with managed services for residential, community, and small businesses.

About Calix

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX)— Broadband service providers (BSPs) of all sizes leverage the Calix broadband platform and managed services to simplify their businesses, excite their subscribers and grow their value. The Calix platform and managed services enable our customers to grow their subscriber base, revenue, profitability, and subscriber satisfaction—and ultimately transform the communities they serve. Calix is dedicated to driving continuous improvement in partnership with our growing ecosystem to support the transformation of our BSP customers and their communities.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calix’s business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix’s results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov.

Calix and the Calix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Calix and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Calix’s trademarks can be found at https://www.calix.com/pages/trademarks.html. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score℠ and Net Promoter System℠ are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.

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