Introduction to broadcast, unicast and multicast
In the last decade, video streaming has become essential to how we consume entertainment, how students learn, and how businesses cooperate. The evolution of streaming habits and technology has changed significantly along the way. This blog will shed light on the technology behind online videos, including multicast, unicast, and broadcast, and introduces which technology is the best for your streaming habits.
What is broadcast, and how is it utilized?
When we think of broadcasting, we often think first of television and radio. However, the capacity of broadcasting technology is underestimated in two crucial ways. To start, let’s take a look at the definition of broadcasting.
Broadcast transmission is a “one-to-all” technique that ensures all nodes on a network receive the signal or message.
Given its power and convenience of mass distribution, the broadcasting industry has a role in all three venues of the convergence marketplace – content, distribution, and processing. In terms of content, broadcasting is already the dominant producer of digital content to the public.
Here are some examples of successful use cases of broadcasting in different media:
Source: https://www.haivision.com/blog/broadcast-video/difference-between-unicast-vs-multicast/
Why have other technologies like unicast or multicast flourished if broadcasting can do it all?
Apart from broadcast, there are two other technologies, called unicast and multicast, both of which serve very distinct purposes. Here are the requirements that you’ll need to understand each of them better.
Unicast Explained
Let’s take a look at Netflix – one of the pioneers of how unicast helps in the modern online streaming world.
In a nutshell, unicast is a “one-to-one” streaming. Typically, it is used in Over-the-Top (OTT) streaming applications (OTT is a term used to describe streaming over the internet), such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming providers of this type.
More specifically, the advantage of unicast streaming is the ability for the endpoints to receive video based on the device being served and the available bandwidth. For example, getting a 4K/8K feed for the smart TV, a full-HD feed on the smartphone, or a low-res feed for an older device – or anyone with lower bandwidth.
In a word, the internet is unpredictable, and without the right tools (in this case, using unicast technology) to mitigate potential bandwidth fluctuations and limitations, the end-user experience can end up being less than optimal.
Source: https://www.panopto.com/blog/the-way-video-works-online-has-changed/
Here are some other examples of multicast applications:
The IP network offers far more flexibility within the network, enabling two-way interactions that traditional, one-way cable or satellite broadcast networks. It allows end-users to have more control and options to interact and personalize their experience.
Multicast routing is a networking method for the efficient distribution of one-to-many traffic. It specifically tackles live audio and video transfers such as live video conferences. Thankfully, routers could have this function built-in for the most optimal internet experience with audio and video transfers.
Source: https://www.uscreen.tv/blog/what-is-iptv/
In conclusion, IP has three fundamental types of addresses: unicast, broadcast, and multicast.
The differences among unicast, broadcast, and multicast can be summarized as follows for you in a key takeaway:
What to learn more about wireless security? Read our WPA3 blog and find more!
For more information about Mercku’s Connectivity Suite, our hardware and how you can partner with Mercku, please reach out to the team at connect@mercku.com
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IPv6 support within the Intelligent Access EDGE paves the way for broadband businesses to simply and securely scale their networks to meet skyrocketing demand for the new IPv6 devices that are exciting subscribers and driving service growth of more than 40 percent
SAN JOSE, CA – May 19, 2021 – Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced the addition of end-to-end Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) support within the Intelligent Access EDGE solution, enabling broadband service providers (BSPs) to eliminate the high costs and challenges of expanding their networks using IPv4 addresses to meet accelerating subscriber demand. Service providers continue to struggle to acquire new IPv4 addresses, often having to pay high fees to secure them. By supporting IPv6 throughout the subscriber facing network, the Intelligent Access EDGE ensures that BSPs can eliminate this requirement and focus on growing their businesses. With this new ability to route IPv6, BSPs gain the benefit of a network that is both extremely scalable and secure all the way to the subscriber premises. This important next step in the evolution of the Intelligent Access EDGE augments the solution’s ability to incorporate additional functionality into the subscriber-facing network and save BSPs more than 40 percent on initial CAPEX and up to 50 percent on operational expenses.
The combination of AXOS® and the enhanced E9-2 Intelligent Edge System brings new benefits to BSPs:
San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative broadband subsidiary Ciello sought to expand its network to cover more of its southern Colorado footprint. Working with the Calix Professional Services Network Consulting team, Ciello determined the E9-2 system was the ideal choice for the upgrade, as it would integrate seamlessly into its existing network, built with the E7-2 Intelligent Modular System. The rural cooperative recognized that its expansion plans necessitated migrating to higher bandwidth aggregation as well as 10G PON. Ciello also sought to increase its network security while minimizing cost increases. The answer was to deploy a solution that would deliver dramatically greater capability, long-term operational savings and support its migration to IPv6.
“With the expansion of our services and the increasing demands of our subscribers, it became obvious that we needed to take a holistic view of our network to determine the best path forward,” said Monroe Johnson, chief technology officer for Ciello. “The Calix Network Consultant sat down with us and helped us map out our network topology, and—especially given our active transition to IPv6—the high-density E9-2 system built on the AXOS platform was the clear answer. Not only did it deliver the density required for this migration to 10G, but it also gave us the future flexibility to continue upgrading as necessary to account for a growing number of subscribers and their devices. We look forward to continuing this partnership with Calix, as we grow our network with the Intelligent Access EDGE to address the subscriber demands of today or tomorrow.”
Calix has established itself as the leader in 10G PON deployments in North America with more than 150 BSPs deploying award-winning Intelligent Access EDGE 10G PON solutions. As subscriber demands continue to grow, BSPs are looking to add capabilities to their access networks, and an increasing number are moving forward with the E9-2 system for its ability to simplify network architectures while providing enhanced aggregation capabilities. The unique combination of port-density, 40G and 100G uplink capacity, swappable line cards that are easily upgradeable, and the comprehensive, unified management capabilities of AXOS offer BSPs a truly future-proof network.
“The increasing complexity of delivering services to meet the rising demands and expectations of subscribers have exacerbated the need to simplify the architecture and operation of the subscriber-facing network,” said Michel Langlois, chief development officer, Intelligent Access EDGE products for Calix. “Consolidating network functions to eliminate systems while adding support for capabilities like IPv6, enable service providers to expand their networks securely and cost effectively. The unique combination of the high-density E9-2 system, the Always On AXOS platform, and the proven and unmatched expertise of Calix network consultants gives service providers the only comprehensive solution to truly reimagine their access networks. Calix can help service providers of any type and size to build and grow a simplified next-generation network for virtually any deployment scenario, all while optimizing operational investments.”
Learn more about the E9-2 Intelligent Edge System and Network Consulting Services and explore Ciello’s deployment story, featured in our webinar, “How to Bring Network Reliability, Security, and Simplicity Within Reach.”
About Calix
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) – Calix cloud and software platforms enable service providers of all types and sizes to innovate and transform. Our customers utilize the real-time data and insights from Calix platforms to simplify their businesses and deliver experiences that excite their subscribers. The resulting growth in subscriber acquisition, loyalty, and revenue creates more value for their businesses and communities. This is the Calix mission; to enable broadband service providers of all sizes to simplify, excite, and grow.
This press release may contain 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.
Mercku and Aerial Partner to provide Best in Class Wi-Fi Sensing Services
Montreal, May18th, 2021 – Aerial Technologies, a Montreal-based AI company and Mercku, a Waterloo Canada-based Smart Home Connectivity company, announced today their partnership to bring best-in-class Wi-Fi Sensing to service providers.
“At Mercku, we pride ourselves on leading the world’s most innovative smart home products,” says Alex Qi CEO of Mercku, “and with our new partnership alongside Aerial and their vision for ubiquitous sensing intelligence, together, we can enhance daily life globally.”
Mercku is excited to welcome Aerial as their official Wi-Fi Sensing partner with Mercku’s award-winning M6 AX system. The M6, Mercku’s latest Wi-Fi 6 mesh router, was designed with the vision to connect the world through cutting-edge advancements in wireless communication technology, using their founders’ decades of expertise in networking technology and their Red Dot Award winning design team. Mercku is laser-focused on pushing wireless technology boundaries to realize its mission to leverage the most advanced technology, building powerful smart home products to enhance daily life globally.
Aerial as the pioneer of Wi-Fi Sensing (with foundational patents dating back to 2010) has developed a Wi-Fi based Motion Intelligence platform with the mission to provide the most robust and advanced suite of ambient sensing-based applications to their service provider customers and partners.
“At Aerial we believe that great partners are key to experiencing the exciting true potential of Wi-Fi sensing and the services and applications it enables” says Steve Sifferman, Aerial’s CEO. “Mercku has a great platform and an innovative spirit which is akin to Aerial’s qualities, and we are very excited to be working together.”
As homes become more autonomous and connected, a robust Wi-Fi foundation is necessary in providing the ability to sense, simplify and secure their inhabitant’s lives. This progressive outlook on the future of connectivity is at the core of the design and functionality of all Mercku products, and the M6 will serve as the platform for Aerial to push the limits of motion intelligence.
For their customers, this combination of Mercku’s specialized RF hardware design and Aerial’s AI powered software, ensures market leading Wi-Fi Sensing performance as well as provides a future-proof platform for deploying the most advanced services and applications in the industry.
About Aerial Technologies
Established in 2015 endorsed by industry leaders, Aerial Technologies is the pioneer in Wi-Fi Motion Intelligence. Aerial’s patented and award-winning AI based technology analyzes wireless infrastructure to infer human activities and enable customers and partners to develop practical applications that improve daily life. The company is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with offices in USA and Europe. To learn more, view the website at www.aerial.ai
For Press information Contact:
marketing@aerial.ai
About Mercku
Founded in 2017 in Waterloo, Canada, Mercku is revolutionizing the foundation for wireless sensing and smart homes. Built on decades of design and engineering expertise, Mercku’s founders have over 450 patents in networking technology and bring proprietary innovation to the world of connectivity. With their latest Connectivity-as-a-Service suite of hardware, software, and premium features, Mercku’s relentless innovation and thought leadership will transform the IoT and wireless sensing space. To learn more, visit their website at www.mercku.com
For Press information contact:
Thanks to the new Intelligent System Monitoring capabilities of the E3-2 Intelligent PON Node that automatically sense temperature thresholds and respond, the Calix Intelligent Access EDGE is the Ideal solution for delivering an Always On network to remote subscribers even under the harshest conditions
SAN JOSE, CA – May 18, 2021 – Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today introduced the Intelligent System Monitoring capability, a major enhancement to the AXOS® E3-2 Intelligent PON Node that protects broadband service providers’ (BSPs) network investments by streamlining system troubleshooting and dramatically reducing truck rolls to remote areas. The E3-2 node is often deployed in the most remote areas with extremely harsh external conditions. In these locations, the E3-2 node enables BSPs to reduce deployment costs by up to 50 percent compared to traditional cabinet installs while accelerating construction and service activation. With the new capabilities, The E3-2 node can intelligently sense dangerous increases to the internal temperature of the system and automatically take corrective action dramatically reducing operating costs. As this new capability is incorporated into the management model, operational workflows and Always On operating model that is common to all systems in the Intelligent Access EDGE portfolio, the E3-2 node is a fantastic addition to existing networks.
The AXOS E3-2 Intelligent PON Node with Intelligent System Monitoring will deliver significant value by:
“Calix has given us a simple platform to deliver next-generation network services to remote locations that would otherwise be extremely difficult—if not impossible—to reach,” said Robbie Farmer, CTO for North Carolina-based SkyLine Telephone Membership Corporation. “The deployment flexibility of the E3-2 system and the versatility of the AXOS platform, extend our reach by delivering an adaptable solution we can attach to existing infrastructure and use to turn subscriber services up rapidly. This product update also gives us the confidence that we are investing in a system that is reliable and will perform under adverse conditions and eliminate the need to roll a truck for system repairs or replacements in our remote serving areas.”
The E3-2 Intelligent PON Node dramatically simplifies network deployment and is ideally suited to connect rural areas quickly. With an infusion of capital from the recent RDOF auctions, and additional funding on the way, BSPs can leverage the AXOS E3-2 to capitalize on opportunities that help bridge the digital divide and deliver broadband to the unserved and underserved without the need for costly cabinet installations and right-of-way challenges. The E3-2 node’s modular form factor makes it a truly cost-effective option that can be deployed anywhere—mounted in a pedestal, on a pole or strand mounted. It enables BSPs to simplify network architectures and operations while delivering the versatility to run and support everyPON technology including a rapid migration from GPON to XGS-PON.
“Remote areas present unique challenges but are common for rural service providers who often need to overcome difficult physical locations and harsh environmental conditions,” said Michel Langlois, chief development officer, Intelligent Access EDGE products for Calix. “The E3-2 Intelligent PON Node enables them to address these challenges with a modular, upgradeable, and hardened form factor that can be mounted in various ways to ensure that even their most remote locations will have access to outstanding, reliable fiber broadband service and experience. The Calix Intelligent System Monitoring in this AXOS cadence release is just the latest capability in our never-ending pursuit to simplify network operations by ensuring service issues can be resolved in minutes, rather than hours or days.”
Visit us online for more information on the E3-2 Intelligent PON Node and other AXOS 10G solutions. Learn more on our webinar, “10G Fiber Networks For The Future: Top Considerations From The Experts.”
About Calix
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) – Calix cloud and software platforms enable service providers of all types and sizes to innovate and transform. Our customers utilize the real-time data and insights from Calix platforms to simplify their businesses and deliver experiences that excite their subscribers. The resulting growth in subscriber acquisition, loyalty, and revenue creates more value for their businesses and communities. This is the Calix mission; to enable broadband service providers of all sizes to simplify, excite, and grow.
This press release may contain 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.
While many businesses are still struggling to open because of the COVID-19 pandemic, others are now at the stage where they are starting to look at new ways to save money, improve their digital marketing efforts, and get the company back on its feet.
Many find that a straightforward way to get a head start is to consolidate the various software that powers their business. By choosing one software suite that performs all the tasks of separate services, you can lower costs and make it easier to manage.
Cloud Services and SaaS Platforms Can Overlap
Today’s modern businesses utilize Software as a Service (SaaS) or cloud service platforms to help market and operate effectively. For example, many businesses deployed new systems to automate their digital marketing and customer interactions during the pandemic. While these systems are valuable, some overlap in features that increase costs to the business and decrease the likelihood of being used most efficiently to realize the ROI.
For example, a venue can implement GoZone WiFi’s Marketing4WiFi platform to provide a captive portal on their guest WiFi network. This captive portal element is a potent addition to the business since it automatically builds a list of customers who visit the venue. The business then takes that list and imports it into a secondary marketing system. However, since the Marketing4WiFi platform already has automated marketing and CRM features, the added cost of the secondary e-marketing system and the time involved to manage both systems are wasteful.
Consolidating Cloud Platforms and Services
Many businesses tend to accumulate multiple SaaS contracts over time. Consolidating those services can often lead to better workload management and lower costs for the business.
From our previous example, GoZone WiFi has customers that use its system to collect guest data, e-mail addresses, mobile numbers, and more. One might take that data, export it, and link it to a third-party system that sends out emails.
Businesses partaking in such practices are making three distinct mistakes:
These problems are easily solved by consolidating cloud platforms and services.
Every business that utilizes a cloud platform or SaaS contract should evaluate all the offerings those companies provide and then compare them against the needs of the business. Performing an audit will often reveal that the platforms can provide more for the business than originally planned. This will allow the company to avoid overlapping services to save money, making it easier for workers to manage the subscriptions and learn to integrate the platforms to gain the most effect.
As COVID lock-downs happened, brick-and-mortar businesses quickly realized that building and maintaining a list of their customers was critical. Post-COVID, businesses have changed how they communicate with their customers and the way customers interact with businesses.
Contact a GoZone partner or us today to find out how our platforms can help your business.
With the comprehensive integration between Calix Marketing Cloud and industry-leading email marketing platform Mailchimp, Calix launches the first of many integrations with major “MarTech” platforms to help marketers automate the creation and execution of targeted campaigns that eliminate churn and grow revenue
SAN JOSE, CA – May 13, 2021 – Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today launched the seamless integration of leading email marketing platform Mailchimp with Calix Marketing Cloud. This is the first step in a journey to enable broadband service providers (BSPs) to adopt a simple model for planning and executing fully integrated omnichannel marketing campaigns. These campaigns will be targeted with insights from rich behavioral data and executed through automation to create timely and relevant touchpoints that attract new subscribers as well as increase loyalty among existing subscribers. Broadband service provider marketers can now access audience segments from Calix Marketing Cloud—which is purpose-built to help BSPs leverage subscriber data to grow revenue and build brand loyalty—directly in Mailchimp, eliminating the need for cumbersome, manual spreadsheet exports. These marketers can then execute automated and highly targeted campaigns against these audiences. Calix Marketing Cloud will also include a new dashboard that provides real-time visibility into campaign performance metrics, including open rates, click-throughs, unsubscribes, and bounce rates. As a result, marketers can easily understand the impact of each analytics-driven campaign and tie marketing campaign investments to revenue. This latest enhancement to the Revenue EDGE solution marks the first in a series of planned integrations, including a major Facebook integration scheduled for next quarter.
The journey to radically simplify processes for marketers begins with the comprehensive integration between Mailchimp and Calix Marketing Cloud, and will extend to other marketing and social media platforms so that BSPs can:
In a survey Calix conducted that included both customers and non-customers, Mailchimp ranked as the most popular email marketing software among respondents. As a leader in this space, Mailchimp provides a one-stop-shop for managing email, direct mail, website, and social campaigns.
“We use Mailchimp extensively for our email marketing, and this integration with Calix Marketing Cloud is a welcome enhancement that will simplify our ability to manage email lists and audience segments from one platform,” said Chris Armstrong, director, sales and marketing for CityWest, a BSP located in British Columbia. “As marketing becomes inherently more social and our subscribers increasingly more connected, we continue to look for new and innovative ways to deliver premium services. We are eager to build on our successes to date with Calix by integrating even more of our social channels with Calix Marketing Cloud in the near future.”
Calix Marketing Cloud is the only marketing platform purpose-built for the BSP marketer, using contextual, behavioral data alongside built-in intelligence and machine learning to simplify processes and generate hyper-focused segments and audiences. As a result, marketers can create relevant, targeted, event-triggered communications that excite subscribers. For example, Wisconsin-based service provider Norvado is leveraging Calix Marketing Cloud to better understand subscriber usage patterns to personalize offers—contributing to a 99 percent uptake of its premium Wi-Fi service. Meanwhile, Nemont Telephone Cooperative in Montana tapped the advanced behavioral analytics of Calix Marketing Cloud to create a highly targeted campaign aimed at upgrading members to an optimal service tier, resulting in a year-over-year revenue increase of 65 percent.
“Today’s announcement marks the first of many integrations with marketing technologies that bring sophistication to broadband businesses of all sizes,” said Matt Collins, chief marketing officer at Calix. “Calix is committed to arming service providers with the tools they need to succeed against the consumer giants. By integrating Mailchimp data directly into Calix Marketing Cloud, marketers can enjoy all the benefits of intelligent automation while extending their marketing capabilities in an efficient, cost-effective manner. There has never been a more exciting time to be a marketer in the broadband industry—with deeper insights, marketers can uncover timely, relevant opportunities and craft campaigns across key channels designed to excite their subscribers and grow their value for generations to come. Our goal is to help our customers make their marketing so good it feels like a service. This launch is another big step in that direction.”
To help customers accelerate adoption and time to ROI, Calix has enhanced features of the Premier Customer Success Services offerings. These include best practices and guidance to help marketers take their campaigns to the next level and maximize subscriber engagement. Complementing these features are comprehensive updates to the Education Services curriculum for Revenue EDGE, which is a core pillar of the Success for All program available to all Calix customers.
Calix is the only organization that provides customers with EDGE Enablement resources that are ready-to-use, fully built marketing campaign assets, including email templates that will enable marketers using Mailchimp—arming them with new services, courses, and market activations. Marketers also benefit from direct-to-subscriber guided self-help, a new feature of EDGE Suites that enhances the subscriber experience and helps build trust and brand loyalty.
To learn more, view a replay of our recent webinar, “How to Offer the Premium Services That Subscribers Want.”
About Calix
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) – Calix cloud and software platforms enable service providers of all types and sizes to innovate and transform. Our customers utilize the real-time data and insights from Calix platforms to simplify their businesses and deliver experiences that excite their subscribers. The resulting growth in subscriber acquisition, loyalty, and revenue creates more value for their businesses and communities. This is the Calix mission; to enable broadband service providers of all sizes to simplify, excite, and grow.
This press release may contain 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.
Updates to Calix Support Cloud provide support teams with complete visibility into the CommandIQ mobile app and ExperienceIQ to eliminate inbound calls and truck rolls by providing direct access to subscriber application preferences and settings
SAN JOSE, CA – May 12, 2021 – Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced product and service enhancements to Calix Support Cloud and the CommandIQ® mobile app that significantly upgrade management capabilities for broadband service provider (BSP) support teams. Customer service representatives (CSRs) now have unprecedented visibility into subscribers’ network and device prioritization settings in My Priorities within ExperienceIQ™, an EDGE Suites application available within CommandIQ. Thanks to the tight integration of CommandIQ and Calix Support Cloud, CSRs can also help subscribers utilize the new SSID pool management capabilities that enable them to establish multiple, simultaneous networks in their homes. These capabilities allow support teams to better understand how subscribers are using self-service features in CommandIQ to navigate and customize their connected homes. When combined with the analytics and automation built into Calix Support Cloud, these new capabilities help CSRs quickly identify and address subscriber needs. The end result is fewer inbound calls and truck rolls.
By combining Calix Support Cloud with the newly launched GigaSpire® BLAST u6x, BSPs now have the ultimate combination to drive operational simplicity and efficiency. Armed with Calix Support Cloud and the world’s first universal, carrier-class premises system, it is easier than ever for BSPs to achieve results such as 74 percent first call resolution rates and 26 percent reduction in truck rolls. The latest enhancements in Calix Support Cloud and CommandIQ bring better visibility and insights into:
Customer support teams can now access all subscriber insights and view subscriber data in aggregate via the comprehensive dashboard in Calix Support Cloud, enabling them to automate processes and introduce other operational efficiencies to ensure their teams are running at maximum efficiency. To ensure that BSPs leverage all of these capabilities, Calix has enhanced the Premier Customer Success Services offering. The Calix Success team can help customers perform comprehensive analysis of domains such as help desk and ticketing systems operations. As customer success managers help customers uncover and address opportunities for improvement, they will help reduce trouble reports, simplify workflows, and improve first call resolution.
“Visibility is critical to helping our subscribers manage their home networks remotely—a capability that is paramount given the cost and time required to roll trucks across our large service area,” said Ron Wilson, director, network operations center for Oklahoma-based Dobson Fiber. “A single truck roll across some parts of our coverage area can easily take half a day and cost us upwards of $200. Not only has Calix Support Cloud delivered insights that have cut our truck rolls by 60 percent, but the solution has also come with the Customer Success Services team, which was instrumental in achieving that reduction and helping us build the foundation of an unmatched subscriber experience. Calix consistently improves its products, and we look forward to unleashing these new insights of this latest Calix Support Cloud release to make our team run even more efficiently.”
The BSP support function is critical to creating and maintaining loyal subscribers. These Calix Support Cloud enhancements enable CSRs to anticipate support issues and address them proactively before they cause network outages.
“The 21.2 quarterly product release cycle includes numerous enhancements for customer support teams, and they all focus on maximizing the efficiency with which teams help subscribers stay connected,” said Martha Galley, senior vice president, customer engagement and services for Calix. “The new device-level visibility into subscriber networks enables support personnel to anticipate subscriber needs before they even surface and proactively address them, reducing or dramatically shortening support calls—if not outright eliminating them in some cases. With a single pane of glass view, support team leaders can analyze network data and build workflows that are tailored to address the specific needs of their subscribers, while enabling them to self-manage their home networks as much as possible. This makes the CSR-subscriber relationship much more of a partnership than the help desk dynamic that is typical. Keeping subscribers off the phones enables CSRs to focus on proactively elevating the subscriber experience. Not only does a more efficient support team translate to happier subscribers, but it also delivers operational efficiency improvements and exceptional business value for service providers.”
Learn more about Calix solutions and services for customer support teams, and view our recent webinar, “The Data Driven Approach To Transforming Your Customer Support.”
About Calix
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) – Calix cloud and software platforms enable service providers of all types and sizes to innovate and transform. Our customers utilize the real-time data and insights from Calix platforms to simplify their businesses and deliver experiences that excite their subscribers. The resulting growth in subscriber acquisition, loyalty, and revenue creates more value for their businesses and communities. This is the Calix mission; to enable broadband service providers of all sizes to simplify, excite, and grow.
This press release may contain 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.
As demand for broadband services explodes, Calix extends the Experience Innovation Platform with the announcement of its roadmap for the GigaSpire BLAST systems, addressing a stunning array of use cases to help broadband service providers rapidly grow their value for subscribers
SAN JOSE, CA – May 11, 2021 – Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) followed the launch of the latest addition to the GigaSpire BLAST systems family, the GigaSpire® BLAST u6x, by unveiling the systems portfolio roadmap for the GigaSpire BLAST. The roadmap outlines the planned evolution of the GigaSpire BLAST portfolio to help broadband service providers (BSPs) plan their service evolution and growth. These future systems will enable BSPs to excite subscribers with even more performance by leveraging new technologies such as Wi-Fi 6E, easily extend their services to new locations via temperature-hardened systems and Power over Ethernet for systems, and operate with complete flexibility and simplicity with a GigaSpire BLAST u4x system that utilizes the swappable WAN SFP connections introduced with the GigaSpire BLAST u6x.
Thanks to the power of the Experience Innovation Platform, these new systems will enable BSPs of any size to grow their value by tapping into exploding subscriber demand across an ever-expanding set of use cases. As a foundational component of the Revenue EDGE solution (which includes Calix Support Cloud, Calix Marketing Cloud, the CommandIQ® mobile app, and Revenue EDGE Suites) the new GigaSpire BLAST systems enable BSPs to establish a “digital storefront” that will generate new revenue streams for years. This expanding portfolio will include:
The Experience Innovation Platform enables a BSP to adopt and deploy new systems and services with unprecedented speed and efficiency. While it used to take months for a BSP to integrate and prepare new systems for deployment, GigaSpire BLAST systems can be incorporated into a BSPs operating model in just days or weeks. With the accelerating investment in broadband, driven by U.S. federal and state-level funding as well as private investment—speed to market and flexibility are more important than ever. Calix is investing to ensure that the family of GigaSpire systems is the most complete and easiest to adopt on the market. More importantly, Calix demonstrated with its latest systems launch and announcements that it is committed to helping customers stay on the cutting edge.
“We partner closely with BSPs to provide innovative, winning options that deliver the most flexibility and value so they can excite a wide range of residential and business subscribers in dynamic environments while easily and cost-effectively addressing their unique needs,” said Shane Eleniak, senior vice president, Revenue EDGE products for Calix. “The GigaSpire BLAST portfolio offers the broadest range of systems in the market to enable service providers to achieve these goals and more. We invest in innovation that helps them build a winning business model—one that grows their brand and only their brand and helps them build deep, lasting relationships with subscribers for generations. We were the first technology provider in the market with Wi-Fi 6 systems designed exclusively for service providers. We will continue to be the first to innovate in new areas such as Wi-Fi 6E. The GigaSpire BLAST roadmap outlines the evolution of our commitment to our customers. It will help broadband service providers of any type and size to be first in their market with the systems that meet their subscribers’ needs.”
To learn more, download the white paper, “Expanding Wi-Fi into the 6 GHz Spectrum,” and register for the May 26 webinar, “New Innovations Set to Drive Optimal Wi-Fi Performance.”
About Calix
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) – Calix cloud and software platforms enable service providers of all types and sizes to innovate and transform. Our customers utilize the real-time data and insights from Calix platforms to simplify their businesses and deliver experiences that excite their subscribers. The resulting growth in subscriber acquisition, loyalty, and revenue creates more value for their businesses and communities. This is the Calix mission; to enable broadband service providers of all sizes to simplify, excite, and grow.
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Austin, TX – May 11, 2021 – Wi-Fi Alliance® provides trusted security to billions of Wi-Fi® devices, and regularly updates Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ requirements to address wireless security and privacy challenges as the threat landscape evolves.
Security researchers identified vulnerabilities in the frame aggregation functionality of some Wi-Fi devices. There is no evidence of the vulnerabilities being used against Wi-Fi users maliciously, and these issues are mitigated through routine device updates that enable detection of suspect transmissions or improve adherence to recommended security implementation practices. Wi-Fi Alliance has taken immediate steps to ensure users can remain confident in the strong security protections provided by Wi-Fi.
As always, Wi-Fi users should ensure they have installed the latest recommended updates from device manufacturers.
As with any technology, robust security research that pre-emptively identifies potential vulnerabilities is critical to maintaining strong protections. Wi-Fi Alliance thanks Mathy Vanhoef (New York University Abu Dhabi) for discovering and responsibly reporting this issue, allowing industry to proactively prepare updates. Wi-Fi Alliance also thanks the Industry Consortium for Advancement of Security on the Internet (ICASI) for their strong partnership and collaboration.
For more information, please refer to statement from ICASI: https://www.icasi.org/aggregation-fragmentation-attacks-against-wifi/
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Relevant research:
Guidance for implementations:
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 65,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
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May 10, 2021 by Ken Kerpez
Working from home has risen vastly over the past year, and this trend looks to be here to stay. While a user may ignore occasional blips in their “for fun” internet, working from home requires a new level of network performance. Ensuring Wi-Fi® Quality of Service (QoS) is arguably the most important component of such performance, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED QoS Management™ is now able to provide the reliability that working from home requires.
Wi-Fi is becoming one of the most important approaches for connecting devices to the internet. Consumers are demanding that operators provide a high quality Wi-Fi experience when it comes to Wi-Fi connectivity across all devices. In particular, work-from-home, or telework, has emerged as a vitally important application supported by Wi-Fi. There is a growing need for operators to manage and ensure mission critical telework traffic over Wi-Fi, and residential connections should be managed to ensure connectivity and performance that enables productive employees. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED QoS Management has now emerged to ensure telework traffic is prioritized, resulting in an improved work-from-home experience for employees.
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Multimedia™ (WMM®) provides the over-the-air mechanisms to support traffic prioritization, including prioritization of work from home traffic. While WMM can prioritize telework applications to ensure their service quality, it did not provide the capabilities to link the Wi-Fi layer with the IP or application layers for residential Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED QoS Management simplifies the prioritization and management of latency-sensitive traffic in Wi-Fi networks by enabling IP data flows to be classified and mapped to one of four QoS access categories defined by WMM. This helps ensure that traffic for real-time applications and services is inserted into queues with higher priority, resulting in a better experience for end-users.
Wi-Fi QoS Management supports Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) mapping, which is a marking in the IP packet headers for managing network priority and QoS across the network. Wi-Fi QoS Management can classify traffic and map flows into DSCP code points, whereby work-related flows are identified and assigned to high priorities. Wi-Fi QoS Management then enables configuration mapping of the IP-layer DSCP markings to WMM categories, allowing for prioritization and ensuring QoS on Wi-Fi. The essential component of priority across the Wi-Fi link is enabled by Wi-Fi QoS Management. In addition, Wi-Fi QoS Management can similarly support Mirrored Stream Classification Service (MSCS) to ensure QoS of work applications on client devices across the Wi-Fi link.
Solutions such as ASSIA Equipe are coming to market to harness the benefits of Wi-Fi QoS Management for employees working from home. This Wi-Fi management platform runs on Wi-Fi gateways and Wi-Fi extenders in conjunction with a cloud-based management system and a smartphone application that the employee interacts with. Equipe collects and analyzes many Wi-Fi performance-related parameters to determine and optimize “Workput”—an AI model that learns the true impact of an individual’s connectivity for telework. Ensuring work from home prioritization for Telework QoS is crucial to high Workput.
The use of Wi-Fi QoS Management by such solutions enables operators to take a great step forward by prioritizing critical workflows to support telework as a service. For instance, Equipe can use Wi-Fi QoS Management to assign high priority and support end-to-end QoS of Workput flows across the network, particularly across the crucial Wi-Fi link. It is Wi-Fi QoS Management’s ability to support prioritization of these flows that makes it so critical to telework, enabling employees to enjoy a high quality work from home experience.
In many households, Wi-Fi is shared between time-sensitive, performance-oriented work flows and more casual traffic. Wi-Fi QoS management enables mission-critical applications to meet their delay and quality requirements, ensuring the now-pervasive needs of telework can now be fully supported.
