How Norvado Is Leading the Way To Protect Their Subscribers

Up here in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, we take care of our neighbors. For more than 70 years, Norvado has worked to create dynamic, thriving communities that support generations of subscribers. Two years ago, we realized that if we wanted to continue to grow our business, we needed to transform from a product-focused company to one that offered our subscribers a fully connected lifestyle. That’s why, in 2020, we launched our Apex Managed WIFI service. Built on Calix Revenue EDGE, Apex Managed WIFI gives our subscribers the big-city services they depend on while also fulfilling our mission of delivering cutting-edge technology. This way, our subscribers can live an “Up North” lifestyle and stay connected to the world.

The shift seems prophetic now. At the time, however, this transition seemed risky. Still, I felt confident that switching to a managed services business model was the right call for our subscribers and our company. Our subscribers enthusiastically embraced our Apex Managed WIFI service. Their confidence in us and satisfaction with our services stems from our ability to provide them with access to super-fast speeds. That way, they can work, learn, stream, game, and stay in touch no matter where they are.

Through it all, Calix has been the ideal partner. By providing us with state-of-the-art technology and continuous innovation, Calix ensures we deliver on our mission while keeping our brand front and center. With Calix at our side, we are building a solid foundation. With Revenue EDGE Suites, we can confidently add new managed services to meet our subscribers where they are, so they have what they need to thrive.

We Made Security Simpler for Subscribers and Blocked More Than 1,800 Threats

Given the ever-increasing rise in cyber-threats, many of those services now center on ensuring the well-being of our subscribers. We are our subscribers’ portal to the world. That’s why we take security seriously. Right now, the average household has 10 or more connected devices on their home network. And many of those devices have little or no built-in security. It’s a hacker’s dream. Earlier this year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulted in an alarming uptick in attempted online incursions—triggering a joint Cybersecurity Advisory from the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Now is the time for all broadband service providers to prioritize network security. Because these threats grow daily, it’s crucial for us to quickly scale our offerings and quickly get them into the market.

When we launched Apex Managed WIFI, we offered three plans at different price points and capabilities. But, as our subscribers connected more and more devices to the internet—opening their homes to ever-increasing cyber threats—we knew we had to make it easy for them to add our security options to their services.

Our solution? Streamline our security offerings into one comprehensive residential Wi-Fi package that is standard for every new subscriber. With the “Total Experience Plan,” which includes Apex Protect (our branded version of ProtectIQ®) and Apex Experience (our branded version of ExperienceIQ™), subscribers are protected from viruses, web threats, and more even before they intrude into their home. In three months, the number of Apex Protect users grew by 13 percent, and Apex Protect defended Norvado subscribers against more than 1,800 of these threats.

Delivering High-Value, Personalized Services Our Subscribers Demand

We are proud of our successful transition from a traditional telco model to providing the kind of high-value, personalized managed services our subscribers need. As a member of the Calix Broadband Marketing Hall of Fame and the winner of the 2021 Innovations in Marketing award, we understand the power of data. Empowered by the subscriber insights we get through Calix Marketing Cloud, we understand how, when, and why our subscribers use our network. This insight allows us to provide value-added services—including parental controls and a mobile app with self-service capabilities—as well as anticipate the services our subscribers need in the future, like ProtectIQ.

Anticipating the needs of our subscribers is our responsibility, but it’s also good business. A year after launching Apex Managed WIFI, we increased our subscribers by 80 percent and saw our margins grow by 400 percent. How did we do it? By leveraging behavioral data to deliver targeted marketing campaigns. Through these efforts, we achieved an amazing 99 percent adoption rate of Apex Managed WIFI among our newest subscribers, with nearly 40 percent selecting packages with EDGE Suites. In the end, we boosted our margins by 60 percent—an increase of 400 percent in just 12 months. When we launched Apex Experience, we realized even more business benefits, including cutting support costs by 30 percent and dramatically reducing unnecessary truck rolls.   

Change can feel like a huge risk. Thankfully, having a partner like Calix that’s genuinely invested in your success makes all the difference. Like so many rural service providers, we have a small marketing organization. Still, we’ve achieved results that our bigger competitors would envy with the combination of innovative solutions, a world-class data engine, and vast go-to-market resources. Calix has been an ideal partner throughout our evolution by providing state-of-the-art technology and continuous innovation that puts our brand (and only our brand) first. This partnership forms the foundation for our service offerings and the insights, resources, tools, and support to help us succeed now and into the future. Together, we’re working to help Wisconsinites discover what’s possible.

Learn how you can simplify home network security for your subscribers. Schedule a marketing consult today.