Why Do We Innovate at Calix? Because Broadband Infrastructure Changes Lives

A man sitting in a rural field while using a laptop connected to a broadband infrastructure

I’m not sure if I should blame the coffee or Carl Russo (one of Calix’s founders and our Chairman of the Board).

A simple “talk more about Calix” chat morphed into a discussion of the power of a platform and, ultimately, how he was transforming a 15-year-old hardware company into a software and services company. Oh, and while remaining public, something pretty much unheard of.

It also launched an incredible nine-plus year journey for me—and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It started with us building what broadband service providers (BSPs) would initially need: the lowest cost-per-bit network to reduce the total cost of ownership. How? Primarily by eliminating multiple boxes and dramatically simplifying operations via a software broadband platform.

Then, we dove into the retail side of things. How could we make it easy for BSPs to do something they’ve struggled with for decades: rapidly introduce new services to their subscribers while eliminating huge IT back-office integration projects? This led us to develop persona-based clouds and SmartHome™, SmartBiz™, SmartMDU™, and SmartTown™—the entire SmartLife™ suite of managed services.

These actions are all evidence of our mission to simplify our customers’ operations, innovate, and help them grow. But there’s a catch with the innovation component.

Our business model depends on the success of BSPs, which drives continuous product innovation. First, we innovate to keep BSP networks low-cost, easy to manage, reliable, and secure. Second, we provide a steady stream of new analytics, workflows, and experiences that keep subscribers happy and BSPs out of the race to the bottom, competing on speed.

Continuous product innovation requires us to dive deep into design thinking, lean culture, and time-boxed agile methods with a predictable cadence of software releases, so our customers know what to expect and when.

Rather than assume success with each quarterly release, we regularly analyze whether our innovations deliver differentiated value. Do our customers value them? Do they help set our customers apart from the competition?

We look for proof in the data, for sure. But the best proof is over a thousand BSPs using our platform to transform their businesses and make a difference in their communities. Infrastructure changes people’s lives, right? Better education, work opportunities, and community services equal a better quality of life.

That’s the real payoff.

So, I guess I don’t blame the coffee or Carl—instead, I thank both. Calix has been the ride of a lifetime. And we’re just getting started.

Learn more about how we’re celebrating 25 years of serving our customers and connecting communities.

By Shane Eleniak

Chief Product Officer (CPO), Calix

Shane is the chief product officer at Calix. Shane is responsible for all of Calix’s products—access, premises, cloud, and ecosystem—and leads the teams responsible for product strategy, product management, engineering, cloud operations, and technology. He has more than 30 years of experience creating cloud, software, and networking innovation. Prior to Calix, Shane held leadership positions at CommScope, Alloptic, Corrigent Systems, Alcatel-Lucent, and Telus. Shane holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta.