Calix Launches the World’s first Wi-Fi 6, Amazon Alexa built-in smart home system that is powered  by EXOS, supported by Calix Cloud and available only to service providers

Calix, Inc. today, from the main stage at ConneXions 2018, launched the world’s most powerful smart home system, the Calix™ GigaSpire powered by EXOS™, and the only end-to-end smart home solution designed for communications service providers (CSPs), the Calix Smart Home and Business Solution. Armed with these unique capabilities, CSPs of every size and type can tap into massive new revenue streams by delivering smart home services with unprecedent speed, flexibility and simplicity. While the GigaSpire and the Calix Smart Home Solution are not available direct to consumers, any CSP can deploy a service enablement platform that is designed to:

• Elevate their services: EXOS is the world’s only hardware independent, modular, standards-based, always-on smart home operating system. With the EXOS platform, service providers can quickly deploy new services that leverage a range of pre-integrated smart home solutions and thousands of smart devices. EXOS enables CSPs to quickly change and adapt their services to embrace new technologies and meet the evolving needs of subscribers.

• Elevate their service quality: The GigaSpire is the world’s most powerful Wi-Fi 6, mesh enhanced, universal IoT smart home system with built-in support for Bluetooth, Zigbee, and ZWave. With the GigaSpire, CSPs can deliver unmatched connectivity throughout any subscriber’s home and subscribers won’t have to spend hundreds of dollars at a big box retailer to access the latest technology.

• Elevate their Brand: The GigaSpire is integrated with Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS) and offers the flexibility to be placed anywhere in the smart home. By customizing the GigaSpire with their own brand, a CSP can leverage the power of Alexa to make subscribers’ lives simpler and more productive. The flexibility to brand the Calix Smart Home mobile application simplifies device activation, increases self-install rates, and lowers support costs. Service providers can also reinforce their brand every time their subscribers interact with their services.

• Elevate their subscribers’ experiences: By leveraging the network/behavioral analytics and machine learning delivered through the Calix Cloud, service providers can proactively address issues associated with smart home devices to increase satisfaction and reduce churn. Equally as important, Calix Cloud can provide insights into subscriber behavior that help CSPs offer new services that match subscriber needs and maximize ARPU and marketing ROI.

• Elevate their revenue: The Calix Solutions Exchange will give CSPs easy access to an expanding ecosystem of EXOS integrated partner and private label solutions bundles such as IoT management and network security monitoring. With the Calix Solutions Exchange, deploying  revenue generating services will be quick and seamless for CSPs of any size and type.

According to Parks Associates, 26 percent of US broadband homes already own at least one smart home device, and 50% report issues when setting up a smart home device. While CSPs are usually not involved in these purchases, they receive the vast majority of service calls. In addition, consumer brands such as Google, Facebook and Netflix are leveraging their broadband networks for free while many CSPs struggle to compete for these new revenue streams. “For decades service providers have tried and failed to own the subscriber experience” said Michael Weening, EVP of Calix Field Operations. “Today, only the largest service providers have been able to launch smart home services and they have required significant initial investment, years of integration work to legacy service management systems and ongoing costs in the form of sales, marketing and support. With the launch of Calix Smart Home and Business, Calix has changed the game for service providers of all sizes. By bringing the power of software and the cloud to the premises as an end-to-end solution, Calix is offering service providers industry leading systems which enable them to offer pre-integrated services that are highly saleable, managed and will continue to expand through the Calix Solutions Exchange.” 

Voice services like Amazon Alexa have become an increasingly popular way for people to interact with the technology around them, and the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) gives device makers and solutions providers the tools they need to build Alexa directly into their products. The GigaSpire Max offers Alexa features and capabilities out of the box, enabling subscribers to play music, check the weather, control smart home devices and more.

“The Alexa Voice Service was created to make it as easy as possible for device makers to develop products with Alexa built-in,” said Priya Abani, Director of the Alexa Voice Service at Amazon. “Solutions providers like Calix are an important part of that portfolio, and we’re thrilled to see GigaSpire emerge as another option for CSPs looking to provide voice-based experiences for their customers.”

To help CSPs accelerate their deployment of smart home offerings, Calix Smart Home Professional Services provide services for readiness  assessments, setup, training, and consulting on deployment best practices. Aggressive market innovators such as Nebraska-based ALLO  communications and Dubai-based du have already begun this journey through their participation in the Calix early adopter program. 

“We’ve seen success with Calix’s Carrier Class Wi-Fi solutions that have enabled us to provide our subscribers with new offerings such as Managed Wi-Fi and whole home Wi-Fi,” said Brad Moline, president and CEO of ALLO Communications. “We’re now excited to capitalize on that adoption by delivering smart home solutions in the near future. Partnering with Calix gives us access to the software, hardware, services, and marketing insight needed to anticipate subscriber needs and quickly bundle offerings that enhance their smart home experience.”

For Dubai-based service provider du, being able to give customers not just an advanced service but a guarantee of connectivity and access to all the advantages of the smart home is also incredibly appealing. This smart home solution enables du to provide something truly differentiating that opens their market to new possibilities.

Source: Calix Inc. media announcement