Fast Company Ranks Calix #11 of the World’s Most Innovative Enterprise Companies

Rhea-AI Summary

Calix (NYSE: CALX) has achieved the #11 rank on Fast Company's 2025 World's Most Innovative Companies list in the enterprise category. The company has invested $1.3 billion over 13 years to transform from a hardware company into a comprehensive cloud-and-software platform provider for the broadband industry.

The recognition highlights Calix's success in enabling broadband service providers (BSPs) to evolve into broadband experience providers (BXPs) through their integrated SmartLife™ managed services. A key innovation is the SmartTown® service, which provides secure connectivity for first responders, citizens, and public events. The company recently launched the SmartTown Alliance, enabling subscribers to stay connected across different towns and cities.

Calix maintains 12 advisory boards with over 300 customers and offers specialized support through its Calix Success organization. Customers like ALLO Communications and Brightspeed have achieved faster service rollouts and improved Net Promoter Scores through the platform.

The 2025 list recognizes Calix for revolutionizing broadband businesses, enabling customers to grow profitability while creating enduring value for their communities

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) announces it has ranked 11th on the Fast Company 2025 list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in enterprise. This achievement highlights the broad recognition Calix continues to receive beyond its industry—including accolades for excellence in supply chain (Resilinc), go-to-market enablement (Digiday), culture (Fortune), and executive leadership (Fast Company)—for driving transformational change for its broadband service provider (BSP) customers.

For 26 years, Calix has empowered broadband businesses to succeed. This commitment drove Calix to invest $1.3 billion over 13 years to evolve from a hardware company into the broadband industry’s only end-to-end cloud-and-software platform company—enabling customers to differentiate through secure, exceptional experiences and avoid the trap of industry commoditization.

Today, BSPs of all sizes leverage the Calix Broadband Platform and integrated SmartLife™ managed services to transform into broadband experience providers (BXPs). A growing number of Calix customers are expanding rapidly beyond residential broadband to deliver exceptional experiences for businesses, multi-dwelling units (MDUs), and entire communities, driving economic growth and improving quality of life for millions of people.

Fast Company recognized Calix for enabling customers to drive community impact with managed services like SmartTown®. By creating “smart towns,” BSPs ensure that first responders stay connected, citizens can make calls beyond cell coverage, and public events (like Friday night football games) have secure, reliable Wi-Fi for livestreaming, mobile check-ins, and digital engagement. In 2024, Calix announced the SmartTown Alliance, allowing BSPs to keep subscribers seamlessly connected as they travel to other towns and cities. Calix SmartTown solutions integrate award-winning cybersecurity with individual subscriber and network-level protection that helps BSPs combat rapidly escalating digital threats.

By listening closely to more than 300 customers on 12 advisory boards, Calix continuously introduces innovations that accelerate the journey to becoming a BXP. Its award-winning Calix Success organization offers hands-on support for the launch of managed services, workforce training, and expert guidance to achieve business goals. It is the only organization of its kind solely dedicated to enabling the success of broadband businesses.

“Transformation is in our DNA,” said Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer at Calix. “We knew our customers needed more than faster speeds—they needed innovation to drive value across residential, business, and community markets. We transformed our business to help them transform theirs. Fast Company’s recognition is an honor, but what matters most is our customers, like ALLO Communications, Brightspeed, ICS Advanced Technologies, SCTelcom, and Tombigbee Fiber, achieving remarkable success: service rollouts in weeks instead of months, unprecedented growth, and record-breaking Net Promoter Scores℠. Along the way, they are growing incredible value for their subscribers and making a positive difference. We celebrate our customers, partners, and employees for shaping the future of broadband.”

Learn how Calix is expanding its partner ecosystem and launching a series of sales, marketing, and workforce transformation programs to accelerate BXP success even further.

The complete list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies honorees can be found at fastcompany.com.

About Calix

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX)— Calix is a platform, cloud, and managed services company. Broadband service providers leverage Calix’s broadband platform, cloud, and managed services to simplify their operations, subscriber engagement, and services; innovate for their consumer, business, and municipal subscribers; and grow their value for members, investors, and the communities they serve.

Our end-to-end platform and managed services democratize the use of data—enabling our customers of any size to operate efficiently, acquire subscribers, and deliver exceptional experiences. Calix is dedicated to driving continuous improvement in partnership with our growing ecosystem to support the transformation of our 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/legal/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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250326790265/en/

Press Inquiries:

Alison Crisci

919-353-4323

alison.crisci@calix.com

Investor Inquiries:

Nancy Fazioli

investorrelations@calix.com

Source: Calix, Inc.

FAQ

What is the significance of Calix's #11 ranking on Fast Company's 2025 Most Innovative Companies list?

The ranking recognizes CALX's transformation into a cloud-and-software platform company and its success in revolutionizing broadband businesses, enabling providers to enhance profitability while creating community value.

How much has Calix invested in its transformation from hardware to software platform?

Calix invested $1.3 billion over 13 years to evolve from a hardware company into an end-to-end cloud-and-software platform provider.

What is the SmartTown Alliance launched by CALX in 2024?

The SmartTown Alliance is a service that allows broadband subscribers to stay seamlessly connected as they travel between different towns and cities, featuring integrated cybersecurity protection.

How does Calix's SmartTown service benefit communities?

SmartTown ensures first responders stay connected, provides calling beyond cell coverage, and offers secure Wi-Fi for public events with features like livestreaming and mobile check-ins.

What results have Calix customers achieved using their platform?

Customers have achieved service rollouts in weeks instead of months, unprecedented growth, and record-breaking Net Promoter Scores while delivering enhanced value to subscribers.