The Comcast Business you might not know about
It’s easy to take reliable and consistent things for granted, even the things that are critical to our daily lives like water, gas, and electricity. And while connectivity hasn’t been considered as essential as other utilities until recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly demonstrated the critical value of networks like Comcast’s that keep our schools, businesses, governments and families connected and operating through this crisis.
“Comcast Business is not ‘the cable company’ that people may think of when they hear our name,” said Jeff Marston, vice president, Business Services at Comcast.
“We’re every bit a cutting-edge tech company like the rest of the TechPoint membership. Plus, it’s our network — which is the largest, most robust core fiber network in the state and the country — that is the foundation, the enabling technology for IoT and so much of the tech growth and development throughout the community.”
The critical nature of tech and tech-enabled companies can get lost in the noise of everyday life, but the providers themselves, Comcast Business included, haven’t lost sight of their millions (or tens of millions) of customers who are relying on them. In particular, 89% of companies rank the customer experience as their primary competitive advantage (according to Gartner), which Comcast Business enables through its network and other new technologies.
“The sheer volume of traffic including data, voice, video, managed services and cloud solutions running through our network every minute of every day is mind boggling,” Jeff says.
It’s why Comcast has constructed a new technology center in Philadelphia next to the 58-story Comcast Tower headquarters in Philadelphia. Comcast, a significant provider in the state, employs more than 1,000 Hoosiers in Indiana.
“Most people have had one of our technicians come out to their home or office and that’s a very important part of our business,” Jeff said. “What people may not know is that we also employ our own software developers who build the technology solutions our business and residential customers rely on every day. We enable medical research and life-saving health care. We make large-scale security operations possible at our nation’s airports and major cities, and we provide the connectivity and services that keep both large enterprises and small businesses innovating right here in Indiana.”
Meeting the needs of large and small businesses is important, but addressing the technology demands of a state that is as geographically diverse as Indiana also takes a special focus. Every year, Comcast invests millions of dollars in its Indiana network.
“What makes Comcast unique is that we understand smaller communities such as Berne, Tipton and Seymour have the same needs for speed, reliability and advanced products as larger cities like Indianapolis and Fort Wayne,” Jeff explained. “A small business in Peru or Tell City has access to the same suite of services as a company in Fishers.”
Beyond the network itself, Comcast and the Comcast Business division are highly involved with advanced and experimental technologies within their local communities and with some of the best-known names in digital transformation and innovation across the country. In December, Comcast’s David Monnerat (Sr. Director, AI Product) and Michael Kreisel (Lead Researcher, Applied AI) presented on the company’s latest developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, Smart City Technology, 5G and Edge computing during an event at the Indiana IoT Lab in Fishers, Ind.
“With partners such as Comcast Business, the Indiana IoT Lab in Fishers offers programming, subject matter experts, and network resources to further the mission for hardware innovation,” said Executive Director Jason Pennington. “As a non-profit, sponsors are vital to our sustainability, and Comcast is willing to provide much more than just monetary support. We have direct contact with their events team, marketing managers, and technical support, allowing us to mutually generate value for our organizations. It has been eye-opening to see what’s in the portfolio at Comcast. We’ve explored programs for networking sensors, autonomous vehicles and smart cities, security and surveillance, network security, and socially focused events for speakers through NBC Universal.”
While Comcast and Comcast Business are very large companies with a global reach, Jeff stresses that he and his team are proud and loyal Hoosiers who care deeply about Indiana issues and, of course, their customers and people all over the state.
“We live here, our kids go to school here, and we’re deeply ingrained in the communities we serve,” Jeff said. “We support dozens of nonprofit organizations with grants, volunteerism and other resources across the state and especially in central Indiana, including United Way. We take a lot of pride in what we’re doing to be good corporate citizens.”
Whether it’s keeping businesses and residents connected, community philanthropy, educational initiatives, or providing connectivity to low-income families, students, veterans and the elderly, year-over-year Comcast is making a significant impact in the communities it serves, including Central Indiana.
