Calix, Inc. has been named to Newsweek's Greatest Workplaces in Tech 2026 list, securing a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The recognition ranks companies based on leadership, fair compensation, and work-life balance, with specific consideration for teams that incorporate responsible use of AI to support employees. This marks an improvement from the previous year, when Calix earned 4 out of 5 stars on the same list.

The accolade follows the successful launch of secure, agentic workflows on the AI-native Calix One platform in May 2026. The platform supports more than 1,200 customers, running over 4.3 billion workflows and operations annually and ingesting more than a petabyte of data daily. This infrastructure enables service providers to improve subscriber experience, reduce call center churn, and grow revenue while lowering operating costs.

Internal AI Integration

Calix has integrated secure agentic AI into its internal operations, achieving approximately 98% employee adoption of Microsoft Copilot. The company reports more than 400 employee-built enterprise agents and over 20,000 monthly interactions. These AI implementations are driving an estimated $37 million in annual productivity gains by accelerating execution, surfacing insights, and reducing manual analysis.

John Durocher, chief operations officer at Calix, stated that the focus is on empowering employees with AI rather than replacing them. He emphasized that applying safe and secure AI to daily work acts as a force multiplier for execution and customer service, turning human potential into business outcomes.

Recent Awards and Recognition

The Newsweek honor adds to a series of culture and leadership awards Calix has received in 2026 from organizations such as Fortune, Glassdoor, and Comparably. The company has won 81 culture and innovation awards since 2025. Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer, attributed the recognition to the company's early investment in agentic AI starting in November 2023 and its trusted customer partnerships.

SC is deploying the Calix Agent Workforce Cloud on the AI-native Calix One platform to accelerate growth and reduce operating expenses. The telecommunications provider, serving rural Kansas and Oklahoma since 1953, is expanding a more than 20-year partnership with Calix to integrate agentic-driven workflows. This strategic shift aims to enhance personalized subscriber engagement, improve segmentation, and deliver consistent experiences at scale.

The company has reported strong operational metrics from its existing use of the Calix platform. SC achieved a full return on its cloud investment in four months. It maintains zero call center churn with 100 percent support staff retention. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) rose to 90 from 79 in two years. Average revenue per user increased by 3 percent in six months, achieved without adding operational overhead.

Strategic Implementation

SC leadership is utilizing the Calix Success team and the Calix AI Leadership Playbook to guide the organization-wide adoption of agentic capabilities. The initiative focuses on enabling human-AI collaboration to drive efficiency and strengthen subscriber relationships. The transition is designed to manage operating expenses, allowing reinvestment into community expansion.

Operational Metrics

Carla Shearer, chief executive officer and general manager at SC, stated that the partnership has built a sustainable operation reflected in the 90 NPS and no staff turnover. She emphasized that the Calix vision aligns with delivering personal, responsive service while managing OPEX to reinvest in communities.

Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer at Calix, noted that the platform has evolved since November 2023 to integrate AI natively within provider workflows. He highlighted that SC has built a business driving loyalty and growth, and Calix aims to support their continued success in competing across markets.