A Conversation with Comcast Ventures Investment, Benu Networks

Benu Neworks, a current Comcast Ventures investment, helps address challenges around expanding broadband capacity.

Today, internet service providers (ISPs) and cable multiple-system operators (MSOs) face challenges as they’re asked to expand broadband capacity, all on legacy systems. Benu Networks, a current Comcast Ventures investment, helps address these challenges.

Founded in 2010, Benu Networks is a privately held telecommunications infrastructure company headquartered in Massachusetts that provides fixed and mobile operators a scalable, access-independent real-time subscriber management platform.

CEO Dino Di Palma, who has over two decades of experience leading high growth companies, gives us a glimpse behind the scenes.

• What is Benu Networks? How does it help business?

  Benu Networks is focused on revolutionizing the way service providers (SPs) offer enhanced services. Today, service providers are dealing with new challenges from outside competition, and competing on speeds and feeds that are no longer profitable. SPs need to find ways to generate new revenue while at the same time reducing costs. The Benu Virtual Service Edge helps SP’s by bringing the logic embedded in the home or business router to the edge of the Service Provider network enabling device visibility. This leads to: increased ARPU/RGU, enhanced user experiences, faster time to market and reduced OPEX. Service providers now can enable Managed Wi-Fi, Managed Home and Managed Business services.

• What differentiates it from the competition?

  The VSE is superior to competing solutions as it allows operators to enable the previously mentioned Managed Wi-Fi, Managed Home and Managed Business services on a single virtualized platform. In addition, Benu can be agile and flexible to the needs of the Service Provider. We can react quickly to requests from our customers.

• What surprises you the most about the space?

  The biggest surprise that we’ve seen is velocity of adoption of these types of services. NFV and vCPE are buzz words for the industry and everyone seems to be interested in the solution but there hasn’t been major adoption of the solutions.

• What advice would you give fellow entrepreneurs?

  Stay focused, believe in your mission but at the same time be flexible. When you get pulled into another direction by customers, be sure you can revisit that focus and ensure it fits with your overall core strategy.

• What do you do when you’re not at your day job?

  Spend as much time as I can with my wife and daughter. I enjoy playing hockey, drums and squash and cooking.