Verizon’s Vision: A Conversation with Michael Caralis, VP of Business Markets

In a recent in-person interview, Michael Caralis, the Vice President of Business Markets at Verizon, shared his insights on the company’s strategic direction and its relationship with the channel.

“The channel is about relationship and trust,” Caralis stated, emphasizing the importance of partnerships in Verizon’s business model. He explained that the channel has the opportunity to build and resell Verizon under its own brand, effectively white-labeling the network. This approach allows the channel to add services and mark up the price, a strategy that applies to both Internet of Things (IoT) and fixed wireless access.

Caralis illustrated this concept with an example: “An alarm company can do it all over Verizon.” This flexibility, he said, is part of Verizon’s ongoing commitment to making things easier for their partners and customers.

Service delivery, according to Caralis, is a key focus for Verizon. “We are constantly making things easier, and service delivery is important to us,” he said. He posed two critical questions: “How do you integrate service delivery into customer workflow?” and “How to make it useful to grow and manage their business?”

Caralis referred to Verizon’s strategy as a ‘network as a service’ approach, positioning the company as an enterprise-grade network provider. He outlined the wide range of services Verizon can provide, including cybersecurity, wireless, video via BlueJeans, Unified Communications (UC), and more.

“We provide turnkey solutions through the channel,” Caralis explained. He added that businesses are constantly looking to do more with less, aiming to grow revenue with a smaller IT staff. “This is where Verizon comes in,” he said.

Cybersecurity, in particular, is an additional service that Verizon offers, which Caralis believes is a significant advantage.

When asked about the doom and gloom predictions for the economy, Caralis remained optimistic. “The jobs are there, and there is continued growth in the economy,” he said. “This creates opportunities. The channel enables this as a supplier.”

He also highlighted the scale of Verizon’s operations, noting that one-third of the world’s internet traffic is on Verizon networks. He also pointed to third-party research from RootMetrics and J.D. Power regarding the company’s superior wireless service.

Addressing the competition from T-Mobile, Caralis expressed confidence in Verizon’s strategy and network. “We don’t mind competition. We are confident in our strategy and network. We have a top brand in the marketplace. We continue to build out our 5G C-Band network, providing great experiences for customers.” In fact, as of this writing, Verizon announced the deployment of 100MHz of C-Band spectrum across Pennsylvania. In terms of competition, tomorrow, Verizon will off a new service to consumers – myPlan which gives T-Mobile-like flexibility to consumers.

Caralis also pointed out the rapid growth of their Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solution and reiterated that their ‘network as a service’ strategy provides an array of options for the channel, including fiber, contact center, cybersecurity services, and managed services.

Verizon is also making waves with private 5G – via a partnership with Cleveland Clinic.

Some of the new solutions include:

  • Patient check-in kiosks
  • Enhanced digital displays
  • In-room infotainment for patients
  • Asset tracking
  • AR/VR adoption for clinician education, patient education, assisted surgery and imaging, which the partners will explore via future 5G millimeter wave deployments

“This collaboration supports our long-term vision for a fully digital hospital infrastructure,” said Matthew Kull, Chief Information Officer, Cleveland Clinic. “If we can provide 5G high bandwidth to our facilities, we can become more efficient, ensure better continuity of care as patients transition home and enhance the overall experience for our caregivers and patients.”

“The company can also be one part of a larger deal,” Caralis explained, adding that customers can get the network from Verizon and SD-WAN and managed services from other providers if they prefer.

Finally, Caralis highlighted their cosale program, which he believes differentiates Verizon from other carriers. This program brings in numerous opportunities for turnkey solutions such as digital signage.

Caralis’s vision for Verizon is one of partnership, flexibility, and service. With its wide array of offerings and commitment to the channel, Verizon is poised to continue its role as a leading provider in the telecommunications industry.


Aside from his role as CEO of TMC and chairman of ITEXPO, Rich Tehrani is CEO of RT Advisors and a Registered Representative with and offering securities through Four Points Capital Partners LLC (Four Points) (Member FINRA/SIPC). RT Advisors is not owned by Four Points.

RT-Advisors continues its mission of assisting tech companies in M&A and capital raising using our unique tech media background and relationships to aid companies to optimally position themselves. In addition, as of late we have been increasingly assisting fast-growing tech companies in obtaining non-dilutive capital. Please let us know if we can be of assistance. The above is not an endorsement or recommendation to buy/sell any security or sector mentioned. No companies mentioned above are current or past clients of RT Advisors.


 

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