Dave Pistacchio, president of Optimum Lightpath is changing the game in business communications services. The 29-year veteran of the cable industry is responsible for driving Optimum Lightpath's growth as the premier provider of data, Internet, voice and video transport solutions and managed services for mid-sized and large businesses across the New York metropolitan area. As a former CIO, Pistacchio understands the need for the business to strive for continuous improvement- always looking to refine and simplify business processes and improve customer care while controlling costs.
He knew that businesses needed a sophisticated communications network, dedicated to their evolving needs and the demands of their customers in a 24/7, always-on business world. That's why in 2005, Pistacchio guided Optimum Lightpath as it switched its entire offering to Metro Ethernet services delivered over its fully fiber optic Smart Business Network. This "game changing" move has resulted in the birth of the Smart Community, a growing population of businesses who use Ethernet-based communications solutions to work smarter, faster and better, every day.
Over the last four years, Pistacchio helped Optimum Lightpath expand its network footprint, increasing on-net building penetration by 80%, to encompass more than 3,700 route miles and connect to more than 3,300 buildings in the New York metropolitan area. Optimum Lightpath's business communications network is specifically designed to meet the challenges and demands of mid and large-sized businesses, providing data security, segregation, prioritization and scalability; self-healing, redundant and ringed architecture; and guaranteed reliability and simplicity.
As a technology innovator, Pistacchio keeps Optimum Lightpath at the cutting edge for customers, delivering bandwidth virtually on demand, supporting multiple applications via a single customer interface, and providing innovative applications and managed services that are focused on business performance and growth requirements. With the launch of new services including High-Definition Voice, Hosted Voice, Managed Video and Managed Storage, Optimum Lightpath continues to attract some of the most sophisticated businesses and multi-tenant buildings in the Smart Community.
Today, dozens of leading real estate firms connect to Optimum Lightpath's network, using advanced communications technology to differentiate their buildings, and attract and provide service to tenants. One of the country's leading real estate investment trusts (REIT), Mack-Cali, which owns and manages almost 34 million s/f of class A office and office/flex properties in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, offers Optimum Lightpath's services in many of the buildings that it owns and manages in Westchester County and New Jersey, viewing it as a key differentiator in the competitive New York metropolitan commercial real estate market.
According to Mack-Cali, high-speed bandwidth and diversity are major factors when companies choose a location to ultimately locate their businesses. With Optimum Lightpath, Mack-Cali brings the latest in fiber optic and telecommunications technology to its buildings, offering Optimum Lightpath's all-fiber network to building tenants to help them stay ahead of the competition. Mack-Cali wanted to provide an ideal business environment that is technologically advanced and close to major transportation hubs. The REIT uses Optimum Lightpath in its properties to provide highly advanced communications services to its business customers and incent new tenants to lease its buildings.
Two years ago, when a tornado damaged several of Mack-Cali's local businesses, one tenant called to inform the REIT that its business was completely wiped out and needed to get up and running immediately. Together, Mack-Cali and Optimum Lightpath were able to relocate that business and get them running in just 24 hours. The ability to partner closely with customers in a way that truly improves their business is what being part of Pistacchio's Smart Community is all about.
Because Pistacchio aligns Optimum Lightpath goals closely with its customers' needs, business continues to prosper. With value propositions that resonate for the Smart Community of businesses now more than ever - delivering the ability to improve business processes and improve customer service while controlling costs - Pistacchio led Optimum Lightpath to a strong 48% increase in new Ethernet revenue over last year's first quarter.
Under Pistacchio's leadership, Optimum Lightpath has received numerous awards including Frost & Sullivan's North American Ethernet Service Emerging Company of the Year (2008), Heavy Reading's Ethernet Service Provider of the Year for Regional Innovation (2007) and the Metro Ethernet Forum's (MEF) Best North American Regional Service Provider of the Year (2007). In 2006, Optimum Lightpath was one of the first service providers in the world to earn Carrier Ethernet certification from the MEF. Pistacchio's focus on customer service excellence has paid off, as the New York Public Service Commission has recognized Optimum Lightpath for customer service excellence for 11 consecutive years.
Pistacchio served in several senior executive positions in information technology throughout Cablevision and Rainbow Media including EVP and CIO, developing technologies that enabled the launch of Cablevision's advanced digital product offerings including iO: Interactive Optimum, Optimum Online and Optimum Voice. As a former CIO, Pistacchio brings credibility and understanding to his role at Optimum Lightpath, as the company helps CIOs improve business efficiencies, improve customer service and control costs.
For real estate companies, Pistacchio says that business tenants already expect the best communications and technology capabilities. And as Optimum Lightpath continues to light buildings in both suburban business communities as well as more populated cities, Pistacchio continues to bring business-class communications solutions that help tenants change the way they do business - in the office, the classroom, the hospital, the community and on the trading floor. Pistacchio has created a different kind of service provider, one that is committed to building and empowering the Smart Community, one tenant at a time. Tags: