By Brian Dalhover, Head of Education Sales at Zayo
Almost two years ago, Zayo completed its acquisition of Education Networks of America (ENA). Since then, customers who’d become accustomed to ENA’s solutions, services, and people now had to get acquainted with a new company, new solutions, and new teams. Transitions like these are bound to come with challenges, but they also come with vast opportunities.
As the ENA brand transitions, I want to reintroduce the education market and our customers to Zayo Education, share what this brand transition means, and explore the opportunities ahead.
We’re still your trusted education network advisors
When Zayo acquired ENA, it acquired the purpose-built managed services and world-class support services our education customers knew and loved. Zayo saw value in ENA’s customer-focused, managed approach and strives to integrate that winning formula as much as possible. Former ENA President Michael McKerley now heads up Zayo’s managed services organization, emphasizing Zayo’s continued commitment to managed services.
In this acquisition, Zayo acquired not only our solutions but also our team. Over 150 employees from ENA remain at Zayo today. You may see some new faces and your account team may have shifted, but many of us are still here. Many of the relationships our customers built with us over the years continue to exist and will continue to exist. Our commitment to our mission and the school districts we served for many years still exists.
While many things our customers knew and loved about ENA have stayed the same or were enhanced by the acquisition, we acknowledge there have been challenges. We know that customer support has been tricky at times during the transition. We’ve heard your feedback and understand your concerns, as has Zayo.
The company is addressing the administrative hurdles that have prevented us from supporting customers the way we’re used to – and you’re used to – with a significant Network Operations Center (NOC) overhaul and more automation built into the service delivery and customer service functions. These improvements are designed to enhance your experience and ensure that you continue to receive the high-quality service you expect from us.
Zayo has years of education and E-Rate experience
We want to dispel any belief that ENA’s acquisition means that our interest and mission in education have disappeared. You know ENA as trusted experts in education, but Zayo, too, brings over 25 years of experience to the table. Our commitment to education remains steadfast, and we are dedicated to supporting your school district’s needs.
In fact, for years Zayo has helped school districts secure billions of dollars from the federal E-Rate program as the largest independent E-Rate provider, connecting over 19,000 K-12 schools across the United States – 20% of all public schools. Zayo works hard to ensure schools have the financial support they need to enhance their technological infrastructure without straining budgets.
Zayo understands the need for seamless technology integration and the importance of aligning modernization with academic and security goals within a school district’s budget.
ENA’s services + Zayo’s fiber-optic assets and future-ready vision = a winning pair
As part of Zayo, we can do more for our customers than ever before. ENA’s managed services relied on leased infrastructure, and we could never deliver services over company-owned fiber optic assets. Now, as part of Zayo, we can provide managed services and world-class support on North America’s largest independent fiber network.
Zayo aims to bridge the connectivity gap through its expansive fiber network. With a dedication to narrowing the digital divide, Zayo extends its network to urban and rural areas, ensuring students and communities are not left behind. With $92.9 million in grant funding from the NTIA Middle Mile Grant Program, Zayo is extending its reach to bring 2,100 route miles of fiber network infrastructure to communities in need across eight states.
Through a series of strategic acquisitions over the past few years, Zayo has expanded its portfolio of networking services and solutions beyond fiber. In addition to world-class managed services from ENA, Zayo also provides comprehensive voice and collaboration solutions as a result of its acquisition of Allstream, a Canadian telecommunications and voice solutions provider, and market-leading edge solutions as the result of the QOS Networks acquisition. As an end-to-end solutions provider, Zayo can be a one-stop shop for flexible infrastructure options.
We help school districts build future-proof, secure, and reliable networks while increasing capabilities at the edge, creating efficiencies, and improving resilience. The transition from the ENA name to Zayo doesn’t change our mission; it enhances it. With Zayo, you can expect even more comprehensive solutions and a stronger commitment to your success.