CableLabs has promoted Rachel Beisel to senior vice president and chief marketing officer, a move that comes more than a year after she joined the Louisville, Colo.-based organization as VP of marketing and communications.  

In this expanded role, Beisel said her top priority is focused on adding “more depth and breadth in our membership,” noting that CableLabs has divergent stakeholders that go beyond service providers to include vendors, the startup community (via its UpRamp program), outside the industry (with its Kyrio unit), as well as with licensing and standards bodies and other organizations.  

RELATED: Wireless Is Waxing at CableLabs’ Kyrio Unit 

She said CableLabs will also look to deepen its collaboration with industry organizations such as SCTE/ISBE, CTAM and the NCTA -- The Internet & Television Association.  

“We are evaluating the different channels in which we communicate,” Beisel said.  

She will also be more focused on events and events strategy, as those functions been rolled up into the marketing and communications division of CableLabs, which hosted an Inform[ED] event earlier this month in London.  

Beisel, who hails from Nashville, is also a guest lecturer at the University of Colorado-Boulder in the MBA program, focusing on how technology has becoming an increasingly important part of modern marketing programs.  

She’s also a cycling enthusiast. In addition to entering events (next month’s Haute Route event in Colorado is on the docket), Beisel also works with blind and visually impaired athletes, piloting/guiding them on tandem bikes, and last year was part of a tandem that won a national championship title for the Hill Climb National Championship race at Pikes Peak.  

Louisville, Colo. -- The hunting appears to be pretty good these days at Kyrio, the for-profit unit of CableLabs that has been seeking business growth opportunities both inside and outside the cable industry.  

Kyrio, a spin-off formed in 2012 and originally called NetworkFX (rebranded as Kyrio in 2016), cut its teeth in cable device security using a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) service. It has been expanding into several emerging areas, including mobile and wireless, the Internet of Things, as well as interoperability work centered on network functions virtualization (NFV). While some of those activities have attracted business from companies and industries outside of cable, Kyrio has also taken the reins on DOCSIS certification testing.  

RELATED: Kyrio Takes Over CableLabs Certification Testing Program 

Out of all the opportunities being worked on now or being targeted, wireless is currently the biggest one being pursued, Mitchell Ashley, president and GM of Kyrio, said in a briefing here at the CableLabs headquarters.  

WiFi performance testing (for metro WiFi networks as well as in-home WiFi products and technologies) are the largest component of that part of the business, though Kyrio has started to do some testing around 5G. All of that work complements other wireless-facing work Kyrio has undertaken, including a WiFi roaming service/hub that some cable operators, including Midco, have taken advantage of.  

Louisville, Colo.-based Kyrio, which has even rented out a two-story home in the area to help with real-world WiFi performance testing, also expects increasing interest in the emerging CBRS band to also factor into future business.  

RELATED: Comcast Wants to Test CBRS in Philly 

Part of the WiFi testing tends to center access point performance, as well as new whole-home setups that employ extenders and other whole-home gear and software.  

RELATED: Whole-Home WiFi Heats Up 

Kyrio’s being tapped in part by vendors and suppliers for product testing because the division is made to be neutral and independent, and can also serve as an extension of their own in-house labs. Others simply don't have the resources that Kyrio affords them. 

“We don’t have a dog in the hunt on what’s chosen,” Ashley said. “The data is the data…The results speak for themselves.”  

Kyrio has also taken its PKI infrastructure for set-tops and modems and offered that capability to the IoT market, enabling the same security mechanisms and technology to validate and authenticate this new wave of connected devices in a sort of digital ticket exchange.  

RELATED: Kyrio Teams on IoT Device Security 

“IoT has a lot of promise” for Kyrio’s business, Ashley explained.  

Another emerging area for Kyrio is NVF interoperability. Some of that work involves a lab that lets vendors come in to create multi-device scenarios and develop proof of concepts.  

Interoperable, multi-vendor environments represent both a challenge and a promise for NVP, explained Robin Ku, director of Kyrio’s NFV Interop Lab, which is sponsored by Intel and Amdocs. 

Some of that work has involved expanding the NFV ecosystem to support a greater number of virtual applications that can be tested in those interoperable settings.  

“But you have to walk before you run,” Ku said, adding that NFV has “a high degree of interest from MSOs”  

Kyrio, the for-profit unit of CableLabs, has teamed with Microchip to develop embedded device security for the Internet of Things (IoT) sector.

Kyrio said it is the first certificate authority and Microchip Security Design Partner as part of an effort aimed at driving scale into IoT device security.

RELATED: CableLabs Unit Tackles IoT Testing

“The mission of this partnership is to embed IoT devices with digital certificates in secure hardware in a way that integrates well with hardware manufacturing process flows,” Ron Ih, director of business development at Kyrio, explained in this blog post. “This strategy will make it easy for IoT device manufacturers to enable enterprise-grade security without needing to be security experts.”

He noted that providing high security for networked devices historically requires complex back-end security software, security specialists, and processes “that did not fit well with hardware manufacturing flows,” and represents a situation that’s not sustainable with an IoT world that is seeing the number of connected devices explode.

RELATED: Kyrio Takes Over CableLabs Certification Testing Program

“IoT devices – from lightbulbs to cars – need security at the core, not as an afterthought,” Ih added. “By providing a strong managed Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) that fits within the existing design flow and supply chain familiar to device manufacturers, we are moving closer to the standardization the IoT industry requires to grow securely,” Ih explained.

RELATED: CableLabs Rebrands Security Spin-Off

Microchip, he said, already works with customers in several markets, including consumer, automotive, communications and industrial control.

Though Kyrio is the first certificate authority for Microchip’s Design Partner Program, other companies involved with it include cloud providers such as Google, Afero and Amazon Web Services, CycloneCrypto (a stack provider), and Cerberus, a design house based in the U.K.

Denver – With Remote PHY trials underway and deployments to soon follow, CableLabs has launched a qualification testing process that aims to ensure interoperability between Remote PHY Devices (RPDs) that are made by multiple vendors.

Read More: Complete coverage of Cable-Tec Expo 2017

“We are open for business,” Jon Schnoor, distinguished technologist at CableLabs, declared  here Monday at Cable-Tec Expo during a half-day seminar deviated to Remote PHY that included a deep dive on drivers and benefits, product updates, and lab and field trial activity for the emerging architecture.

RELATED; Ramping Up for Remote PHY  

Schnoor said Kyrio, a for-profit spin-off of CableLabs formerly known as NetworkFX, is now accepting submissions, and that it expects to see RPDs start to come in the door for official qualification testing by the end of the year.

RELATED: Kyrio Takes Over CableLabs Certification Testing Program

Testing will be conducted on two types of RPDs – the Remote PHY Node and the Remote PHY Shelf.

Earlier on the panel, Schnoor said there are eight specs for Remote PHY, including seven that are specific to it, alongside an annex to a spec for the Downstream RF Interface (DRFI).

Schnoor called Remote PHY a “first step” for the industry’s next-gen access networks.

“We are desperately trying to finish the specifications,” he said. “But we want to make sure that we’re doing it right…The idea of remote PHY is simple, but the implementation and the design of it is very complex.”

Heading into the availability of official qualification testing, CableLabs has been holding several interop events with vendors and chipmakers, along with help from a set of cable operators that includes Comcast, Shaw Communications and Cox Communications.

CableLabs completed its tenth Remote PHY interop event in November, and had 18 companies participating, Schnoor said.

Kyrio, the for-profit unit of CableLabs, recently took over the certification testing for the cable industry’s Colorado-based R&D group and is implementing new processes and pricing for DOCSIS 3.1-based products.

Kyrio (formerly known as NetworkFX) made note of that change in an announcement posted on its web site without much fanfare in March, noting that the consolidation of those testing efforts will expand on its testing work in areas such as wireless, the Internet of Things, software-defined networking, and some custom testing solutions.

RELATED: CableLabs Rebrands Security Spin-Off

“Kyrio Testing Services is built upon the core Lab Services group who have provided CableLabs certification for many years,” it said at the time. “The staff, experience, and institutional knowledge remain intact. While the specification and certification programs continue to be led and administered by CableLabs, the testing will be provided through Kyrio.”

RELATED: CableLabs Unit Tackles IoT Testing

In addition to executing testing for CableLabs cert programs, Kyrio is also handling elements such as managing customer relationships and operators, including the process of receiving devices, accepting payments, and developing test program reports. Those results are then presented to the appropriate CableLabs Certification Board to determine whether or not a device should be certified, which is similar to how that’s been handled in the past.

RELATED: CableLabs Unit to Help MSOs Roam

Kyrio followed up Tuesday with a more extensive Q&A about changes to product testing for DOCSIS 3.1, the new multi-gigabit platform for HFC networks, that aim to “improve the speed and predictability” of D3.1 certification testing.

Among those changes, Kyrio is reorganizing D3.1 into a two-phased test strategy that includes “Core” and “Secondary Testing,” scheduled to begin on July 14.

Core Testing covers “critical tests” that most often prevent devices from being certified, with vendors notified if there were any failures during that phase. Once a device passes those tests, it enters Secondary Testing, whereby a product should be in position to complete the remaining testing on the way to achieving certification.

The two-part testing process also comes with a new pricing policy, which also takes effect July 14, and no longer offers an option for unlimited devices updates for a fixed price.

“We have reached the point where the current process is slowing down our ability to complete testing and deliver devices to market in a timely manner,” Kyrio explained.

Kyrio said its new plan will also result in lower pricing for D3.1 testing, including a 10% certification fee reduction, though vendors that fail either the Core or Secondary test phase will incur an additional reduced fee for resubmission.

D3.1 cable modem testing under the new structure, becoming effective on July 14, will cost $50,000 for the Core phase, and $60,000 for the Secondary phase. Under the legacy program, it costs $120,000 to submit a D3.1 into a test wave, with device updates costing $30,000.

A “flex” submission for D3.1 CPE under the new program costs $135,000, versus $150,000 under the legacy testing program.

Vendors can also submit products for recertification that follows the new two-part process, though the number of tests and the fees will be reduced, according to Kyrio.

Looking ahead, Kyrio also plans to update its backoffice systems to support “more real-time updates,” and to enhance communications with vendors via new weekly status emails. In late 2017 or early 2018, Kyrio plans to launch a web portal aimed at improving the customer experience.

Kyrio also held a webinar earlier today (June 7) to provide more details on the D3.1 certification process changes.

Kyrio, the for-profit subsidiary of CableLabs, has branched into Internet of Things device certification and compliance testing for the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF).

Kyrio said its vendor-neutral IoT testing service complements its existing wireless, network and security testing services business. The OFC standard is supported by about 200 members, spanning consumer, enterprise, industrial, automotive and health industries. Examples of OFC members include Arris, CableLabs, Cisco Systems, Samsung, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Intel, Comcast, HP, and IBM.

RELATED: CableLabs Rebrands Security Spin-Off

IoT testing expands on Kyrio’s areas of business. Kyrio is also developing a WiFi roaming hub/interconnection service (subscription required) for cable operators and partners outside the cable industry, though the initial focus is on independent MSOs, with Midco being the first announced partner for the program.

Kyrio’s flagship business is a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) service, used by MSOs, device makers and trade associations such as the Wi-Fi Alliance. In addition to performance-testing services, which include the new IoT focus, Kyrio also runs Go2Broadband, an offering that started out as a service locator for cable-modem service, but has since evolved into a cloud-based platform that connects resellers and partners such as Best Buy to cable operator services, and as a resource for consumers who move residences and need to switch providers.

“As the Open Connectivity Foundation continues its efforts spearheading IoT standards, we are delighted to work with the world’s top testing laboratories to offer IoT certification testing for our members,” said Michael Richmond, executive director of the Open Connectivity Foundation, in a statement. The addition of Kyrio as an authorized test lab will ensure that we meet the demand for OCF certification testing, helping technology companies and developers achieve complete interoperability across their devices.”

“Our experience helping manufacturers achieve certifications, test interoperability across vendor solutions, and quickly bring new products and technologies to market uniquely positions Kyrio in the marketplace,” added Mitch Ashley, president and GM of Kyrio. “Working with OCF enables us to continue delivering on our commitment to innovation to tackle tough device interoperability challenges and deliver the best end user IoT experience.”

With twosessions dedicated to it here today at INTX, network virtualization is a hot topic for service providers and their array of vendors.

Kyrio, the recently rebranded CableLabs for-profit spin-off, has also been taking aim at network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networks (SDN) in the form a new interoperability lab based at the organization’s Louisville, Colo., and Sunnyvale, Calif., facilities.

Multichannel News recently caught up with Phil McKinney, CEO of CableLabs, and Mitch Ashley, president and general manager of Kyrio, to learn more about Kyrio and the aims and plans for the new lab and why they think it will be important not just to cable, but to other industries as well.

Multichannel News: In February you rebranded your for-profit NetworkFX subsidiary as Kyrio as it pursued areas like wireless roaming and WiFi testing.  And recently you announced that it will open an SDN]/NFV interoperability lab. Can you offer a bit more detail on the goals of that new effort?

Mitch Ashley: Kyrio is a wholly owned subsidiary of CableLabs and what we're doing is building off the phenomenal technology transfer model that CableLabs has had for the cable industry of creating technologies and innovations that show up in vendor products and show up in cable operator networks and in customer homes. 

NetworkFX (the former brand of the Kyrio spin-off) was started originally around taking the PKI (public key infrastructure) service that CableLabs had done for the entire cable industry -- coming up on over 500 million security keys for devices like cable modems, CableCARDs... That sort of proved out the model for Kyrio. In January we announced the rebranding of the company but also that we were expanding into other lines of business, like wireless testing. 

[For the NFV/SDN lab], we're providing a vendor-neutral laboratory environment where hardware manufacturers, software providers and even chip manufacturers can come in. Much like we do with cable modems and other technologies, now we can interoperable with each other and go through test deployment scenarios, do basic testing across devices in a friendly environment where they know that the confidentiality of their information is maintained. What we focused on was how do we help those vendors get their products to market in a mutli-vendor environment. 

It's pretty difficult for one manufacture to get the bevy of SDN and NFV devices into their labs to do testing with. We provide that platform, where they can maintain an ongoing presence in our interop lab or do some remote testing. And we'll do hosted events -- like the OPNFV interop...on May 9. 

We can also provide remote access to both hardware and software manufacturers and provide new builds and loads onto their equipment and test that across multiple hardware manufacturers and software solutions.

Phil McKinney:  The SDN and NFV worlds are moving fast. We see it having a great opportunity to have an impact on the MSOs but the overall cost of network infrastructure and encourage the vendors to...move quickly. That's why we brought that expertise and opened it up to anybody and everybody not related or tied to cable operators.

MCN: Will there be a qualification stamp that comes out of this like CableLabs does with DOCSIS? 

PM: Even on the cable side when we do an interop, there's no certification or stamp. Anything that happens inside the interop, stays inside the interop. But there are still some gaps in the NFV world around interoperability. They can get access to a set of configurations that they wouldn't be able to afford on their own in order to do a better job of bringing the entire industry together. The focus, step one, is just on interoperability.

MCN: How would you characterize the cable industry's work with SDN and NFV with respect to competing industries? Are they in lock-step, ahead of the curve, behind the pack? 

PM: I can tell you that most of the major MSOs are keenly interested in taking advantage of the SDN and NFV worlds. The main driver there is can you speed up the process of deploying new products and new services.

The bigger operators are very involved in SDN and NFV; they are all having discussions with their vendor suppliers. Many of them have their own labs set up. Some are doing deployments...but it's in the early days. That's why I think there's so much excitement about the interop labs.

In this case, we're trying to bring everyone along together and it actually shortens the timeframe of going from, this is a nice concept, one in which I can actually commercially deploy this in a broad-based format. 

CableLabs has rebranded NetworkFX, a spin-off initially focused on device security, to Kyrio as the unit continues to expand into new areas such as wireless roaming and WiFi testing.

CableLabs spun off the NetworkFX subsidiary in 2012 as a for-profit subsidiary that provides device-security services, netting customers such as Shaw Communications and chipmaker Marvell Technology.

Kyrio now bills itself as a provider of “leading edge online data and network technology services” for a range of communications providers, equipment makers, and enterprise customers.

Kyrio’s product focus spans managed Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) services for cable, broadband, WiFi and “smart grid industry ecosystems;” WiFi roaming services; WiFi testing and engineering; customer lead management for cable, broadband and voice providers (including the Go2Broadband offering).

“The driving strategy of Kyrio is to expand the impact of technologies created at CableLabs, beyond the well proven technology transfer model that’s made CableLabs a successful global cable industry R&D organization,” Mitchell Ashley, president and general manager of Kyrio, explained in this blog post about the rebrand.

As for the new name, he notes that it originates from the Greek word for “lord” or “master,” and represents “the deep technology heritage and skills of the people at Kyrio and our collective industries.”

Kyrio is also going to be active on social media, with a Twitter handle (@kyrioinc); a presence on Linked In, a Facebook page, and an Instagram account.

The newly named entity also comes about amid a bigger shift at CableLabs in which the Colorado-based R&D house will prioritize spending on longer-term innovation projects and drop others. That reorg included a reduction of the CableLabs workforce, but it appears the Kyrio is hiring – it has job post listings for a vice president of managed security services, a customer experience coordinator, and a DevOps engineer.