Company: Stage 2 Networks, New York, NY
Entry Submitted By: Melissa Sones Consulting
Company Description: Stage 2 Networks provides customized, scalable voice and data communications solutions to businesses throughout the U.S. and abroad. Founded in 2004 by Joe Gillette, it is a fast-growing leader in hosted business phone systems, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and premium Internet services. Its cutting- edge network provides built-in redundancy, security, and disaster recovery.
Nomination Category: Management Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Executive of the Year - Telecommunications

Nomination Title: Joe Gillette, Owner/CEO

Tell the story about what this nominee achieved since January 1 2011 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

It may be the telecommunications industry’s best-kept secret: Beyond the "big guns" (Verizon, AT&T, etc.), most businesses are clueless about what's available … or that what's available works better, more efficiently and more securely (anything can trip up your Internet or phone connection--and does whether you know it or not) … or that customer service can be miles ahead of what we’ve come to accept.

Then there’s Joe Gillette.

A pioneer in telecom innovation and excellence, this “serial entrepreneur” built two companies that received $100 million-plus buyout offers before starting Stage 2 Networks, in New York City. Stage 2 offers a full suite of “cloud”-based Internet, data and telecom services faster and cheaper than the nationals can--with a level of end-to-end, ongoing customer support the "big guns" can’t even consider.

And if Gillette's early accomplishments raised flags (and eyebrows) throughout the industry, 2011 was his banner year: Stage 2 unveiled two strategic Initiatives that will transform telecommunications by ensuring that businesses of every size can get the best, most secure connections. And it overcame a key challenge--rapid growth despite limited resources--by acquiring Consolidated Technologies’ “ClearPath” VoIP division.

First came Stage 2’s “Triple Fault Tolerance” Initiative (STFT): Under Gillette, Stage 2 provides network services, including voice, Internet and cloud-based phone system capabilities to small, medium and large businesses (the latter two part of a new focus in 2011) that far surpass anything from the "big guns." The “Triple Fault Tolerance” Initiative combines “self-healing” SONET technology with state-of-the-art software, then routes them through a fully meshed network with servers, routers and switches strategically placed in three secure locations on both sides of the Hudson River. Result: Three layers of fail-safe redundancy, ensuring that voice and data communications switch seamlessly from location to location. Now every click is solid, every call is stable, and every Stage 2 client is free from the crashes that continually rob American businesses of time, money and productivity.

Next, there’s Stage 2’s Lit Building Initiative (SLB). Years ago, Gillette led the development of Building Local Exchange Carriers (BLECs, an industry term he coined). This cutting-edge concept combines telecom with real estate, and in 2011 it paid off for Stage 2: Forging innovative agreements with alternate fiber access providers, Gillette snagged access to over 5,000 buildings already fitted with the fiber optic cable needed to offer powerful, bundled telecom services at super-high speeds, permitting faster turn-ups and more reliable service. With inexpensive phone system upgrades - and Stage 2’s Triple Fault security and turnkey service--A-list businesses (the American Management Association, Sunrise Credit and Collections, the Jewish National Fund, among them) started to pour in.

Finally, on the heels of the ClearPath deal, in 2011 Stage 2’s client base doubled; revenues skyrocketed 50%. Even bill collections top the industry at 17 days. And with Gillette’s eye for talent as keen as his business vision, he added executives who are focused entirely on results.

Joe Gillette knows his firm’s next big payday is ahead.
And, along the way, telecommunications is once again being transformed.

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Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the nominee:

A telecommunications innovator and entrepreneur for 24 years, Joe Gillette continues to raise the bar for Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) and Building Local Exchange Carriers (BLECs) with “cloud-based” solutions for companies across the country. Beginning in sales at Executone Information Systems, he was a reseller for Teleport Communications Group before founding his first company, Gillette Global Network, in 1995. GGN later merged with Eureka Broadband to form Eureka Networks, where Gillette served as CEO until starting Stage 2 Networks in 2004. A founding member of the Cloud Communications Alliance, he holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.