GLDS
GLDS is a privately held software company founded in 1980 that provides integrated customer management, billing, and provisioning platforms to over 800 small-to-medium broadband operators across 49 US states and 47 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersCarlsbad, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What GLDS does
GLDS (Great Lakes Data Systems, Inc.) is a privately held software company founded in 1980 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California, that builds customer management, billing, and provisioning software for small-to-medium broadband service providers. Its flagship BroadHub platform consolidates subscriber management, automated provisioning (via SuperController and the Service Provisioning Gateway), customer self-care, workforce management (WinForce Tech), payment processing (WinPay), risk management (WinScore), and outage detection (BroadHub Watch) into a single integrated system. The company also maintains a legacy Windows-based platform, WinCable, available both on-premise and as a cloud-hosted option, and offers a Digital Service Bureau (DSB) lite tier for digital authorization and PPV.
The platform targets operators ranging from approximately 300 to more than 250,000 subscribers across cable television, fiber/utility, ISP, and telephone company segments, with deployments in 49 U.S. states and 47 countries. GLDS generates revenue primarily through annual and multi-year software licensing subscriptions for BroadHub and WinCable, monthly recurring cloud-hosted subscriptions, professional services for implementation and conversion, and the hosted Digital Service Bureau offering. Distribution is executed via a direct sales team supplemented by an NCTC channel partnership that serves more than 100 cooperative member companies, with marketing anchored by an annual BAM! customer conference and trade show presence at SCTE, NCTA, and FTTH events.
The company is founder/management-controlled, with no disclosed venture or private equity investment, and is led by Chairman and CEO Laura Rosado (joined 1993) and President and COO Garrick Russell (joined 2002). GLDS maintains a 11-50 employee organization, with engineering support from a Kaunas, Lithuania office opened in 2009, and additional offices in Beaver Dam, Birmingham, and Kansas City.
GLDS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GLDS
- Legal name
- Great Lakes Data Systems, Inc.
- Website
- https://glds.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GLDS is a privately held software company founded in 1980 that provides integrated customer management, billing, and provisioning platforms to over 800 small-to-medium broadband operators across 49 US states and 47 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GLDS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Broadband Billing Software
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- akta.pro primary industry
- PNR/Order Management & Servicing (Post-Booking) (THALAAAD)
Keywords
Where GLDS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carlsbad
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
GLDS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licensing: Annual or multi-year licensing of BroadHub and WinCable billing/subscriber management platforms with software updates and enhancements included for duration of license.
- Cloud-Based Hosting: Hosted WinCable in the Cloud solution allowing operators to access billing system via Internet without infrastructure investment, typically for smaller operators.
- Professional Services: Implementation, data conversion, training, and technical support services. Support available during standard hours and billable after-hours emergency support.
- Digital Service Bureau (DSB): Hosted lite version of billing solution for digital authorization and PPV features at fraction of cost of in-house solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise Billing (in-house) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Cloud-Based Billing |
| Subscription | Monthly | Digital Service Bureau (DSB) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Support Plans |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
GLDS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GLDS provides PC and Linux-based customer management and billing software for small-to-medium broadband service providers. The company sells the BroadHub cloud-based billing and subscriber management platform, the WinCable Windows-based billing system, and complementary modules including SuperController for automated provisioning, WinForce tech for mobile workforce management, WinCAP for TV Everywhere authorization, and WinPay for payment processing. Customers include cable operators, ISPs, municipal utilities, fiber operators, and telephone companies in 49 U.S. states and 47 countries.
Product overview
GLDS provides a unified platform-plus-modules architecture for small-to-medium broadband operators, combining customer management, billing, and service provisioning. The core offering centers on BroadHub, the primary billing and subscriber management platform, complemented by SuperController for automated provisioning. Multiple sub-modules extend functionality across customer self-care (CableAnytime, ARU), workforce management (WinForce tech), payment processing (WinPay), risk management (WinScore), and specialized services including TV Everywhere authorization (WinCAP) and outage detection (BroadHub Watch). Legacy offerings include WinCable and WinCable in the Cloud, positioned as alternatives for operators preferring the company's established Windows-based solution. The platform targets operators ranging from 300 to 300,000+ subscribers, offering tier-one features at significantly lower prices than larger competitors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BroadHub: GLDS's flagship cloud-based billing and subscriber management platform for broadband operators.
- WinCable
- SuperController
- WinForce Tech
- WinCAP
- BroadHub Watch
- CableAnytime
- WinPay
- WinVoIP
Products and services
- BroadHub
Quantifiable outcome
- Operators can save an average of 50% every year over solutions from major service bureaus
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use GLDS
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
GLDS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature10 records
GLDS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AdtrancoreExpanded partnership integrating Adtran's Intellifi managed Wi-Fi platform with GLDS BroadHub billing system for billing-driven, zero-touch automation of subscriber lifecycle management. Joint solution enables automated subscriber creation, service activation, and device management across access and in-home Wi-Fi environments using open, standards-based interfaces.
- Atlas Digital GroupcoreDeepened partnership to accelerate growth for broadband operators through integrated solutions combining Atlas CORE platform with GLDS BroadHub.
- HuaweicoreIntegration between GLDS WinCable billing system and Huawei's U2000 network management system (NMS) for Wananchi Group in Kenya. Combined solution offers complete service delivery control of voice, video and data services directly from the billing system.
- ClearleapcoreIntegration of GLDS WinCable billing system with Clearleap's Stream On Demand Solution for cloud-based IP video content management and delivery. Enables operators to offer branded streaming services similar to Netflix and Hulu, with billing integration for seamless subscriber authorization and transaction processing.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GLDS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Amdocs: Amdocs is a global tier-1 BSS/OSS vendor serving large communications and media providers; while focused on tier-1 operators, its product suite overlaps with GLDS's billing, provisioning, and customer care capabilities at the high end of the market.
- Netcracker Technology: Netcracker provides BSS, OSS, and digital transformation software to large communications service providers globally; its multi-domain OSS/BSS stack competes with GLDS's integrated BroadHub platform primarily in larger operator deals.
- Enghouse Systems: Enghouse Networks delivers OSS/BSS, network management, and video solutions to communications service providers; the portfolio overlaps with GLDS's billing, provisioning, and video service delivery capabilities across mid-market and tier-1 operators.
Direct peers
- CSG International: CSG provides BSS and customer engagement solutions for broadband, cable, and telecom operators including tier-2 and tier-3 providers, directly overlapping with GLDS's core customer base and product scope in subscriber management and billing.
- Hansen Technologies: Hansen sells billing and customer care software to cable, telecom, and utilities operators worldwide, including tier-2 and tier-3 broadband providers; the customer profile, deployment model, and billing-centric value proposition closely parallel GLDS.
- Optiva: Optiva (formerly Redknee) provides cloud-native BSS solutions to communication service providers including tier-2 and tier-3 operators, with overlapping customer management, charging, and provisioning functionality aimed at small-to-mid broadband and MVNO segments.
Others
- Calix: Calix is a broadband access network vendor serving small-to-mid cable, fiber, and DSL operators with an expanding SmartLife managed services platform; while primarily an access vendor, its Subscriber Experience solutions compete adjacent to GLDS's subscriber management offerings.
Emerging players
- Cerillion: Cerillion provides pre-integrated BSS/OSS suites for communications service providers, with a comparable customer profile of small-to-mid operators across cable, fiber, and mobile segments seeking integrated billing and provisioning solutions.
- Alianza: Alianza provides a cloud communications platform purpose-built for small-to-mid broadband operators and rural service providers, addressing overlapping pain points around hosted voice, subscriber management, and operational simplicity for tier-2/3 operators.
- MIND CTI: MIND CTI delivers billing, customer care, and revenue assurance software to communications service providers, including tier-2 and tier-3 operators; the customer size profile and billing-centric product overlap make it a comparable, though smaller, alternative to GLDS.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GLDS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
GLDS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GLDS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
GLDS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GLDS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GLDS
What does GLDS do?
GLDS provides PC and Linux-based customer management and billing software for small-to-medium broadband service providers. The company sells the BroadHub cloud-based billing and subscriber management platform, the WinCable Windows-based billing system, and complementary modules including SuperController for automated provisioning, WinForce tech for mobile workforce management, WinCAP for TV Everywhere authorization, and WinPay for payment processing. Customers include cable operators, ISPs, municipal utilities, fiber operators, and telephone companies in 49 U.S. states and 47 countries.
Is GLDS a public or private company?
GLDS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GLDS founded?
GLDS was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GLDS based?
GLDS is headquartered in Carlsbad, United States, in the North America region.
How does GLDS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Licensing is the primary driver. The others are cloud-Based Hosting, professional Services and digital Service Bureau (DSB).
Who are GLDS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Amdocs, Netcracker Technology and Enghouse Systems. Direct peers are CSG International, Hansen Technologies and Optiva. Calix is listed as an others. Emerging players are Cerillion, Alianza and MIND CTI.
Does GLDS have an API?
No public API is recorded for GLDS.
What industry is GLDS in?
GLDS's product category is Broadband Billing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALAAAD, PNR/Order Management & Servicing (Post-Booking). Its NAICS code is 541511.