CISP
CISP (Community ISP, Inc.) is a privately held managed IT, colocation, and telecommunications services provider founded in 1998, operating from a 42,100 sq ft owned data center in Toledo, Ohio and serving SMB and mid-market businesses primarily in Northwest Ohio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersToledo, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CISP does
CISP (legal name Community ISP, Inc.) is a privately held managed IT services and telecommunications provider founded in 1998 and headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. The company owns and operates a 42,100 sq ft data center on a 5-acre campus in Northwest Ohio, built with 2N+1 power redundancy, redundant diesel generators, self-healing fiber rings, FM-200 fire suppression, and SSAE 16 Type 2 audit certification. CISP offers colocation (full, half, and quarter racks), VMware-powered private and public cloud, dedicated servers, web hosting, and managed IT services spanning servers, network, desktop, and backup. Backup capabilities are built on Veeam, Quest Rapid Recovery, and CrashPlan with sub-15-minute RTOs.
CISP's telecom practice includes SIP trunks, hosted PBX, business phone lines, toll-free, long distance, dedicated internet access, wireless, MPLS/VPLS, and private network transport, leveraging upstream partnerships with CenturyLink, Spectrum Enterprise, Everstream, and Telesystem. The go-to-market is consultative and direct, supported by 24/7/365 live support from a regional Ohio-based team. Customers are SMBs and mid-market businesses primarily in Northwest Ohio, with CISP claiming to have served thousands of clients over its 25+ year history. Revenue mechanics are subscription-recurring across colocation, cloud, managed services, and telecom streams, with quote-based pricing. The company has 11-50 employees, no disclosed funding, no M&A activity, and operates as an independent, founder-controlled private business.
CISP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CISP
- Legal name
- Community ISP, Inc.
- Website
- https://cisp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CISP (Community ISP, Inc.) is a privately held managed IT, colocation, and telecommunications services provider founded in 1998, operating from a 42,100 sq ft owned data center in Toledo, Ohio and serving SMB and mid-market businesses primarily in Northwest Ohio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CISP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Managed IT and Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Computer Facilities Management Services (541513)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Rental & Leasing (7377), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business/Enterprise ISPs (Dedicated Internet Access) (HDAIADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- IP Transit & Internet Backbone (Tier-1/2, peering, DIA) (HDAIAEAA)
Keywords
Where CISP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toledo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CISP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Colocation Services: Rack space rental (full, half, quarter racks) with cabinets, PDUs, redundant power, multiple upstream connections, 24/7 remote hands and monitoring
- Managed Services: Managed servers, managed network, managed desktop services, managed backup - ongoing monitoring and maintenance contracts
- Telecommunication Services: SIP trunks, hosted PBX, business phone lines, long distance, toll-free services, dedicated internet access
- Cloud Services: Public and private cloud servers with industry-leading SLAs, virtual machine hosting
- Dedicated Servers: Dedicated server hosting with higher security, speed, and uptime than shared hosting
- Web Hosting: Plesk control panel-based web hosting supporting multiple frameworks from WordPress to .NET
- Professional Services: Consultative approach includes solution design, carrier negotiation, implementation, annual strategic planning, vendor escalation support
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Entry-level Help Desk positions at $14/hr |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
CISP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CISP operates a 42,100 square-foot SSAE 16 Type 2 audited data center facility in Toledo, Ohio, delivering colocation, private and public cloud servers, dedicated servers, web hosting, and managed IT services (servers, network, desktop, backup). It complements these infrastructure offerings with voice and data telecommunication services including SIP trunks, hosted PBX, business phone lines, toll-free and long-distance calling, dedicated internet access, MPLS/VPLS, private network transport, and wireless internet, all backed by 24/7/365 in-house Ohio IT support.
Product overview
CISP is a managed IT and telecommunications services provider offering an integrated portfolio of infrastructure and communication solutions. The core offering centers on data center services (colocation in a 42,000+ sq ft SSAE 16 Type 2 audited facility) and cloud computing (VMware-powered private and public cloud servers). These infrastructure services are complemented by managed services including managed servers (with cPanel/Plesk options), managed backup (Veeam, Quest Rapid Recovery, CrashPlan), managed network, and managed desktop services. Web hosting rounds out the IT portfolio. For telecommunications, CISP provides comprehensive voice services including SIP trunks, hosted phone system (hosted PBX), business phone lines, toll-free calling, and long distance, all built on MPLS/VPLS metro ethernet and private network transport infrastructure. Dedicated internet access (symmetrical fiber) and wireless internet provide data connectivity. The company operates from Toledo, Ohio with 24/7/365 support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Colocation Co-location solutions for businesses needing Midwest disaster recovery or single server hosting. Provides full, half, and quarter racks in an SSAE 16 Type 2 audited facility with redundant HVAC, multiple upstream bandwidth providers, FM-200 fire protection, biometric and magnetic access control, 24/7 monitoring, and dual UPS feeds with 2N+1 redundancy.
- Cloud Services VMware-powered cloud computing infrastructure with clustered redundant physical servers and enterprise-level storage. Offers Private Cloud Servers (single-tenant with physically isolated network, compute, and storage layers) and Public Cloud Servers (high-performance scalable servers with industry-leading SLAs and 24/7 support).
- Dedicated Server Dedicated server hosting providing higher security, speed, and uptime beyond shared hosting resource limitations for businesses running mission-critical websites and applications.
- Web Hosting Flexible web hosting using Plesk Control Panel supporting frameworks from WordPress to .NET, with built-in redundancy, reliability, security, and free 24/7/365 support from trained technicians.
- Managed Servers Full hardware, software, and ongoing upkeep of dedicated or virtual servers with full-time system administrators providing 24/7/365 support, automated OS updates, self-healing, remote management, and server monitoring. Optional services include advanced monitoring, managed backup, and control panels (cPanel/Plesk).
- Managed Network Network infrastructure built, operated, secured, and managed by certified network professionals. Delivered as cloud infrastructure or installed/managed by in-house experts, including firewall, routers, switches, and proactive monitoring and maintenance.
- Managed Desktop Services Managed desktop computing environment covering full lifecycle with lower cost per device per month. Designed to improve efficiency, productivity, and reliability while reducing burden on internal IT teams.
- Backup Services Disaster recovery and business continuity focused data backup using Veeam, Quest Rapid Recovery, and CrashPlan platforms. Provides image-based and agent-based backup for virtual and physical environments, instant recovery, VM replication, offsite/cloud storage, and continuous or scheduled backup with encryption.
- Managed Backup Service Cloud backup service with remote management and monitoring using trusted backup solutions. Provides in-house support with regular automated backups to redundant centralized storage in secure data centers.
- Dedicated Internet Access Continuous protected symmetrical connectivity between LAN and Internet, typically on fully redundant end-to-end fiber networks with proactive 24/7 monitoring and high SLA.
- Wireless Internet Wireless internet service delivered without requiring phone or cable lines, offering reliable and secure connection at affordable monthly rates with flexible plan options.
- Metro Ethernet | MPLS | VPLS Secure private any-to-any connectivity over global footprint with flexible billing options. Supports voice, video, and dedicated internet with purpose-fit solutions for migration or expansion with flat-rate and usage-based billing.
- Private Network Transport Private network transport services delivered globally on fiber network with dedicated bandwidth, diverse transport paths, and immediate restoration. Supports SONET and SDH for high-priority applications and carries IP, voice, data, and video as Layer 2 or Layer 3 traffic.
- SIP Trunks Efficient cost-effective multi-line solution replacing PRI circuits with dynamic or elastic bandwidth options. Configurable for any phone system with features including auto attendant, voicemail/fax/unified messaging, audio conferencing, caller ID, call waiting, and DID/DOD.
- Hosted Phone System Virtual hosted PBX system for small and medium businesses eliminating capital expense of on-premise phone systems. Enables remote work flexibility, local virtual numbers, unlimited US long distance, with features equivalent to Fortune 500 systems including transfers, hold with music, conference calls, and automated attendant.
- Business Phone Lines Essential business lines connecting office phone systems, fax machines, or other equipment to the phone network with customizable service plans and various call-usage pricing options.
- Toll-Free Calling Toll-free telephone numbers with costs charged to the called party rather than the caller, using special prefixes like 800.
- Long Distance Services National and international switched and dedicated long distance service including Switched LD (via PSTN with PIC) and Dedicated LD (via local loop circuit).
Quantifiable outcome
- Facility can maintain uninterrupted uptime throughout a full-scale blackout for several days without refueling
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CISP
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CISP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature4 records
CISP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- VMwarecoreTechnology partner powering CISP's cloud infrastructure with redundant physical servers and enterprise-level storage clusters for private and public cloud services.
- VEEAMcoreProvides award-winning backup, recovery, and replication platform for virtualized applications with RTO of <15 minutes.
- MicrosoftcoreTechnology partnership for Microsoft solutions and O365 integration in managed services offerings.
- Quest Rapid RecoverymajorProvides complete server, data and application protection for virtual, physical and cloud infrastructures with near-instant restore capabilities.
- CenturyLinkmajorUpstream bandwidth provider and managed enterprise services partner for hybrid IT and cloud solutions.
- Spectrum EnterprisemajorUpstream bandwidth provider partner delivering fiber network services.
- TelesystemmajorUpstream bandwidth and network services provider partner.
- EverstreammajorBusiness fiber and network services provider partner.
- IntelisysminorTechnology services distributor partner.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
CISP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Everstream: Business fiber and network services provider serving Midwest markets with dedicated internet access, Ethernet, and managed network services. Highly comparable to CISP as a regional carrier/ISP targeting business customers with similar connectivity and managed service offerings.
- US Signal: Midwest-based data center and managed services provider offering colocation, cloud, managed network, and DR services. Directly comparable to CISP's owned-facility colocation and managed services portfolio and regional Midwestern go-to-market.
- Expedient: Regional data center and managed services operator with colocation, private cloud, managed hosting, and DR offerings across multiple U.S. markets. Directly comparable to CISP's integrated colo, cloud, and managed IT portfolio for mid-market and SMB customers.
- CallTower: Provider of hosted UCaaS, SIP trunking, and Microsoft Teams voice services to SMB and mid-market customers. Directly comparable to CISP's hosted PBX and SIP trunk telecom offering on similar customer profile and channel.
- Telesystem: Regional provider of UCaaS, hosted PBX, SIP trunking, managed network, and dedicated internet to SMB and mid-market customers across multiple U.S. regions. Closely comparable to CISP in customer profile, product mix, and consultative channel motion.
Regional players
- MetroNet: Regional fiber-to-the-premises ISP operating across the Midwest and South, also serving business customers with dedicated internet and Ethernet. Comparable to CISP as a regional ISP, though primarily residential-leaning and geographically distinct from Ohio.
Broad incumbents
- Lumen Technologies (formerly CenturyLink): Global Tier-1 carrier providing IP transit, DIA, UCaaS, and managed services, and an explicit upstream partner of CISP. Comparable to CISP's DIA and carrier-resale business at vastly larger scale.
- Cincinnati Bell (altafiber): Incumbent regional telecom and managed services provider in Ohio/Kentucky offering fiber internet, voice, cloud, and managed IT to business customers. Comparable to CISP's full-stack business telecom and managed services portfolio, with broader scale and geography.
- Spectrum Enterprise: Business services arm of Charter Communications offering fiber internet, Ethernet, voice, and managed services nationwide, and an upstream bandwidth partner of CISP. Comparable to CISP's connectivity and voice portfolio but with national scale.
- Windstream Enterprise: National incumbent offering SD-WAN, UCaaS, managed network security, and dedicated internet for mid-market and enterprise. Comparable to CISP's telecom and managed network portfolio at much larger scale and broader footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CISP social profiles
Digital presenceCISP compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CISP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CISP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CISP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CISP 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 CISP
What does CISP do?
CISP operates a 42,100 square-foot SSAE 16 Type 2 audited data center facility in Toledo, Ohio, delivering colocation, private and public cloud servers, dedicated servers, web hosting, and managed IT services (servers, network, desktop, backup). It complements these infrastructure offerings with voice and data telecommunication services including SIP trunks, hosted PBX, business phone lines, toll-free and long-distance calling, dedicated internet access, MPLS/VPLS, private network transport, and wireless internet, all backed by 24/7/365 in-house Ohio IT support.
Is CISP a public or private company?
CISP is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CISP founded?
CISP was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CISP based?
CISP is headquartered in Toledo, United States, in the North America region.
How does CISP make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Colocation Services are the primary driver. The others are managed Services, telecommunication Services, cloud Services, dedicated Servers, web Hosting and professional Services.
Who are CISP's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Everstream, US Signal, Expedient, CallTower and Telesystem. MetroNet is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Lumen Technologies (formerly CenturyLink), Cincinnati Bell (altafiber), Spectrum Enterprise and Windstream Enterprise.
Does CISP have an API?
No public API is recorded for CISP.
What industry is CISP in?
CISP's product category is Managed IT and Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAB, Business/Enterprise ISPs (Dedicated Internet Access), with a secondary code of HDAIAEAA, IP Transit & Internet Backbone (Tier-1/2, peering, DIA). Its NAICS code is 518 and its SIC code is 7370.