ISWest Opens Pipeline for Internet Customers Seeking New Server Sites

July, 2003, AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – With Sprint Corp. and Cable & Wireless data centers closing across the United States, a grass-roots company is offering to meet the most demanding bandwidth needs of all businesses looking for new homes to host their servers.

ISWest recently installed a GigaMan, a 1.2-Gigabit, fiber optic fat pipe that enables the company to buy premium bandwidth from America’s top 10 backbone providers, such as Level 3, AT&T and Global Crossing.

Today the center is only half full, making way for the fall out of customers seeking a new server site.

"This is a very large connection to the Internet – as big as any of the big boy carriers have," said Drew Kaplan, vice president and director of sales and marketing for ISWest.
Large international carrier Cable & Wireless (NYSE:CWP) announced this summer that it is pulling out of the U.S. market. Sprint Corp. (NYSE:FON) is also in the process of shutting down several Web hosting data centers throughout the country.

While giant carriers were once believed to be the last ones standing in the race for bandwidth sales, trends show the opposite occurring with smaller companies attracting clients by meeting Internet demands, in addition to high levels of customer service, experts say.

That’s because smaller companies built their business the old fashioned way – using cash flow to expand – and only a judicious amount of borrowing, said David Simpson of Simpson Partners, who provides strategic consulting and legal services to independent Internet service providers.

"They stayed very close to their customers, learned what they needed and wanted and delivered it," Simpson said.

These qualities are why one Thousand Oaks man recently left a large Internet service provider located 65 miles from his medium-sized business for ISWest, which is less than five minutes away in neighboring Agoura Hills. ISWest meets his company’s needs for 20 megs of bandwidth, he said, and offers a personal touch not found with big providers.

With large ISPs, "you’re a very small fish in a huge pond, versus being a very important customer," said the business owner, who asked to remain anonymous. With ISWest, "they are willing to go the distance to help us, no matter what; they are very responsive and have attended to our needs…it’s a much more personal operation."

Quality of service, knowledge of the customer and an understanding of Internet technology are the attributes that make grass-roots companies so appealing, Simpson added.

"Most customers want to really know and trust the people to whom they entrust their servers," Simpson said. "A lot of big companies are unable to sustain a true level of care among their employees, and customers pick that up…companies like ISWest will continue to grow and thrive, because the Internet is continuing to grow and ISWest has demonstrated that it is a Class A company with excellent service."

In the Internet business since 1996, ISWest has grown over the years through old school ideals. In 2001, the company built a 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art data center and Network Operations Center for server co-location.

A full, private locked cabinet with 1 Megabit of bandwidth – and a dedicated 20AMP power circuit – starts at $1,495 per month. The price drops as each client’s bandwidth commitment grows.

ISWest is so confident in its connection services, the company offers a 500-percent credit for time lost.

"The service level agreement in our contract states that we will be up 99.99 percent of the time," Kaplan said.

ISWest also takes pride in a level of customer service that outshines large providers. For instance, a live operator is always available to assist customers, rather than an electronic voice service.

"Our customers aren’t just a number," Kaplan said. "We have a personal relationship with each and every one."
About the company:

ISWest is the 4th largest provider of business-class broadband connectivity and server co-location services to a variety of businesses, according to a 2002 list published in the Los Angeles Business. The ISWest broadband network supports thousands of customers and serves more than 150 major metropolitan areas across the United States. The company’s success is built on the founders’ commitment to deliver the best customer care in the Internet industry.

Founded in 1996, ISWest is headquartered in Agoura Hills, California. The company's executive management team represents combined experience of more than 50 years of management experience, with expertise in telecommunications, Internet services, networking, operations and strategic marketing.

For more information or to conduct an interview, call Drew Kaplan at ISWest, 818-735-3000 or toll-free at 877-735-1500.

To find out more about ISWest, go on-line at www.iswest.com