This Month We Interview IPOWERWEB CEO, Thomas Gorney,
And Discuss Web Hosting and IPOWERWEB's Keys to Success

IPOWERWEB has rapidly become an industry leader in today's highly competitive web hosting business. Their quality and streamlined business model has made them the envy of hosting companies. We recently caught up with Thomas Gorney, CEO and President of IPOWERWEB, to get his insight on today's web hosting business and the bright future of IPOWERWEB.

Q: IPOWERWEB has hit the industry with a bang gaining 100,000 customers in 16 months. Do you see this growth rate continuing, and if so when should we expect to see 200,000 customers?
A: We have had phenomenal success during the past 16 months. Today, IPOWERWEB is one of the industry leaders and we are facing very different challenges then when we started two years ago. Part of our Management Team focuses on facing these challenges and the other part focuses on position IPOWERWEB for continued growth. I am very enthusiastic about IPOWERWEB’s future. However, I know that a significant part of our future success will be centered on continuously satisfying our existing customer base. I spend a lot of time thinking on how we can do a better job at doing what we do. We are on track to acquire our next 100,000 paid members in less time then our first. Finally our goal is to be the first provider to reach 1 Million paid website hosting accounts.

Q: What do you attribute your success to?
A: The PEOPLE are IPOWERWEB’s success. IPOWERWEB has probably the best team in the industry. We perform the best under pressure and are quick to respond to market threats and changes. The other important criterion is that IPOWERWEB is privately held and self funded company without any investment or investors. It makes it very simple and straight forward for Management to make and alter decisions without any external pressures or politics. When you become a leader in a very competitive industry these attributes can play a major role in the future direction of a company.

Q: What word describes the working atmosphere at IPOWERWEB, and how has this contributed to your success?
A: I am not sure if I am able to describe it all in one single word. The IPOWERWEB Team works and lives by a few but very important principles. We take our work very seriously but have a lot of fun doing it. One of the most important principles at IPOWERWEB is to make IPOWERWEB one of the best places to work for in Los Angeles.

Q: What do you see as the biggest growth area in the industry (i.e. budget hosting, resellers, managed servers, budget servers, etc.)?
A: I believe that we are going to see the small and medium size business market continue to grow the fastest. More and more companies are moving this direction. Eventually it will become a necessity for every business to have a website presence, even if they do not do business on the internet. Companies which are in a position and capable to reach this market are going to benefit the most. I think this going to include the reseller and budget server market as well, which ultimately caters to the same audience.

Q: How much of your business is North America versus Europe, Asia, and South America? Do you plan on increasing your presence overseas?
A: The majority of our customers are based in United States, Canada and UK. We have just recently opened an office in Canada and are planning to continue our expansion into other countries. This will allow us to respond more precisely to consumer needs in other regions of the world. As the next step, we will be looking to establish a physical presence in Europe.

Q: Are there any plans to increase your Product offerings to include things like managed servers, reseller plans, etc?
A: We do not have an interest in being a “Jack of all trades, master of none.” During the short term, we will continue to focus on the SMB market with our flagship product the IPOWERWEB Business Pro. However, we do have very ambitious plans but nothing in particular at this point. I’ll keep you updated.

Q: Are there plans to expand IPOWERWEB into other aspects of the Computer/Internet industry outside of Web Hosting?
A: Yes, we are working on few projects with other companies but it would be premature to discuss those plans.

Q: Customer service is one of the qualities that you promote as a competitive advantage in this very competitive industry. How do you set yourself apart from other hosting companies in terms of Customer Service?
A: Let me start by stating that we are not perfect. However, I can assure you that we are always working extremely hard on improving every area of the company. The customers that have been with us for a while will be able to confirm this statement. T. Griffin Conrad our Vice President of Global Operations created and implemented two significant programs a few months ago. These programs will lead IPOWERWEB to the next level in terms of customer service and support. One called “Next STEP” and the other “100% Customer Service, 100% of the Time.” Both are related to the way we view our customers and he is very particular about it.
We take the customer service mentality of companies such as Cisco, American Express and Southwest Airline. I think this makes us quite different in a complex industry where knowledgeable customer service is very difficult to find. To know what I am referring to I can only encourage you to pay us a visit and see it for yourself. However, I know that we still have a way to go to reach the customer satisfaction that we are aiming for.

Q: The Web Hosting Industry is very competitive. What would you say is the one trait that has helped IPOWERWEB stand above the competition?
A: I would say that the one trait that makes IPOWERWEB very different is that we never stop improving and reinventing our self. Our constant goal is to do things better and faster than our competitors. With this in mind, we reinvest the majority of our profits in Customer Service, IT Infrastructure and R&D.

Q: As the CEO of IPOWERWEB, what is the one thing that keeps you up at night?
A: I wish that there would be only one thing. The two, which are always on my mind is our competition and the next step for IPOWERWEB. I spend many hours at night brainstorming about the IPOWERWEB’s future direction and various improvements. On the other hand competition is healthy but since there is a lot of it to keep track off, it keeps you extremely busy. We know not to ignore any of our competitors regardless of how small or large they are. You never know what they up to. IPOWERWEB is the best example of this.

Q: On the other hand, what is the one thing that makes you jump out of bed in the morning?
A: I love what I do therefore; I am looking forward to waking up every morning and leaving for work. We have a very diligent agenda, which I can’t wait to start every morning. I don’t think this only applies to me. This goes for many people at IPOWERWEB. The majority of the management spends a minimum of 12 to 16 hours at work each day. I know it sounds crazy but that’s the IPOWERWEB way.

Q: Are there any new products or promotions coming this summer that you can preview for us?
A: Yes. This week we are launching a new benefit for IPOWERWEB Members: “Try Overture Risk-FREE ($50.00).” Overture will provide a FREE $50 advertising credit to all of IPOWERWEB Members (new accounts only). Overture has offered this program to only a few select partners, and we are very fortunate to be part of this program.

We recently unveiled our new control panel vDeck! Our new proprietary control panel was unveiled at the beginning of the month on the national cable show, TechLink. vDeck! is one of the most feature packed, easy to use, control panels on the market today. It’s the Next Generation in Control Panel Technology, and the platform for IPOWERWEB’s future.