Ivan Vachovsky

Can you tell me a little about yourself and your role with Aplus?

I co-founded Abacus, the parent company of Aplus.Net 11 years ago - back in 1992. Since then I have been serving as the President, CEO and Chairman of the Board. Being originally from Bulgaria, I hold both an MS degree in Computers and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Bulgaria's Sofia Technical University. I'm also an author of one book, and numerous technical articles. I have been granted several technology-related patents. I have devoted most of my career to computers - both hardware and software. Since 1985 I have been involved in various managerial positions with large corporations as well as small companies. I moved to the United States in 1992.

What is Aplus's history and role in the Industry?

Aplus.Net prides itself on being a technology oriented company. Being a market leader, we have introduced several "firsts" in the web hosting industry. In 1997 we introduced our now legendary "solo" series of web hosting plans. The "solo" series introduced "immediate activation" to web hosting. We also became one of the first companies to be ICANN accredited as an independent domain name Registrar. We were among the first to introduce and implement the concept of VPS (Virtual Private Servers). We have also recently expanded our product line to include "web-a-file" and "web-a-photo" - both are complimentary services to our core web hosting services. Aplus also created an industry-leading affiliate program based on our proprietary banner distribution technology. Our customers enjoy our comprehensive Knowledge Base product, based on our own software as well. While competitors are busy copying us, we are moving forward towards tomorrow's innovations.

What services does Aplus offer? And how do you differentiate yourself in the Hosting Industry?

Aplus.Net offers everything a small business needs to establish an online presence or open online store. This includes domain name registration, complete web site design, web hosting, e-mail services, e-commerce setup, merchant accounts, and credit card processing. This is what differentiates us from competitors. We are a complete "one stop shopping" destination for all of customer's needs for online presence. No project is too big or too small. We employ over 100 people and 2/3 of them are in the design and technology positions. Unlike some competitors, we rarely outsource. We operate our own Tier 1 data center and keep all systems under tight control.

Why should people choose Aplus.Net among many other rivals?

Value. Aplus.Net provides numerous additional features which smaller competitors do not have and larger competitors charge much more for. As confirmation of our value, Aplus.Net has recently been awarded the "Editor's Choice" award by the respected CNET publication.

What impact you have made on the industry?

Aplus has been first to market with many new products, as described above - some of them setting new standards in the web hosting industry.

Where do you see the industry going in 2003?

The web hosting industry is clearly saturated. Consolidation is inevitable for the industry. At the end of the day there will be far fewer players - and only the stronger players will remain.