CV_Winter_21

The channel is becoming increas- ingly automated, with many providers streamlining pricing to get quotes out to agents as quickly as possible. However, not all agents are on board with this rushed approach, which can do more harm than good. “A lot of providers today quote and hope,” said APX Net president Jeffrey Wood. “They take in large volumes of requests, and if 25 percent of quotes fall off or don’t work out, they don’t care because they are dealing with such large volumes of requests.” The problem is that an agent may work several months to close an oppor- tunity, only to come out empty handed because of a rushed or inaccurate quote, continued Wood. “This can be very frustrating, especially if you’re depending on that commission that you earned.” As a nationwide data services provid- er for enterprise and wholesale custom- ers offering fiber optic Ethernet services, APX Net takes pride in offering a boutique approach to service provisioning, with white glove treatment — making them an ideal fit for agents who are looking for a vendor that matches their level of care and commitment to excellence. During the last 20 years, the compa- ny has earned a reputation as a leader in fiber-optic design and project manage - ment for multilocation and high-speed data network services. Today, APX Net is trusted by enterprises across multiple verticals including healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, professional sports, and energy. “Our goal is to add value to the agent’s time, instead of using automation to try and push an offer out as quickly as possible,” Wood continued. “While everyone else is going to automa- tion for their quotes, we don’t do that.” Depending on the complexity of the project, APX Net utilizes a number of different tools from municipality and utility maps and data to various portals to research and validate the availability of service, explained Wood. “We then get special wholesale pricing and project approval from the carriers. This multi- step process ensures that the quote is accurate before we send it to the agent or the client. This saves time and elimi- nates surprises.” Ultimately, Wood continued, this level of care and dedication puts more money in the agent’s pocket. “With APX Net you’re getting a provider that works a little bit closer with you and puts more effort into the process to help you close a deal. We’re here to help make sure you get paid for the hard work you put in.” Agents also benefit from a team of experienced industry executives and senior engineers. The company doesn’t have the revolving door issue that plagues many other providers in this space. APX Net also makes it a point to hire inside and outside of the telecom industry, to further its knowledge in each of the verticals it supports. In addition, APX Net offers a single invoice for all nationwide locations, and real- time access to U.S.-based telecom and data network specialists for helpful and responsive customer support. Customers benefit from Type 1 circuits and 99.999 percent uptime guarantees, expert network engineering, dedicated project management, and flat-rate pricing across all locations. “When an agent brings a signed account to us, we’re going to have our technical and accounting teams reach out within 24 hours, to validate and go over the details of the agree- ment and answer any questions,” said Karen Mathis, director of marketing and sales operations. “Our goal from the point of kickoff throughout the project management process is to empower the customer by giving them direct visibility into what to expect with provisioning, turn-ups, and invoicing — making sure they understand it.” According to Mathis, customers appreciate this hands-on and transpar- ent approach. “They see that we really care about quality and visibility, and that we are committed to helping them understand our process,” Mathis said. Looking forward, the company will focus on growing its SD-WAN and SD-Internet products this year, while also promoting diverse circuit planning, WAN, dedicated internet, and private line, along with flat-rate pricing for multi- location customers. “Multi-location customers will continue to be very important for us,” Wood added. “We’re also looking to expand projects with enterprises that are looking for some of the harder fiber builds, like a power company that has water hydrogenation plants out in the middle of nowhere. We do a lot of green energy projects with large builds. Ultimately, we’ll get fiber where it needs to go.” o APX Net president Jeffrey Wood PROFILE APX Net Gets Personal 30 CHANNEL V ISION | January - February, 2021