Fidelity Voice and Data: 15 Years on the Cutting-Edge of Telecommunications by Katie Devine F idelity Voice and Data, the Midwest’s premier, full-service telecommunications provider, based here in Beachwood, is expanding, growing and continuing to lead the industry in technology, state-of-the-art equipment, and world-class customer service and support. amazing how many larger, more prestigious companies do not deliver these basics,” he added. “There was a niche open for me to walk right into.” Fidelity Voice and Data’s clients come in all shapes and sizes, from corporations to professional-service firms, nonprofit entities, government offices, educational facilities and healthcare organizations. Some local examples include a 6-person steel company, a hospital, a car dealership, and a law firm. Additionally, its market penetration in Beachwood is more than 25% for businesses with 10 employees or more. There are four components of the Fidelity Voice and Data service package. The first is InterVoice, which provides enterprise class telephone packages for organizations that require a high-quality connection at an affordable price, backed by dedicated support and an expert engineering team. Since privacy and security are crucial to clients, the InterConnect component of Fidelity’s business, the second, provides customers with critical uninterrupted services that include an array of data offerings, designed with the strictest of security and performance requirements. The third component, Fidelity’s InterSpace solutions, allows clients to manage their network resources securely in a data center, located in Cleveland. The data center’s colocation services provide peace of mind to clients by protecting their telecommuni- Founded in l999 by Beachwood resident, Robert Marks, the company has grown into a $22 million enterprise with 3,000 customers, 43 full-time employees and a comprehensive portfolio of telecommunication offerings, including voice, internet, colocation and cloud services. After growing up in Beachwood and graduating from the University of South Florida, Marks worked for a few years with AT&T. Upon becoming disenchanted, he felt that he could do a much better job than the big guys did by offering custom-designed telephone and computer services, with better pricing and much better support, to their customers. “I started the company in my bedroom with a file cabinet, a desk and a couple of phones. My kids had taken over the basement, so this was my only option,” Marks said. Despite a shaky tech economy and logistical challenges, the gamble paid off. Marks was able to secure funding, and with hard work, dedication and passion, he steered his little start-up into the black in just 11 months. Marks says the key to success in telecommunications is a very simple three-point approach. “First you have to take care of your clients, provide them with personalized service and be there for them 24/7. Then you have to employ the absolutely best people in the business; and third, you need to manage your finances and growth in a sustainable way. It sounds uncomplicated, but it is Pictured: Mitch Marks, chief strategy officer; Robert Marks, CEO; Larry Dubin, COO and general counsel; and Ron Kohn, president of sales and marketing. Photos by Scott Morrison. cations infrastructure from power failure and intrusion. By moving your company’s infrastructure to Fidelity’s InterCloud, the fourth, users can reduce capital investment, avoid over-investing in hardware, and reduce upfront capital on costly telecommunications equipment. Fidelity uses industry-standard, carrier-class equipment for telephone, internet and cloud. “In fact, Fidelity, always on the cutting-edge, was one of the first to offer cloud availability for our clients, said Marks. “We provide dedicated internet access at the fastest speeds and offer the most minutes of up-time of any provider,” he added. Each of Fidelity Voice and Data’s management team members brings added value to the company by providing expertise in a different discipline. Robert’s brother, Mitch Marks, joined the company in 2001, and functions as chief strategy officer. Robert Marks credits his brother with being the company “visionary.” Continued on Page 10 8 Beachwood Buzz n August 2014