Aperian: In the Big Time

It’s something you always hear from executives at Bulletin Board companies:
“We’ll be listed on Nasdaq within the next six months.” Of course, in most
instances, it doesn’t happen. The universe of a Bulletin Board company is
typically very nightmarish.

But some can be saved. Look at Aperian
. You see, it got approval for a Nasdaq listing on May
31, 2000. It is definitely a big step. The result is better liquidity, as
well as credibility.

Now, this does not mean it is a good company. Rather, it means that the
company meets the minimum listing standards.

But actually, Aperian looks very interesting. The company has technology
that it calls Direct Optical Co-location Connection (DOCC). It
allows companies to get direct access to Internet backbones. There
is a bypass of the local phone company lines (known as the “local loop”).
In the end, companies get much faster transmissions of content.

To pull this off, Aperian has established alliances with GTE and MCI
WorldCom. What’s more, the company uses a Cisco Powered Network.

In terms of the financials, the company had $583,554 in the past quarter,
which was up 110% from the previous quarter. Although, losses were hefty,
at $13.7 million. But, the company was able to raise $55 million in a
private placement.

Aperian has been able to attract some top senior executives.
For example, Chris Brickler, executive vice president of marketing and
business development, was vice president of marketing and Internet
operations for Concert, an $8 billion joint venture between AT&T and British
Telecom.

No doubt, this is a high-risk company. However, the company is making the
right moves. If it continues to execute, its current $4 price is very
appealing.