BEST COMPUTER CONSULTING FIRM

Alliance Technologies

Jim Brandl, CEO of Alliance Technologies, believes 12 years of hard work by every member of his team has contributed to the positive reputation the company has gained in the community.

“Our primary focus has always been on the customer,” he said. “That focus has remained constant through the years. We’re very proud of the reputation we’ve built.”

Alliance Technologies provides a wide range of information technology, products and services to its customers. Brandl said Alliance not only does standard computer consulting, but also IT strategic planning and Web development. He said the goal of the company’s strategic initiative is to add to Alliance’s depth of service.

“We want to add to our expertise as well as to our services we can provide the customer,” he said. “We want to bring together the right combination of hardware, software and people to provide IT solutions to fit the customers’ need.”

Runners-up: Pomeroy Computer Resource, Associated Computer Systems

BEST COMPUTER TRAINING

New Horizons Computer Learning Center

When New Horizons Computer Learning Center first opened its Des Moines office in 1998, there were around 20 computer training companies in the city, said Deborah Plumb, the company’s general manager.

“Now you can count them on one hand,” she said. “Training is one of the first cuts a company makes when the economy starts looking bad, so a lot of places didn’t survive.”

But, Plumb said, things are beginning to turn around. Companies are starting to invest in their employees again, she said, and business is booming.

New Horizons is part of the largest technical training company the United States. It offers classes in both the traditional classroom setting and on-site at local businesses in areas such as graphic design, Web site design and user programs, like Word and Excel. It also offers online classes.

“We have a very talented staff,” Plumb said. “They have been here a long time and we always get great feedback from clients about our people. That is what makes us successful.”

Runners-up: CompUSA, GeoLearning Inc.

BEST LOCAL INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER

Mediacom Communications Corp.

Speed is the name of the game in internet service, so Mediacom Communications Corp. has made speed its focus.

“That is what users are looking for,” said Phyllis Peters, Mediacom’s communications manager. “We have committed ourselves to constantly look for new ways to improve our speed and reliability so we can ensure our customers get exactly what they’re looking for.”

Over the last 14 months, Peters said, Mediacom has improved its download speed from three megabits per second to five megabits per second without raising its rates. For an additional fee, customers who want a little more speed can choose Mediacom’s Online Max service, which offers download speeds of up to 10 megabits per second.

“We are constantly working to upgrade and expand our network,” Peters said. “Our customers notice a big difference when they switch from dial-up. You just don’t know what you’re missing until you’ve tried it out, and once you do, you can never go back.”

Runner-up: LightEdge Solutions Inc.

BEST WEB SITE DEVELOPER

Captain Jack Communications

Bill Dennis began programming computers in the early 1980s, when home computers first came out. Before that, he was known for his aerial traffic reports under the name Captain Jack for WHO radio.

Today, the business Dennis started has branched out into many areas of the computer world, from logo design to educational consulting. But its bread and butter is Web site design.

“We have an amazing design team on board,” said Lance Drey, sales manager for Captain Jack Communications. “They are really good at listening to our clients’ wants and needs and then bringing these details together in a professional creative design.”

Drey said a new online consulting feature has been implemented in the last year that allows prospective clients to discuss projects with designers on the company’s Web site, www.captainjack.com.

And business continues to grow, as Captain Jack now has clients in 45 states, Canada and Europe. Ninety percent of those clients rank in the top 30 or higher in one or more search engines, which is one of the company’s goals.

“It doesn’t make sense to have the best looking Web page in the world if it can’t be found on the search engines,” Drey said. “If we program your site for the search engines, Internet users will be able to find your Web site.”

Runners-up: Spindustry Systems Inc., Global Reach Internet Productions

BEST TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT DEALER

MTC Systems

Joe Emerson, president of MTC Systems, places all the credit for his company’s success on his employees, who he said have helped establish the West Des Moines-based business’s reputation in the area.

“It’s your people that make a business work,” he said. “They deserve all the credit.”

Opening its doors in 1975, MTC Systems has been providing the business community with communications systems, from installation to service, for more than 30 years. Emerson said because the company has been around for so long, people feel comfortable dealing with it because they know it isn’t just a fly-by-night outfit.

“We’ve been here such a substantial period of time, everyone knows what we can do for them and that we aren’t going anywhere,” he said.

It isn’t just local businesses that employ the skills of MTC. Te company has done work for several area school systems, such as installing and maintaining a school’s phone system or a football stadium’s public address system.

Runners-up: Attex Communications Corp., LightEdge Solutions Inc.

BEST WIRELESS PHONE SYSTEM

Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless touts itself as having the most loyal customers in the industry.

“We work just as hard to keep our customers as we do to go out and get new customers,” said Brad Erickson, business sales manager for Verizon Wireless Iowa. “That is something we are committed to as a company, and it pays off.”

In the last year, Verizon has introduced a number of new products to the market, most recently the Chocolate by LG, which is part mp3 player, part phone and exclusive to Verizon. It also released the Motorola Q, one of the smallest personal digital assistants (PDA) on the market, Erickson said.

“We’re starting to see more business taking place in the home,” he said. “With the home office becoming more prevalent, the customers have made it clear that being mobile is very important to them. We are always trying to stay ahead of the curve and do what we can to better serve our customers.”

Erickson said Verizon is also working to constantly expand and improve itsnetwork and service.

Runners-up: U.S. Cellular Corp., Sprint Nextel Corp.

BEST LOCAL COMPANY WEB SITE

Flynn Wright

It’s lively with moving graphics, but that’s only part of what makes the Flynn Wright Web site so good. “Behind the scenes, where we work with our clients, that’s where the powerful stuff goes on,” said Paul Schlueter, the company’s vice president of research and interactive media. In other words, clients get access to information that a casual visitor doesn’t see.

“Depending on who visits our site, they see different projects, and different information is delivered to them,” Schlueter said. “The lion’s share of what true Internet development is about now is helping people manage their business.”

Flynn Wright, a 22-year-old advertising agency, is getting about 1,000 visitors per month to the public portion of its Web site, www.flynnwright.com. The clients-only portion gets 500 monthly visitors and about 30,000 page views.

“We’ve created an environment where any employee can work with a client through the Web site from anywhere,” Schlueter said. “Airports, hotels, anywhere.”

Runners-up: Principal Financial Group Inc.; Iowa Stars