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In The News
Informatics creates strategic internet solutions to empower your company to move at today's e-speed.
Linn County thanks Informatics for Flood 2008 efforts |
“We are deeply grateful to Informatics for their commitment to keeping the Linn County web site up and running during the flood event and afterwards. Our ability to keep in communication with the community helped to ensure people’s safety. No one could have imagined the challenges that would come from the rising flood waters. Our goal was and remains to ensure the public’s safety. Also having the Emergency Operations Center at Kirkwood Community College enabled the city, county, schools, and others to effectively respond to this emergency in a secure location. We appreciate all of our partners during this devastating event.”
- Linda Langston, Linn County Board of Supervisors Chairperson
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Informatics and the Flood of 2008 |
As many of you are aware, the Flood of 2008 forced many residents and businesses to evacuate much of the downtown Cedar Rapids area. Though our Cedar Rapids office was one of the many in the mandatory evacuation areas, we were able to initiate our emergency back-up plan in order to provide uninterrupted service from our downtown data center. Our heart goes out to everyone who is struggling to "get back to normal."
We are currently working remotely until we can get back into our office and we look forward to being part of the 2008 Flood Recovery efforts. We are confident that Cedar Rapids will come through these trials and emerge stronger and more dynamic than ever. We are committed to rebuilding the downtown business community.
Shown below are a list of our clients that were affected by the recent flooding in our area. We encourage you to use their services or donate time and money to assist these organizations and businesses in their rebuilding efforts.
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Maureen Osako selected as guest speaker for Cedar Valley Chapter of Iowa Credit Unions |
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Maureen Osako presented "5 Internet Strategies to Grow Your Business" as part of the monthly meeting for the Cedar Valley Chapter of Iowa Credit Unions.
Their meeting was held on Tuesday, March 11th at Cibo Fusion in Marion, IA.
Maureen Osako is Vice President of Client Services at Informatics, Inc., an Internet development company in downtown Cedar Rapids specializing in web design, custom software development, and high availability hosting services. If you are interested in Maureen speaking at your next event, please contact Informatics.
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Sigma Pharmaceuticals helps fight the young Iowan “brain drain” |
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In an age when Iowa is experiencing an unprecedented “brain drain”, it is a positive sign to see one of our young adults return to work in Iowa. This is the case with Nichole Fisher and Sigma Pharmaceuticals.
Sigma Pharmaceuticals, LLC is a wholesale distributor of ophthalmic products to eye care practitioners across the United States. The company offers name brand and generic pharmaceutical options as well as an extensive line of unique ophthalmic items, and Sigma strives to meet the individual needs of practitioners while offering competitive prices.
After graduating from Harvard Law School and working in New York City, Monticello native Nichole Fisher returned to Iowa and was hired in 2007 as the Director of Operations at Sigma. ”When I first returned to Iowa, I have to admit that I did not plan on staying here. I was simply going to help my parents out with a few projects while I looked for a job elsewhere. However, as I began working with my parents at Sigma Pharmaceuticals, I started recognizing that there were tremendous opportunities for growth and development of the business. I also realized how much I love living in Iowa. Consequently, I decided to remain in Iowa and to lead a restructuring effort at Sigma. Since that time I have been involved with some significant and exciting changes in the business.”
One of the projects that Ms. Fisher spearheaded was the redesign of the company website. “A couple of years ago, our company recognized the need for a web presence, so we had an e-commerce website developed. The original website, however, was extremely basic, it was not user-friendly, and it simply did not make us appear to be the professional and reputable company that we are.”
Sigma Pharmaceuticals partnered with Informatics, Inc. to create an e-commerce application that focused on products and the ability to easily order online. A simple Content Management System was created that allows Sigma Pharmaceuticals to maintain products and process orders, as well as other tasks.
“With our new website, we are finding that many of our customers who, in the past, may have called us to place their orders now find it easier and more efficient to place their orders online, which in turn has allowed our employees to spend less time on the phone and more time focusing on other aspects of customer service. In addition, because our new website is so user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing, our customers are taking the time to explore and learn about our entire product selection instead of purchasing only those products they have ordered from us previously. Finally, our new website is one of the primary marketing tools we are using to attract new customers, especially younger eye care professionals who are likely to use the web as their first resource when looking for the products they need.”
For more information about Sigma Pharmaceuticals, please visit sigmapharmaceuticals.com
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Maureen Osako selected as guest speaker for Cedar Rapids Public Relations Associates |
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Maureen Osako presented "Web Trends" as part of the monthly meeting for the Cedar Rapids Public Relations Associates.
The meeting was held on January 10th, 2008 at the Coe College Clark Alumni House. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.crpra.com.
Maureen Osako is Vice President of Client Services at Informatics, Inc., an Internet development company in Downtown Cedar Rapids specializing in web design, custom software development and high availability hosting services. If you are interested in Maureen speaking at your next event, please contact Informatics.
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Maureen Osako selected to speak at Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance Business Summit |
Maureen Osako has been selected to present "5 Internet Strategies to Grow Your Business" as part of the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance Business Summit "Crossroads to Success".
The summit will be held on Saturday, November 17th, 2007 at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. To register, call the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance at 319-385-3101. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.ccilive.com/journey.html.
Maureen Osako is Vice President of Client Services at Informatics, Inc., an Internet development company in Downtown Cedar Rapids specializing in web design, custom software development and high availability hosting services. If you are interested in Maureen speaking at your next event, please contact Informatics.
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Maureen Osako is Keynote Speaker for Erb's Open House |
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Maureen Osako, Vice President of Client Services, was selected to present "Top 5 Internet Strategies to Grow Your Business" as the Keynote Speaker for the Erb's Open House.
The Open House was held on Friday, October 26th, 2007 from Noon and 7:00p.m. and was a joint venture with Erb's and Microsoft Across America. Other events during the day including vendor fairs, workshops from HP, and a drawing for the Extreme Technology Makeover.
If you are interested in Maureen speaking at your next event, please contact Informatics.
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Informatics Voted Best Web Developer in the Corridor for 2nd Year in a Row |
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Informatics has been voted Best Web Developer in the Corridor for the 2nd year in a Row by the readers of the Corridor Business Journal.
Maureen Osako, partner and vice president at Informatics, said the company has seen a lot of web development companies come and go over the years.
But at Informatics, voted best web site developer in the Corridor two years in a row, several unique factors have given it staying power, including its experience, its multidisciplinary team approach, the fact it is a “one-stop Internet shop,” its high level of customer service and its process.
“We have a unique, tried and true web development process that ensures each project is developed correctly to the client’s requirements and specifications,” said Ms. Osako. “This process also enables us to get projects completed on time and on budget.”
Informatics — which has been doing business since 1998 and employs 16 people locally — develops approximately 50 web sites a year and provides hosting services for several hundred clients to help them use technology to do their business better.
It is those clients that contribute to their continued success, Ms. Osako said. “We have built our business without a sales force and with very little advertising. We are strictly a referral-based company. Our clients are happy with their projects and tell others about us. We feel referrals and recommendations from satisfied customers are the best form of advertising a company can have.”
- Katie Giorgio
Corridor Business Journal
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Iowa Asian Alliance Announces Winners of 2007 AdmirAsian Achievement Awards |
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The AdmirAsian Selection Committee has selected Informatics, Inc. as one of the winners of the 2007 AdmirAsian Achievement Awards. The AdmirAsian Achievement Awards honor individuals and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding leadership and contributions to the community.
Winners of the AdmirAsian Achievement Awards will be honored at a formal reception, dinner, and awards ceremony on Saturday, October 13, 2007 from 5pm to 9pm at The Meadows Events and Conference Center at Prairie Meadows in Altoona. AdmirAsian is the fall signature event of the Iowa Asian Alliance (IAA) and is hosted by Prairie Meadows and sponsored in part by Citi, Des Moines Register, and Polk County Board of Supervisors.
The selection committee is comprised of Iowa Asian Alliance stakeholders from sponsoring companies, past winners, and the community at large. The goals of this unique and prestigious event are to celebrate the accomplishments of the honorees and to inspire future community leadership. Approximately 350 business and community leaders are expected to attend the event. For more information, please contact Kim Poam Logan at 515-273-5100/ klpoam@iowaasianalliance.com, or visit: www.iowaasianalliance.com/ or www.admirasian.org/.
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Informatics Voted Best Web Developer in the Corridor |
Informatics Vice President Maureen Osako attributes the family-owned website development companys success and admirable reputation to its emphasis on customer service.
"We are a one-stop show," she said of the business that she and her husband and president, Frank Osako, originally opened in their home in 1998. Today, Informatics is home to 12 employees and caters to businesses seeking web design, workflow process using the Internet, database development, custom software and managed hosting.
"When people work with us they know what they are getting. There are no surprises," she said, adding, in return, "how truly grateful we are to our clients, supporters and friends in the Corridor who have helped us grow our small business over the past eight years. "
Informatics, she added, takes pride in bringing order to its projects, which spread across a number of diverse industries. The company officially went international in 2000 with the addition of a new client based in Japan. Today, Informatics serves approximately four international clients.
Christina Erb
-Corridor Business Journal
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