“First, you have the great incubator system at the ISU Research Park, and the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship,” Jacobsin said.

 “If you’re looking for examples of technology spinoffs that are succeeding and created head-of-household jobs, there’s Palisade Systems (creators of “cyber defense” products that help protect databases from unwanted intrusion), or iSEEK, (a search engine that can find data by looking at the geometric shapes in searchable databases throughout the world),” she added.

 TAI’s board of directors includes James Oliver, who leads ISU’s virtual reality applications Center and the CyberInnovation Institute.

 The Body Viz business is transforming how physicians diagnose and treat illnesses by rendering the human body electronically, she noted.

 “When you look at these successful companies, it puts a recognizable face on what the technology industry is doing in Iowa,” Jacobson said.

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Alliance Technologies, a Des Moines-based full-service information technology solutions firm, announced today the launch of cloud computing services to enable remote delivery and management of IT services related to data accessibility, storage, backup and disaster recovery.

Alliance Technologies has leveraged a newly opened data center in West Des Moines to house the cloud computing platform. Combining a state-of-the-art hosting facility with expertise in network management and server virtualization allows them to deliver services through a cloud infrastructure that can change the way businesses think about and receive their IT services. Although the data center is located in the Des Moines metro, Alliance Technologies’ cloud computing services can be used by customers throughout the United States.

One local Des Moines business has migrated their entire IT infrastructure to the Alliance Technologies cloud platform. This solution has enabled over 200 employees in 10 different office locations to essentially function as one. All workers now access, share and save all of their data and other computing resources directly from the Alliance cloud. Essential office technology, including software applications, server files and email are all accessible via their wide area network from Alliance's secure data center. With the hosted cloud infrastructure, the data center equipment, backups, heating, cooling and security are all provided ‘as a service’ by Alliance Technologies.

“One of the biggest business needs we’ve identified is centered around business continuity and disaster recovery”, said Mike Lang, CEO of Alliance Technologies. “With flooding and tornadoes, Iowa has seen its share of natural disasters. Businesses have seen first-hand the impact that an unforeseen disaster can have on their operations. Our cloud can be used to create solutions for backup and disaster recovery so businesses do not have to worry about compromising their information or experiencing long periods of downtime. Businesses can remain up and running or we can get them back up quickly with almost no time or effort on their end. Cloud computing can also keep workers connected remotely as they can access files and applications anywhere via the Internet.”

For more information about Alliance Technologies’ new cloud computing services, please contact Jason Lamping at 515-245-7682, or visit:
http://www.alliancetechnologies.net/solutions/technology/cloud-computing

Students can opt to receive messages via their computer or cell phone. Skloop is scheduled to go live at the start of the school year. It is only available to Waukee High School students. Skloop will use student identification numbers to verify users.

The club, which calls itself HyperStream, met twice a week to develop the idea and then implement it.

But it didn't do it alone. Volunteers from GeoLearning, a technology company, worked with the students to help them along the way.

The six students used their individual skills to help create Skloop.

Nick Rizzi, 17, of Urbandale, created the design of the Web page.

"I use a futuristic look with a black background," he said. "I wanted to make it user friendly. "I also showed our school spirit with the Waukee Warrior."

Jacob Richardson, 17, of Clive used a scripting language called PHP to make the site functional.

While he was familiar with the language, he said the experience expanded his abilities.

"I enjoyed working with developers like Matt (Poush), who is an expert in his field."

Poush, who works for GeoLearning, also brought the students to his company.

"We worked on the program in a professional environment," Richardson said.

Richardson will be a senior at Waukee in the fall. He said he plans to attend Iowa State to major in computer science and programming.

Chelsey Unger, 16, of Waukee thinks she will have a computer-related minor when she attends college.

Unger said she enrolled in technology classes at the urging of her mother. When teacher John Blanchard told his classes about HyperStream, she signed up.

"I've learned a lot," she said.

Marketing students have also been involved with the project. With the help of teacher Chris Guess and OnPoint Strategies, a marketing company, they are getting the word out.

Unger said she is excited for the launch.

"I like seeing it run," she said. "My peers and I worked hard on it."

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The Solar Panthers traveled to Lake Fayetteville in Fayetteville, Ark., for the 16th annual world championship of intercollegiate solar boating. The events for the competition began Wednesday, May 27, and ended Sunday, May 31.

Points are earned in seven categories, including technical inspections and reports, engineering design visual displays, workmanship and on-the-water sprint, endurance and slalom competitions. During the five days of competition, the Solar Panthers brought home four trophies, including outstanding electrical system design, a third-place finish in the best visual display, a third-place finish in the solar slalom and the overall third-place trophy.

"This year's UNI 'eBoat' design featured several modifications and improvements," according to team member Kyle Ross, a senior electrical engineering technology (EET) major from Montezuma.  "We are extremely proud to have created a variable-pitched propeller from UNI's Industrial Technology Department.  This enabled the drive train's setup to increase or decrease allowing the propeller to push more or less water per turn."  

Other improvements included a quick-change spring and endurance motor assembly, which helped make the conversion from sprint to endurance configurations easier.  "Lifting strakes," were added to help keep water away from the boat, and a "skag," used to improve turning at high speeds, was added to further improve efficiency.

The third place finish put UNI behind the champions of Cedarville University from Ohio and second place finishers, University of New Orleans.  UNI finished ahead of teams from the College of New Jersey, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Washington State University, Kansas State University, Carnegie Mellon, Geneva College, University of Southampton (U.K.), State University of New York Stony Brook and others.

"This success involved year-long design, implementation, construction, testing and troubleshooting. It was an honor to rank better than many very prestigious universities and engineering colleges, including the University of Arkansas' College of Engineering, the host of the competition.  I am proud of my Solar Panthers," said Reg Pecen, UNI associate professor of industrial technology and faculty adviser of the Solar Panthers.  

Along with Ross, members of the 2009 Solar Panthers included team leader Douglas Bechthold, a senior EET major from La Porte City; Paul Johnson, a sophomore EET major from Osage; Ben Kambach, a senior EET major from Sioux City; Damon Knowling, a senior EET major from Coralville; Hannah Loan, a junior EET major from Iowa City; Jorunn Musil, a graphic design major from Ely; and Tony Wagner, a senior technology education and training teaching major from Bellevue.

The UNI solar electric boat project is funded by an Iowa Energy Center grant, and partially sponsored by BP Solar; Solid Works; John Deere Waterloo Works; Bechthold Enterprises; Mike Boomer, former team leader and John Deere engineer; and supported by the UNI Department of Industrial Technology, Office of the Provost, College of Natural Sciences Dean's Office, and the Iowa Space Grant Consortium at UNI.

For more information about UNI's solar electric boat team, contact Pecen at (319) 273-2598, r.pecen@uni.edu or visit www.cns.uni.edu/eboat.  For more information about Solar Splash, visit www.solarsplash.com.

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The EDC is a private/public-sponsored organization established in 2003. CEO Curt Nelson said they work with new and existing businesses mostly in Johnson, Linn and adjacent counties.

"Everything has to start somewhere, and the EDC is about fostering ideas," Downer said. "The efforts that the EDC has launched are vital if the technology corridor is going to reach its potential."

The event dubbed "Informational Breakfast Regarding Entrepreneurs and Local Economy" was held at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

Mason said that through technology transfer and finding commercial applications for research, UI could continue to help the EDC make businesses grow.

She said that transferring what's learned in the research lab to the marketplace generates economic development.

Since 2007, when Google said it was coming to Council Bluffs, technology giants like Microsoft and IBM have announced they would set up operations in Iowa.

Microsoft in January put on hold plans for a $550 million data center in West Des Moines, citing a deteriorating economy. IBM is expected to move ahead with creating 1,300 jobs in Dubuque in a high-tech support center.

Gov. Chet Culver said Tuesday he feels confident Microsoft will move ahead once the economy begins rebounding. "They've always said it's not a question of if, but when," said Culver, who met with leaders of the Redmond, Wash., software giant in March.

Culver said he expects to attract smaller data centers in Iowa after state leaders agreed this month to provide smaller companies with sales tax refunds for equipment and electricity that had been provided to Google and Microsoft.

"I think we're taking a number of big steps forward," said Culver, also noting that the state is adding high-tech wind- and renewable-energy jobs. "Half the battle is making a name for yourself as a state that's open and interested in IT and renewable energy."

Hanafan said technology companies will find Iowa attractive for the same reasons as Google: abundant, inexpensive energy, available land and water, good fiber-optic networks and skilled workers.

Hanafan is optimistic that Google will expand beyond the facility's 60 acres. It owns an additional 1,180 acres nearby. "It has an opportunity to be much larger," he said.

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Competition in the IT Olympics can be in three categories: Cyber Defense, Robotics and Gaming Design. This was the third year of competition for the Newton team in Ames. In the previous years, the team competed in Cyber Defense, but this year a Robotics team also competed, and they took home a second place trophy, competing against 23 other teams from across Iowa.

On April 20 and 21, the students took part in 10 competitions each day, including real-time challenges, in which they had three to four hours to build a robotic program. Another program required solving logic problems.

In the cyber defense portion of the competition, team members were required to construct a Web site and protect the information on it from Internet attacks. The students set up their own cyber security lab at their high school, a simulated corporate environment with all required services, such as e-mail, Web and programming, as well as having end-users and an Internet connection. Their competition networks fall under attack by graduate students and IT professionals.

In addition, the students were required to perform a community service project at their school, and the students chose to turn the tables on their instructors, teaching them a number of IT programs. They taught the Newton High School teachers how to use Google Earth, how to create an I-Tunes podcast, embedding You Tube videos into Power Point presentations, and to create their own ning Websites. The Newton team was awarded third place for their community service project, out of 40 teams.

The robotics team’s instructor, Jody Morgan-Peters said she would use her new-found knowledge to create a Web site to allow students to catch up on classroom instruction they may have missed.

Although this year the Robotics team received no outside mentoring, next year the plan is to have mentors from Iowa Telecom. Morgan-Peters said she hoped to have enough students in the club to compete in all three divisions of the IT Olympics.

“They practice after school, and these are all busy kids,” Morgan-Peters said. “Finding time is really difficult.” But, she said it was rewarding working with the intelligent students who are really interested and want a challenge.

“They really have to think and to solve problems,” she said. “Iowa State University wants students to think about IT as a career, and they are trying to dispel the idea that it’s only the nerdy kids.”

ISU also is trying to encourage more girls to get involved in engineering programs; in short, to lose the stereotypes associated with IT, robotics and engineering.

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Skills needed to break into the video gaming industry: By far, the two most important things are passion and discipline. These two things will lead you to create, and creating is hard work. By creating, you’ll gain skills, and over time your creations will get better and you’ll develop a good portfolio. That portfolio will get you into the game industry. It’s really as simple as that.

In terms of education, I think it’s best to gain education in a fundamental field, like computer science or art, and trust that it will be applicable to games (it will). And then, on the side, make games and teach yourself about issues specific to game development using the Internet. If you can, use a couple class projects in your later years to learn about game development. Think of general education this way: it’s hard to teach yourself math, but it’s easy to teach yourself how to apply it to 3D graphics. It’s hard to teach yourself art history, but it’s easy to teach yourself how to apply it to art content in a game environment.

Lastly, and most importantly, the best thing you can do to learn about game development is to make a small game from start to finish. Start by copying an existing small game, and later move on to create a small game based on an original idea you have. Remember, keep it small at first.

Why I do what I do: Video games have the potential to progress beyond entertainment and become a predominant art form in our culture due to their ability to engage peoples’ minds and emotions directly through interactivity. I believe it is my purpose in life to explore this potential through a more spiritual game experience.

Why I combined my faith with creating video games: I think it’s human nature to create things that we’re passionate about. I’m passionate about my faith and about creating games, so it makes sense to combine them. In addition, I’ve yet to see a Christian game that is both tasteful and meaningful. I want to prove that it’s possible to create that kind of game. Those kinds of games will be based on visions I get when I experience God.

What I do to get away from work: Worship, spend time with my wife, travel, participate in artistic and cultural events in Des Moines, cook, go to the farmer’s market and read.

How I give back to the community: I enjoy volunteering at church either as a visual artist or a helping hand, and I help refugee families through the Circle of Friends program. With the other members of Intuition, I help organize a regular game jam, TIGJam Midwest, where the local developers get together and try to make games in a weekend.

Words to live by: Love one another.

One thing I would change about the Des Moines area: Less suburbia. Well-executed urbanism fosters community, creates meaningful spaces and leaves room for nature. Suburban sprawl seems to segment life and promote convenience at the expense of well-being, small business and nature.

What Iowa can do to attract more people like me: Being 43rd in arts funding per capita does not attract people like me. Whether it’s the government or the wealthy class, focus more on artistic and cultural development. Interesting jobs and innovative ideas are born in environments rich in culture. For me, that place is only the Internet, but I’d rather it include Iowa. My last hope is the creative class in Des Moines, but without support, this class will wither. Lastly, providing tax credits for games like those for film will attract more game companies.

Importance of art vs technology in games: In terms of games as a whole, the artistic and design aspect of them is definitely the most important. Technology is easy to learn, which is why so many games these days have advanced technology. What’s hard to do is to express a deep artistic concept or a brand new idea through a game, which is why so few games these days are expressive or completely new. In fact, I’m starting a book project that tries to raise awareness of the few game developers that are doing this. They need our support so that we’ll see more games than just another Halo or Call of Duty.

My leadership philosophy: Lead by serving. Build up, don't put down. Don't be afraid to fail.

If I could do something else: It has been my experience that I can do whatever I enjoy doing, provided I am content with the lifestyle it requires. Sometimes I wish I could be an accomplished musician without doing the hard work to get there, but I’ve become content with letting others be that and supporting them instead.

If you want to contact me: E-mail me godatplay@gmail.com; follow on Twitter: @godatplay; read my blog at www.godatplay.com or call me at (515) 708-2257.

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- Iowa had 76,856 jobs in tech-related industries such as manufacturing, information, research and development, and professional, among others. They earned $3.9 billion in 2007. Those jobs accounted for about 5.6 percent of total compensation and 3.8 percent of total employment in the state.

- Workers in tech-dependent industries earned an average of $50,779 annually, 48 percent more than the state norm for all jobs.

"Iowa's technology industry is a vital part of not only our state's economy but also our competitiveness as a state to lure more attractive jobs and businesses within the market," said Leann Jacobson, president of the Technology Association of Iowa, an industry group.

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DES MOINES, Iowa - (May 14, 2009) – The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) has released a report that examines the role of Iowa’s technology industry in the state economy. The report, titled “Estimating the Economic Impact of Iowa’s Technology Industries” was commissioned by the Technology Association of Iowa and written byIowa State University economics professor, Dr. David Swenson. The report analyzes the contributions of the Iowa technology industry in two ways. One analysis is of the characteristics of Iowa’s tech firms, including job compensation, number of jobs, and industrial output. The other analysis includes how tech employee compensation is spent, stimulating the Iowa economy and supporting jobs.
“The report reinforces what we at TAI have known all along – Iowa’s technology industry is a vital part of not only our state’s economy but also our competitiveness as a state to lure more attractive jobs and businesses within the market,” said Leann Jacobson, president of the Technology Association of Iowa.
Key findings from the report include:

• Jobs at technology firms on average pay $50,779, 48% more than the overall state norm for all jobs.
  
• The industry generated $6.27 billion in value added (or gross domestic product) in 2007.
  
• Technology firms represent 3.8% of the state’s jobs and 5.6% of employee wages.
  
• Iowa’s technology firms, either directly or indirectly, support 156,641 jobs earning $6.3 billion in employee compensation.  The industry accounts for $10,696 billion (8.8%) of the state’s value added, or GDP.  
  
• Iowa technology workers in all firms – both technology and non-technology industries – total 54,750 jobs.  These workers support 26,471 additional jobs in the state earning $717.6 million worth of employee compensation and $1.4 billion of state’s value added.
  

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Accounting Technology is a trade magazine addressing the use of technology within accounting while also providing up-to-date information on technology services and products.  

RSM McGladrey’s Technology Business Solutions practice has provided implementations for financial management solutions for over 20 years in a variety of industries, including healthcare, not-for-profit, distribution, financial services and public sector with over 2,000 clients across the country. Considered one of the largest VARs and ranked among the nation’s top implementers, RSM McGladrey consultants come from diverse backgrounds as accountants, controllers, IT professionals and other positions within the industry and possess an understanding of the challenges facing growing businesses.

“RSM McGladrey offers businesses a tailored approach through deep industry experience by handpicked professionals who bring strong industry experience and the technical skills reflective of their needs,” said Gordon Opland, managing director of RSM McGladrey’s Technology Business Consulting practice in the Central Plains region. “We believe the appropriate alignment of technology, processes and people can yield measurable results and provide significant value to emerging businesses.”

RSM McGladrey is recognized as a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, a member of Microsoft’s Inner Circle and President’s Club, and by Accounting Technology as a 2009 Technology Pacesetter.

About RSM McGladrey
RSM McGladrey is a leading professional services firm providing accounting, tax and business consulting. RSM McGladrey operates in an alternative practice structure with McGladrey & Pullen LLP, a partner-owned CPA firm that delivers audit and attest services. Through separate and independent legal entities, they work together to serve clients’ business needs. Together, the companies rank as the fifth largest U.S. provider of accounting, tax and business consulting services (source: Accounting Today), with 8,000 professionals and associates in nearly 100 offices. RSM McGladrey Inc. and McGladrey & Pullen LLP are member firms of RSM International, an affiliation of independent accounting and consulting firms. RSM McGladrey is the official accounting, tax and business consulting firm of The PGA of America.

Jacobson says, "The robotics competition is sumo wrestling and they each come with a sumo-wrestling robot and they place the robots on the mat, start 'em up and they have to find their opponent and try to push them off the mat."

The students are also showing off their gaming designs as they've created entertaining, educational games that teach science and math to middle schoolers. Jacobson says the most popular event during the two-day I-T Olympics involves internet security, as the students are setting up servers and tweaking their electronic firewalls to fend off hackers.

The cyber defense competition has the kids very excited, he says, as it's a very fast-growing field that gets a lot of media attention due to new attacks, viruses and worms that can strike a company or the country. Jacobson says the kids thrive on the competition and trying to best other teams from around the state, but he admits there's an underlying motive in the contest.

"During the Olympics, we'll have companies there that'll be able to talk to the kids about potential careers," Jacobson says. "We'll have people from universities and community colleges to talk to them about the educational path that they would take and the whole goal is to get more kids interested in I-T and eventually into the I-T workforce."

Competition in all three events runs today from noon to 8 P.M. and tomorrow 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. at I.S.U.'s Hilton Coliseum.

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Millions of laid-off workers are being forced to make tough decisions about their futures. Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost more than 5 million jobs. In March, U.S. employers cut 663,000 jobs.

Pursuing a new career — even one that pays less — can be an easy call for people whose old jobs have disappeared, forcing them to re-evaluate their version of the American dream.

Boge, 30, who has two sons, is studying at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) here. She's willing to trade the bigger paycheck that came from working 10 or more hours of overtime at the factory every week for a 40-hour-a-week job that doesn't require her to work overnight shifts or worry about the next round of layoffs.

She plans to become a physical therapy assistant, Boge says, "because anything in the medical field is pretty safe right now."

Federal and state tuition aid for displaced workers entering college and vocational programs can make returning to school an appealing option: Students often can continue to collect unemployment benefits. Boge gets financial aid that covers most of her school costs and receives unemployment benefits as long as she's enrolled.

The $787 billion economic stimulus bill signed in February by President Obama includes $1.7 billion for adult employment services, including training, according to the Department of Labor.

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