TECH2001 Opportunity clicks amid slump

THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN
Area companies showed off their high-tech abilities at a technology trade show.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
LIBERTY -- Local companies that provide Internet access and computer services say they are still growing despite the crashing of many dot.com companies.
"What's happening on Wall Street doesn't affect us," said George Wittenauer, president of Internet Data Management of Poland.
Business use of the Internet is growing rapidly and will continue to grow, even among small businesses. Even pizza shops in the future will rely on the Internet for accepting orders and distributing coupons, and delis will use e-mail instead of fax to send menus to other businesses, he said.
IDM attended TECH2001 Wednesday at the Holiday Inn MetroPlex to demonstrate how it can help these businesses.
About 35 area businesses had displays, including cellular-phone, computer and Internet-access companies. The Technology Leadership Council and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce were hosts of the show.
Expansion: Wittenauer said IDM has 250 customers even though it is just 3 years old. He said he expects IDM to grow from five employees to 15 employees within a couple of years.
IDM provides Web design and hosting services as well as connection services. It recently began offering high-speed DSL and wireless connections to the Internet for businesses.
Wittenauer said he expects DSL to provide between a third and a half of the company's total revenues soon. DSL uses advanced technology to provide high-speed connections over standard phone lines.
Wittenauer also is president of Physicians Data Management of Boardman, which has been managing data for the health-care industry for 18 years. That company has 15 employees.
Value of show: Ralph Zerbonia, general manager of Cboss Community Network, said the technology showcase is an opportunity for new business. Signing up one new client who needs an expensive software application can make the show worthwhile, he said.
Cboss' business services are growing rapidly, he said. Four years ago, about 80 percent of the company's revenues were from providing standard Internet access, and the rest were from business services. Now, those percentages are reversed, Zerbonia said.
The Internet access revenues have quadrupled in that time, but business services have grown even faster, he said. The company used to have two programmers; now it has 22. It has 30 total employees.
Zerbonia said a slow economy is good for Cboss' business. Companies are looking to cut costs, and computer systems can help them do that, he said.
"Just about everything you do on paper can be done on the Web," said Dave Wilkeson, Cboss system master.
Making connections: Jasen Diley, director of human resources of Dynatek Telecommunication Services, said his company wasn't looking for local customers at the show but felt setting up a booth was important. Being at the show helps Dynatek network with other companies, learn about new ideas and recruit employees, he said.
The Liberty-based company, which has 200 employees, designs and builds towers, networks, and radio and base stations all over the country to form the infrastructure for cellular, Internet and wireless communication.