As the Internet marketspace is getting crowded so is the area of firms who want to help. You may have heard about the Downtown Alliance, the NYC Economic Development Corporation and all the various venture groups who help find funding and provide other assistance for technology firms. But there's another organization that's offering assistance that has many services beyond what you could imagine.
It's ITAC! The Internet Technology Assistance Corporation and their mission is to promote and help NYC's technology and manufacturing firms grow and be successful. Octopus-like ITAC has many arms of interest and specialties for consulting, resource development and technical development for firms in information technology, biotech, environmental science and new media.
I spent Wednesday morning, July 7th, at ITAC's offices on lower Broadway and over a fresh-brewed cup of strong coffee, spoke with Technology Commercialization Services program director, Ben Segal. Ben is one of over thirty seasoned professionals, engineers and professors who make up the talented staff.
Ben filled me in on ITAC's offerings (quick list follows). We also talked about the growth of the industry in Silicon Alley, which Ben, like Jim Ledbetter of "The Industry Standard" can't stand the diminuation of our new media geography. How 'bout something with a bit more bravado like Silicon Canyon? With all the skyscrapers around, sometimes you do feel a bit like you're in the bottom of a canyon, and all those car commercials have shots of the cavernous Wall Street area. Although I have a feeling that a certain area in Northern Arizona might want to claim Silicon Canyon--unless they're already Silicon Desert.
ITAC's offerings:
* Assessment: quickview, performance, site, focused
* Marketing & Planning: research, planning, execution, sales, product development
* Computer applications program: unbiased info on choosing and using information technology
* Environmental management: helping you solve waste and pollution problems
* Workforce development services: find the exact person you need for a fraction of the cost!
* Continuous quality improvement: learn how to use tools that depend on management commitment & guidance, not capital
* Relocation support
* Business management
ITAC also began a technology policy project, which will be developing a strategy for public and private initiatives to improve the biz environment for tech firms in NYC.
Want $100,000 for six months of R&D? How 'bout $750,000 for a 2-year project? Apply to the NYState Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program! Get the "Strategies for Winning Awards" booklet from ITAC by emailing bsegal@itac.org.
Ben proudly told me how the Small Business Administration recently voted ITAC the Number 1 Resource for information on Y2K issues, so order your CD and kit from them today! Stay tuned for an ITAC TechNYC newsletter, calendar and whole new brand-spangled identity.
A chronicle of the people and events in technology, internet and media since 1997, mixed in with snapshots of musings and observations.
