SBJ Buzz

Springfield Business Web gives free listings

Flo Williams, of the city of Springfield's Workforce Development Department a.k.a. Job Council of the Ozarks has launched her own Web site providing free listings of area business's Internet addresses.

The Web site, at spfldbuswebdir. tripod.com, is a personal project, Williams said, but one that grew out of her work.

"As I tried to help area job seekers research local companies, the lack of a centrally located source for business Web site addresses made it difficult for our clients to find the Internet homes of companies they wanted to pursue," Williams said in a press release.

She started out by creating a handout with all the Web addresses she could find, but after starting Web design classes, she decided to create a site that would link job seekers with local companies' home pages.

When she started the project in October 1999, she had 650 businesses listed; now there are more than 1,000.

As a result, site maintenance is becoming more of a burden than a spare time pursuit, so Williams is hoping to get a grant to finance updating services.

About 30 different industry groups are represented on the site, which Williams said averages 35 to 100 hits a day.

Gabriel, Solutech form WebBizApps LLC

Gabriel Communications Inc., a facilities based integrated communications and applications services provider, and Solutech Inc., an e-business solutions provider, have formed a joint venture known as WebBizApps LLC, designed to allow customers to outsource information technology administrative functions with access to the latest software.

Through WebBizApps, businesses can lease commonly used business applications over the Internet. Associated management reports, charts and features for employee time and expense reporting, employee database management, company internal and external communications, project tracking, fixed asset accounting and templates for creating brochure marketing Web sites are available.

Gabriel uses Tachion Networks' Fusion 5000 voice and data broadband central office platform, which fully integrates four essential networking technologies in a single platform: switching, routing, transport and signaling.

West Plains enhanced tech center dedicated

Gov. Mel Carnahan was on hand recently for the dedication of the new Michael J. Lybyer Enhanced Technology Center in West Plains, according to a release from Carnahan's office.

The $4.3 million facility, part of SMSU's West Plains campus, houses the university's technology degree programs and the Center for Business and Industry Training. The center was named for former state Sen. Mike Lybyer in honor of his work to establish the facility and his support of higher education in Missouri.

Carnahan signed legislation appropriating funds for the technology center in 1996. The 44,000-square-foot facility houses classrooms, technical laboratories and computer centers, including a 54-station computer lab. The project also includes a mobile training lab for onsite training programs at area industries.

"Advanced technology has become crucial to many industries in our state," Carnahan said. "The opportunity to obtain high-tech education and experience will help students prepare for successful careers with those companies. That will benefit both employers and employees."

Students began classes at the Michael J. Lybyer Enhanced Technical Center in February.

Advanced Wireless holds ribbon cutting

Advanced Wireless, the latest venture of Radiophone Engineering, held a ribbon cutting with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce May 25 at 1550-K E. Battlefield Road.

Advanced Wireless is a retail operation specializing in cellular technology. It offers Nextel and AT&T Wireless products and employs four full-time sales consultants and one part-time administrative clerk.

Radiophone Engineering is a Motorola sales and service center.

E-commerce conference set for June 23

On June 23, 2000, the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Small Business Administration will address eBusiness for Small Business in a day-long conference in Washington, D.C., according to the Department of Commerce Web site, www.doc.gov.

The objective of the conference, according to the department, is to provide small business owners with the information necessary to assess the impact of electronic commerce on their industries. Other objectives are to help develop a strategic framework for participating in the new digital economy and to provide a selection of resources available to help small business owners evaluate potential solutions.

Dot-com creates jobs for downtown St. Louis

Downtown St. Louis got a shot in the arm with the May 22 announcement that PeopleSupport, a Web-based company from Los Angeles.

The new operation will locate its domestic headquarters in the long-vacant building at 555 Washington Ave., creating at least 450 new jobs.

The location of PeopleSupport's headquarters in the downtown area was the result of a collaborative effort between the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Downtown Saint Louis Partnership Inc., the St. Louis Development Corporation and the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association.

The Missouri DED has offered more than $500,000 through the Community Colleges New Jobs Training Program to help PeopleSupport train the hundreds of new employees it will need.

"The St. Louis region continues to emerge as a center of information technology, which helps to draw companies and create more jobs in the area," said Joseph L. Driskill, DED director, in the release. "I am pleased that we could work in partnership with so many St. Louis-area agencies to bring new investment and hundreds of jobs into the downtown area." he added.