Rexburg businesses make the Internet commerce work for them

by Bonnie McDonald
Scroll Staff

Bruce Eckman, president of ICServ.net, stands with his business’ server in Rexburg. Brian Passey / Scroll

ICServ Incorporated, a Rexburg company, creates and markets web-design tools and software, as well as Web site development and maintenance services.

“We try to help people. We provide training for them that they need to have to be successful. We’ve got companies across the country who are doing phenomenally well,” ICServ President Bruce Eckman said.

ICServ began as an advertising firm, then started building Web sites for various companies across the world in 1986. The company had customers in Italy, Portugal, India and England. Now they have 3,000 customers across the country.

“What we’re doing is a very, very hot market. We’ve always been a profitable company,” Eckman said.

Because of ICServ’s success, Eckman has received several offers to sell the company or relocate outside Rexburg. However, because ICServ employs Ricks College students and members of the community, it will remain a Rexburg company.

“We’re dedicated to Rexburg. We want to provide technology jobs to Rexburg. We want to stay here,” Eckman said.

ICServ has created three main Web sites to accommodate their business. ICServ.net is the corporate Web site that explains the company and the software and services they offer.

Rexburgonline.com “is the first model site using all the tools we offer,” Eckman said. This site is made for the community of Rexburg. Patrons can check entertainment venues, local businesses, movies and weather.

The newest addition to ICServ is ezonlinesolutions.com, the retail site where customers can purchase internet software wholesale, view sample sites and sign up for Web-design services. The company is having a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at 310 N. 2nd E. Suite 110.

To promote rexburgonline.com, another Internet company, onbravo.com, recently moved to Rexburg. “We want to make rexburgonline a household name,” Kevin Santiago, onbravo.com president, said.

Onbravo.com will provide wireless Internet access with 256K to T1 connection speeds. They will also be offering classes and training for research and genealogy online, as well as how to be more productive online.

Santiago chose to open an office in Rexburg because they “wanted to find a city in need of technology that has the high-tech mindset that comes with a college or university.” He also said Rexburg has the right kind of demographics and not very many Internet users in the area.

Another Rexburg company is using the Web to create business.

Imaginality Productions, found at imaginpro.com, specializes in Internet Web site development and multimedia and video production, but has emphasized Web site development lately. Lynn Tietjen, president of Imaginality Productions, said the company focuses on advanced, database-driven sites, developing secure online ordering and product-browsing systems.

Imaginality Productions has created sites for Bannock County Region and Madison Memorial Hospitals, parts of INEEL, several area apartment complexes, Beehive Credit Union and many other area businesses, as well as many international businesses and government agencies.

The sites created by Imaginality are easy to maintain and design, according to Tietjen. “We try to specialize in high quality products ... And people like that,” he said.

Imaginpro.com began because, as Tietjen said, “I’ve always had the dream to start a business that has to do with computers and multimedia. I wanted to make a local Web site for the local community, so I created surfidaho.com. When people saw what we could do with our Surf Idaho skills, they came to us. We didn’t even advertise.” This site still offers a variety of options from local entertainment, news and weather, to phone directories and calendars. Tietjen said it is the first and most advanced shopping site in the area.

Aside from Web-design and software services, another Internet business is capitalizing on e-commerce.

Igoshopping.com, an Internet mall based in St. Anthony, offers links to a variety of sites including real estate, music, art, drama and other miscellaneous retail sites.

Daris Howard, co-president of igoshopping.com created dramasource.com, one of the links, to promote “scripts and music with G-rated content,” according to the site. They also provide a service people can subscribe to and have uplifting and humorous stories sent to their e-mail accounts.

Igoshopping.com also includes cookiesforcollege.com, an online service through Broulim’s grocery store in Rexburg, where customers can order online or call on the telephone to order from a selection of cakes and cookies. The items will then be delivered anywhere in Rexburg and surrounding areas including St. Anthony, Rigby and Ririe. It was designed specifically for Ricks College students but is accessible to anyone.

Igoshopping.com has also contracted with a Virginia Web-hosting company to buy domain names and sell them from their site for $10 per month; it includes 200 MG sites with 1,000 email addresses. They also offer discounted domain names.

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