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Allied Consultants, Inc. (ACI) is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a contract with the State of Texas through the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) to provide Comprehensive Web Development and Management Services to Texas State, County and Local governments as well as all entities utilizing DIR contracts.
Using this contract vehicle, our clients can streamline and reduce time in procuring and contracting for web development and management services. Clients can negotiate and contract directly with Allied Consultants, Inc. for these services. The services Allied Consultants, Inc. provides under this contract vehicle include:
- Web Site Analysis
- Web Site Development
- Web Site Administration
Please see below for more information regarding these services and the easy to use and flexible procurement and contracting vehicle:
If you are interested in more information on our new services through DIR Contract No. DIR-SDD-1431, please contact us by one of the following methods.
E-mail:
Chip Sampson
Phone: (512) 236-8535 x201
Fax: (512) 236-8565
Mail:
Chip Sampson
Allied Consultants, Inc.
1304 West Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
Information regarding the DIR ICT Cooperative Contracts Program is available by selecting this link.
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1. For product and pricing information contact Chip Sampson at 512-236-8535x201.
2. Generate a purchase order, made payable to Allied Consultants, Inc. You must reference the DIR Contract Number DIR-SDD-1431 on your purchase order.
3. E-mail or Fax your purchase order and quote form to your designated vendor sales representative.
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The services Allied Consultants, Inc. provides under this contract vehicle include Web Site Analysis, Design & Development as well as Web Site Maintenance Support and Administration. Each service offering is detailed below:
Web Site Analysis, Design & Development
Overview
ACI’s breadth and depth of experience develops web solutions from a single, proven source. We are experienced systems integrators specializing in internet technologies, including custom web application development and ecommerce software development. Our history of solving complex IT issues has made us the technology partner of choice for government agencies and businesses of all sizes.
Do you need to web-enable your business processes? Are you looking to improve your existing web applications or integrate them with other systems? If so, ACI brings tremendous experience with many large and complex systems over a host of different platforms. Our team specializes in web-based software development and systems integration.
Needs Analysis / Planning
Allied Consultants, Inc. (ACI) focuses on clearly understanding our customer’s needs before entering into costly development. Our senior project managers carefully communicate at a business level with our customer, and a technical level with our internal technical consultants. Together, we make sure that the customer’s web applications are a success.
Whether it's making existing systems "talk" to each other better, building custom web applications to meet specific business needs, or modifying existing applications to improve performance or functionality, ACI consistently provides dependable results. Our team focuses on understanding our customer’s needs, and our senior project managers step the customer through our proven process to deliver their critical business functionality to the web.
Design
During design, ACI will work with the customer to identify the look and feel of the website including such items as: navigation links (such as home, about us, services, etc.) and all text and/or graphic information to be included on the site.
If the customer has any guide sites they would like us to refer to when designing their site or if they have any preference as to colors, style, etc., that information is documented in the design.
Any applications that the website must integrate with are identified and the interfaces designed. Allied has significant experience interfacing web applications with TexasOnline and the processing of electronic payments through ePay and the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. We affordably integrate ecommerce and self-service websites with the customer’s existing back-office systems and databases to take full advantage of the internet and minimize administrative costs.
After the customer has reviewed iterations of the designs and decided which one they would like to use, we will continue to make modifications to the design until the final desired look is achieved. Once the final desired look is achieved, we will create the interior page layout, convert the design to HTML, add programming, etc.
Typically we establish a private directory for the new website on a testing server so that the customer may view the website development progress at any time.
Development / Coding
All website development programming/coding to run any special features/visitor interactivity on the website is completed and tested.
Based on the final design, we create as many static or dynamic pages as needed to complete the site.
Navigation links or drop down menus, and rollover effects, if desired, are completed.
Creation of a site map page is done which includes easy one-click access to all pages of the site.
Any other required items such as a favicon, response forms, email contact forms, etc., are created and added to the site. A favicon is a small image that displays in the address bar and on the favorites menu when someone bookmarks or adds the website to their "Favorites". Using a contact form, a visitor can email the customer directly from the website without needing to open their email program. This is especially convenient if a visitor is not using their own computer when their email program is not available.
Testing
Meta Tags, Page Titles, Page Heading, Alt Image Tags, Link Text, and Page Body Text evaluation and adjustment where needed throughout the website.
The website is tested on a variety of operating systems and browsers to insure proper display and functionality.
Before the website is launched, a grammar and spell check is performed to insure there are no mistakes.
A thorough check for misdirected links and missing files is performed just prior to as well as after the launch of the website.
Any email contact forms and/or programming features included in the customer’s project are tested to confirm they are functioning as required.
Launch
All necessary website files and scripts are copied to the customer’s domain and databases are setup.
After the website is live, any interactive programming and scripts are tested to verify proper function. Since the design and testing phase often occurs on a different server, it is very important to once again verify that everything is working correctly after taking the website live.
When necessary, any documentation needed to use the administration functions of the website is developed.
Hand submission and automated search engine submission occurs after launching, testing and fixing any issues there may have been.
Methodology
ACI’s methodology is based on software development life-cycle standards, but is customized according to the size and budget of each project. Our extensive experience with software application development projects with a variety of Texas State and local government agencies has fostered priorities that makes sure:
1. cost is minimized;
2. quality is maximized;
3. communication is concise;
4. schedules are met.
Personnel
ACI employs an expert technical staff that has consistently delivered integrated, effective, and successful web solutions. Our web architects and developers are well versed in Object Oriented and J2EE standards, Microsoft .NET, Java, and industry-leading application development environments such as WebSphere and WebLogic. They have experience developing and implementing customized e-Business solutions for enforcement, grants, licensing and registration needs.
ACI’s team is proud of the company’s history with the Texas Department of Information Resources and the staff augmentation and ITSAC contract services ACI has provided for this agency since 1998.
Section 508 Compliance
ACI works with the customer to design and implement websites that comply with the State of Texas Accessibility requirements and the Internal Policy and Checklist established by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act including those specified for: Universal Design, Text-Based Design, Graphics and Images, Audio/Visual Features, and the Accessibility Assessment Questions. We understand the Accessibility Web Design Issues and Best Practices including: Web design considerations and Skip Navigation. ACI adheres to the use of accessibility testing and evaluation tools and screen readers to test for accessibility and usability. We are familiar with the various options for multimedia, audio, and video to support accessibility and usability.
Web Site Maintenance Support and Administration
Allied Consultant’s, Inc. offers Website Maintenance and Support services that complement our Website Design and Development services. Examples of these services include:
- Content Updating – update general Website content including text, images, links, Meta tags, new pages, etc.
- Add Site Features
- Email contact forms – collect visitor questions and contact information
- Drop-down menu navigation – add drop down menus for easy navigation
- Payment processing – integrate with TexasOnline and ePay
- Audio, animation, video - add special audio or video effects
- Structural Changes
- Navigation changes – add or remove buttons in the website navigation or whole sections from the site
- Rebuild and clean-up – clean-up display problems, errors, and non-standard or inefficient coding
- Design and formatting adjustments – change colors, layouts, or other elements of the website
- Flash to HML conversion
- Repairs
- Forms repairs and adjustments – add, change or repair fields, validation and other forms related elements
- Error message repair – fix error messages that appear when browsing the site, including JavaScript, PHP, ASP, HTTP and more
- Browser compatibility review - review the site in all common browsers to identify display problems and recommend solutions
- Display and formatting problems – fix broken or missing images, links or layouts
- Hosting and Domain Help - set up or transfer hosting to any provider quickly and accurately to minimize website downtime
- Search Engine
- Page optimization for search – optimize pages to increase relevant search engine traffic
- Google analytics set up – install the Analytics tracking code
- XML sitemap creation – create and install a custom site map
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Service
Description |
Total
Discount |
Admin
Fee |
Customer
Discount |
MSRP |
Customer
Price |
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1. Website Design/Development |
27% |
1.25% |
25.75% |
$100 - $200 per Hour |
$74.25 - $148.50 per Hour |
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9. Maintenance, Training, Support |
27% |
1.25% |
25.75% |
$100 - $160 per Hour |
$74.25 - $118.80 per Hour |
Warranty and Return Policies
Allied Consultants primary goal is customer satisfaction with all of the services we provide. In our nineteen years in business, Allied has been able to fulfill that promise by working collaboratively with our clients to ensure that goals and objectives are consistently met. If you as a client are not satisfied with the services provided by Allied personnel you may contact the owners of Allied directly at (512) 236-8535.
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