Each week The Daily Iowan will provide an in-depth look at one Iowa City business.

In its new office building of less than a year, MetaCommunications has brought new eyes to the city.

The roughly 20-year-old company is able to display a live stream view of downtown Iowa City, allowing people to go to its website at anytime and view a 360-degree view of the city.

MetaCommunications is a marketing, brand-managing, and creative-design business, located on the Pedestrian Mall. The company develops and sells programs that help create and organize design projects.

“The tools we create are a collection of software products that help make creative teams more productive,” said Brian Miller, the director of Internet coordinating. “People use software in creative departments to manage design projects.”

The company of around 50 workers is headquartered in Iowa City, although its programs reach out to customers worldwide, Miller said.

The only other organized MetaCommunications location is a small office in Russia, which helps develop work.

“Generally, a creative design department within an organization would buy [our products] and their workforce would use it,” he said.

The programs MetaCommunications sells organize data for companies that help them save time on projects, Miller said. Prices range depending on how many workers will be using the program and for how long.

MetaCommunications has more than 1,000 business customers, including those from Bath & Body Works, Staples, Sony, and USA Today.

The company has been in Iowa City since it began business in 1991. In 1997, the firm became devoted to a commercial software development business full-time.

However, in the past two years, the company has grown by buyers and workers.

Earlier this summer, the company moved to a few floors at 110 S. Dubuque St., a building owned by Marc Moen. Also in the building is Buzz Salon and residential units.

“What happens on the commercial levels of a mixed-use building has a major impact on the ‘feel and energy’ of a building and greatly affects the living experience on the residential levels of the building,” Moen said. “We strive to bring a mix of uses that are high energy and visually appealing. We hit the jackpot with MetaCommunications.”

Iowa City Area Development President Mark Nolte agrees that the company brings a positive aspect to the community.

“[MetaCommunications] creates more retail and service jobs in our local economy,” he said. “Our economy has been remarkable, and it has continued to grow because of companies like Meta … they’re the kind of business we want locally.”