Logo/Identity Design for Start-up "Cloud" Consulting Firm

Cirrus Consulting Group

Cirrus Consulting Group ("Cirrus CG") is a start-up software company and consulting firm specializing in three things:

1. Bringing new SaaS (software-as-a-service/Cloud) products to market: offering product strategy and development services to our clients
2. Building a suite of SaaS products under the "Cirrus CG" brand.
3. Technology consulting services around improving productivity by extending and customizing salesforce CRM functionality.

"Cirrus" is a type of cloud: the high-altitude "wispy," sheet-like clouds. It's said that they indicate a "change in the weather" - obvious future tie ins to a potential slogan about organizational change, etc...

Our company is almost entirely focused on the salesforce.com platform and the Google platform.

We are a small (2 people) firm based in Southern California, but expecting to expand to 4-8 people with a core group of professional consultants within 18 months. We're local, personable, and accessible, but as professional and competent -- if not more so -- than the Deloitte's and Accenture's of the world, and our identity needs to reflect that. Our domain name is "cirruscg.com".

Our company is almost entirely focused on the salesforce.com platform and the Google platform. Most of the companies using Salesforce and Google Apps are Small-to-Midsize companies - and that's the audience that our traditional CRM consulting services cater to. Likewise for the applications we're developing; the apps are offered on the Salesforce AppExchange (http://www.appexchange.com) and the Google Apps Marketplace.

The product strategy and development consulting services are focussed primarily on small ($1MM - $10MM) and mid-sized ($10MM - $50MM) software companies who are looking to reach the Salesforce and/or Google marketplace with new products. These products are often extensions to existing off-Cloud product lines that will benefit from close integration to a customer's CRM system.

Format Requirements:
Our apps are going to be listed on the AppExchange in a listing format, and there will be several under our brand. So the logo needs to have multiple formats or looks: (1) a full logo for the website with the name of the company, and (2) an icon-like format that is recognizable.

The logo will be in use on: (1) website, (2) business cards, (3) *printed* product sheets, (3) application listings, (4) company letterhead, etc.

Design Requirements/Direction:
* Play off of the "cirrus"/cloud idea. I know cirrus clouds are not commonly known as such, and that graphically it doesn't connote a "cloud" if interpretted literally. It doesn't have to be literal.
* Colors: blues, greys, etc.
* White background to simplify print, etc
* The full name of the company should be incorporated somewhere
* As mentioned above, a stand-alone "icon" should be able to be pulled out of this and render "well" at smaller sizes like 60x60.

I want to convey a professional, but not overly-stuffy feeling.

I've seen some great logos come out of 99designs designers and I'm really excited to see what you come up with!! Thank you!