Can anyone give me opinions on my corporate branding?

Hello,





I'm in the process of establishing a software-based research firm whose target market mainly consists of corporate clients. I'm having a design company create my corporate branding and identity. The initial concepts are of the letterhead and business card. There are elements I like of with all.





*Set 1: I like the 1st in that it adds an accent color to my image. Between my logo and current colors of my site, it's heavily blue and heavily gray. So, I think the goldish color adds a unique touch that can make me more easily identifiable. BUT, I'm unsure if it's too bold? Will it take away from my professional image w/ corporate clients?


*Set 2: This set seems more traditional and corporate-friendly. It incorporates my grays well and such, and seems to be a safer bet.


*Set 3: This is a very clean, minimalist look that also seems to be a safe bet.





I'm no marketing or art expert, so can anyone shed some opinions? Also, feel free to give ideas on how to improve upon these.





Thanks!





http://img205.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bizandletterhead1ix4.jpg


http://img145.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bizandletterhead2hx1.jpg


http://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bizandletterhead3my4.jpg|||If this is all you have, the first one is more appealing. It's got a corporate look, but it's got a little "punch" to it -- with the bright orange. It's NOT too bold for a corporate look. In fact, it makes you stand out from the crowd. It WON'T take away from your corporate image at all.





Suggestion: Take the color bars on the letterhead and pull them all the way up, bleeding off the top -- it'll give it a stronger appearance. Right now, I think it's too weak. If you're going for corporate, go strong and embrace the "punch" of the orange!!





2 and 3 are too dull. 3 reminds me of an airline.|||I don't think any of the images work. The logo against the background in the center is interesting, but it is also too similar to a lot of other logos out there.





The blurs don't mean anything. If that was done to protect who you are/your company name from the competition, it takes away from being able to judge anything about these images. My general response is BORING BORING BORING. I can't tell how things are actually set up, and the blue bars in the last one are just dated and uninteresting. It's not too bold, it just looks bland and unbalanced and boring.





Sorry.|||They're all pretty much the same.





Get the guys who are doing this for you to come back to you with at least three different approaches, three completely separate ways in.





Then you can give them a better steer as to what works for you. At the moment they have given you no choice at all. There is no identity here. The blurs all make the viewer feel confused. A blur might be fine, so long as something solid sits on top of it.





Send them back to the drawing board! Once they have provided three approaches you can select one, and get them to work that route up, again coming back to you with three ways in.





Then you'll be back in control.