Locus Technologies introduces On-Demand billing model for its environmental software

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 12 May 2005 — Locus Technologies, the industry leader in environmental information management, announced today a new “On-demand” pricing model for its popular analytical data management software (EIM™). This is the first truly on-demand solution for the environmental industry, allowing clients to pay for environmental software, much like one would pay for electricity. Up until now, the most common means for procuring software was to buy a shrink-wrapped product or develop an in-house proprietary system. Both of these approaches are expensive and usually require the involvement of IT departments to administer the system and apply upgrades and bug fixes. The Locus way negates the need for such work and, instead, allows users to access their data and any needed software over the web. Clients pay for only what they use, typically on a per-record basis.

Locus’s on-demand model is an innovative, low-risk, and flexible solution for laboratories, consultants, regulatory agencies, and clients. With little up-front investment, clients can rid themselves of the headaches of administering their own systems and begin using EIM’s versatile and proven set of tools to manage and view their data, typically within 24 hours from placing an order. These tools, which include a flexible and powerful data loader and state-of-the-art data visualization and charting modules, have won widespread praise from engineers, geologists, managers, chemists, and other environmental professionals.

In the software industry, the “on-demand” movement is beginning to take root in an ever growing number of fields as companies move away from expensive, customized products that they own and manage toward standardized, componentized, and lower-cost services that are obtained from an external provider. In the Locus On-demand model, customers can use the On-demand service for one site or all sites in their portfolio. The customer decides how much, what they need, and how much they pay.

Locus’s President and CEO, Dr. Neno Duplancic, said, “The appeal of the model to our customers stems from a combination of cost savings, convenience, ease of use, and simply better data management practices. Customers also benefit from a rolling upgrade program; standardization of data management practices across sites, divisions, and consultants; the ability to query across many sites; and ultimately, ownership of their own data. We are particularly excited about this business model and our ability to serve the consultant sector of the environmental industry. Consulting firms will be able to directly identify data management costs on a per-site and by-use basis. This will allow them to parse these line item costs back to a project at a very cost-effective price.”