Environmental Business Journal Recognizes Locus Technologies for Achievements in Growth and Sustainability Offerings

Locus Technologies will be honored at the Environmental Industry Summit IX Hotel Del Coronado, Calif., March 9, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 22 February 2011  — Environmental Business Journal (EBJ), a business research publication that provides strategic business intelligence for the environmental industry, announced the winners of its 2010 Business Achievement awards.

Locus Technologies is pleased to announce that it was chosen to receive the EBJ award for business achievement among IT companies.

“Although 2010 was a difficult year, there was some noteworthy business activity in the environmental industry in 2010,” said Grant Ferrier, president of Environmental Business International Inc. (EBI), who singled out renewable energy development, environmental information technology, remediation, and mergers and acquisitions as growth areas.

The journal announced the winners in a recent issue, and representatives of the winning companies will be recognized during a special ceremony at EBI’s upcoming Environmental Industry Summit IX in Coronado, Calif., on March 9, 2011.

Locus Technologies was recognized for introducing several product enhancements and adding new clients in 2010. Over the past year, many of the firm’s Environmental Information Management (EIM) customers expanded their deployments of Locus into operations data management, using strategic business intelligence tools to maintain environmental compliance, manage organizational change, track sustainability, and respond to upcoming environmental requirements, including GHG reporting and resource management. To meet this demand, last year Locus rolled out an upgraded ePortal computing platform and added enhanced compliance, resource management, and air modules.

The firm signed multiple new customers in the nuclear (Exelon and Southern California Edison) and fossil-fuel power generation sectors, and increased its ePortal compliance platform use by 400 percent. Locus also added over 30 new customers for GHG services, including companies such as Ameresco, Stanford University, General Chemical, Lehigh Cement, United Airlines, and U.S. Pipe & Foundry.

In November, Locus’ water footprint and spatial analysis capability was recognized by software industry research analyst Gartner, and in December Locus obtained a second layer of SAS70 certification for its cloud computing operations.

To read about the EBJ awards.

 

ABOUT EBI
Founded in 1988, Environmental Business International Inc. (EBI, San Diego, Calif.) is a research, publishing and consulting company that specializes in defining emerging markets and generating strategic market intelligence for companies, investors and policymakers. EBI publishes Environmental Business Journal®, the leading provider of strategic information for the environmental industry, and Climate Change Business Journal®, which covers nine segments of the Climate Change Industry. EBI also performs contract research for the government and private sector and owns the Environmental Industry Summit, an annual three-day event for executives in the environmental industry.

Locus Receives SAS 70 Certification

Locus Cloud Computing Environmental Software Platform SAS 70 Certified

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 18 January 2011 — Locus Technologies, the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance and information management software, announced that it has been certified as compliant with the Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70: Service Organizations (SAS 70).

Locus passed an in-depth audit of its control objectives activities pertaining to database management and information technology. The certification places Locus in a rare category among environmental data management providers to have attained the rigorous classification. In today’s risk-management environment, it is essential that service providers like Locus demonstrate that they have adequate controls and safeguards in place so customers can be confident that their data are safe.

“By becoming SAS 70 certified, Locus shows that we are not only in compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, but that we hold the security of our customers’ data paramount,” said Dr. Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus Technologies.

“Whether your environmental data are currently hosted by another provider, or you’re searching for a company to manage your data, your company should demand evidence that your data are safe and protected by a highly controlled process. We are pleased to know that our customers’ environmental data for water, sustainability, emissions, and greenhouse gas data have been deemed to be in full compliance with SAS 70,” continued Duplan.

In addition to being SAS 70 certified, Locus requires that its key suppliers also comply with SAS 70 standards. For example, Locus’ data center and cloud hosting provider have been certified recently to have processes and safeguards in place. These safeguards are designed to protect Locus’ assets and data that reside in the company’s managed hosting services data center. A service auditor’s examination—performed in accordance with SAS No. 70 Type II—is widely recognized because it confirms that a service organization has been through an in-depth audit of its control objectives and activities, which includes controls over information technology services and related processes.

Completion of the SAS 70 Type II examination of Locus’ managed hosting data center proves that an independent accounting and auditing firm has formally evaluated the company’s processes, procedures, and controls. The examination included controls related to service delivery, support services, security, monitoring, change management, data backup, environmental controls, and logical and physical access.

SAS 70 is designated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an acceptable method for an organization’s management to obtain assurance about a third-party service organization’s internal controls without conducting a separate assessment.

As the world’s most comprehensive on-demand software for organizing environmental data and information, Locus is the partner of choice for all organizations that seek a credible and cost-effective solution to their energy and environmental management and reporting needs.

Locus Scored in Green Quadrant of Carbon and Energy Management Software Report

Locus’ Cloud-based Software High on Leading Analysts Lists

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 22 November 2010 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance and information management software, has been recognized as one of the top 28 firms for greenhouse gas (GHG) and Energy Management software in the report, “Green Quadrant® Carbon and Energy Management Software, 2010.” This report by Verdantix, an independent analyst firm focused on sustainable business strategies and market opportunities, comes only weeks after Gartner, Inc., the leading provider of research and analysis on the global information technology industry, in another study entitled “Sustainable Business Systems: Differentiating Sustainable Solutions by Functional Domain,” recognized Locus as a high growth, high foresight company whose software brings to its customers high enterprise efficiency and optimization intelligence. Gartner also recognized Locus’ focused analysis of key environmental parameters, including water foot-printing, and its incorporation of spatial data analysis in all of its SaaS solutions.

“Based on the insights from our customer panel and our in-depth interviews we define carbon and energy management software as: Software designed to help individuals responsible for carbon and energy management to collect, store, audit, report, analyze, and forecast carbon emissions and energy consumption data to meet business objectives such as planning, reduction, budgeting, compliance and trading,” said David Metcalfe, Verdantix Director. “The global market for carbon and energy software is intensely competitive — buyers choose from over 100 suppliers. To help buyers save time, save money and reduce risk in their selection process this Verdantix Green Quadrant report compares the 28 software applications that pre-qualify as a potential fit for $1 billion revenue firms. Our analysis is based on interviews with 15 buyers collectively representing firms with revenues of $260 billion, live demonstrations of the 28 applications and supplier responses to a 99 point questionnaire. Before jumping to conclusions about the best fit supplier, buyers need to conduct a detailed assessment of their business strategy, available budget and usage scenarios. Suppliers in the Challenger, Specialist and Entrepreneur Quadrants may meet requirements just as well as the Leaders,” added Mr. Metcalfe.

The Verdantix report recognized that Locus Technologies’ environmental compliance software has evolved into broader sustainable business software. The report states that Locus is one of only two firms in the Entrepreneurs Quadrant that claim more than 10 customers with more than $1 billion in revenue. The report further states that “the Entrepreneurs have more opportunity to win customers in the price-sensitive mid-market.” Overall, Locus scored strong in customer momentum, master data management and financial resources.

“We are very pleased that some of the leading industry analysts, first Gartner, and now Verdantix, have recognized Locus as a potential fit for $1 billion revenue firms in the sustainability, carbon and energy software space,” said Dr. Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus. “With our suite of diverse but well integrated products to organize water, energy, waste and carbon emissions information across different regulatory frameworks, Locus is well positioned to continue to lead the environmental software market. Locus has served this market exceptionally well since 1997, and maintains the leading position in many of its segments,” noted Dr. Duplan.

The environmental software market has become a multi-billion dollar industry with new players entering almost weekly. The current environmental software leaders in the Verdantix report include a mix of startups funded by venture capital and longtime software players from other arenas. According to Dr. Duplan, “Locus stands apart from this competition in terms of its long history and domain expertise. Since its founding 13 years ago, Locus has compiled a proven track record of delivering complex environmental information management and compliance solutions over the Internet to some of the world largest companies.” The company integrates a deep and versatile set of applications that not only manage GHGs but also provide management of other, mission-critical environmental data and information, such as water quality and resource consumption management.

Locus Wins Over a Dozen New Greenhouse Gas Verification Contracts

Locus takes the lead in GHG verification services for California Air Resources Board

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., August 16, 2010 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance and information management software, has been selected for over a dozen new greenhouse gases (GHG) verification services contracts.

The GHG verification services cover facilities in California that are regulated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Locus is accredited as a verification body through CARB and has Lead Verifiers certified in all reporting sectors, including cement plants, refineries, and electrical transactions. As a part of these contracts, Locus Lead Verifiers will perform mandatory verification of CO2 emissions at selected California facilities. While verification is a requirement this year through AB32, companies are also using 3rd party verification to promote their brands and the accuracy of their emissions information.

The new GHG verification contracts include the following companies: Ameresco, Cardinal Cogen Inc., City of Oxnard, DG Fairhaven Power LLC. (owned by Marubeni Corporation), General Chemical, Lehigh Southwest Cement, Monterey Regional Waste Management District, Roseburg Forest Products, SRI International Cogen (operated and managed by International Power Technology Inc.), United Airlines, and US Pipe & Foundry. Several of the new awarded contracts cover multiple facilities.

“We are very pleased to have been selected by so many well-recognized firms for GHG verification services. Locus continues to expand its carbon practice at a rapid pace. Coupled with our carbon software services and domain expertise in all three key AB 32 reporting sectors in California including cement, refineries, and electrical transactions, Locus is becoming a partner of choice for all companies wishing to be credible in their carbon reporting needs.” said Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus.

SJ Business Journal Business Profile: Locus Technologies helps manage clients’ environmental footprint

The company says its flagship product, Environmental Information Management, is the world’s largest commercial, on-demand environmental data management system.

San Francisco Chronicle | One word: emissions

CEO Neno Duplan would not disclose the dollar amount of the contract, which was announced last week, but, he said, “I can tell you, in this industry, it doesn’t get bigger than this.”

Locus Technologies Wins Environmental Business Journal’s 2009 Business Achievement: Information Award

The 2009 crop of winners contended with what likely was the most challenging business conditions in history.

EPA Delays Start of New Rules on Emissions

The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday the agency would delay subjecting large greenhouse-gas emitters such as power plants and crude-oil refiners to new regulations until 2011, and would raise the threshold for using the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.

This decision will be welcomed by the industry but will also afect many GHG (single product) software companies.

Locus Again Recognized as Carbon Software Leader

Groom Energy Research Study Reveals Carbon Software Growth

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., January 25, 2010 — Locus Technologies was recognized as one of the leaders in software for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and reporting by Massachusetts-based research firm Groom Energy Solutions. Their Enterprise Carbon Accounting (ECA) report is titled “2010 Enterprise Carbon Accounting: An Analysis of Corporate-Level Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Reporting and a Review of GHG Software Products.” This report comes only weeks after UtiliPoint International, Inc., a key utility and energy industry analysis and consulting firm, in a similar report recognized Locus as one of the oldest and most comprehensive providers of GHG software.

“We are very pleased that some of the leading industry analysts, first UtiliPoint, followed by IDC, and now Groom Energy, have recognized Locus as one of the most established and versatile companies in the sustainability and environmental software space,” said Dr. Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus.

Founded in 1997, Locus pioneered the use of the Internet’s power to manage all aspects of environmental business, focusing on environmental information management (EIM) developed on a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform and delivered through Cloud Computing. In addition, ePortal, the Locus environmental executive dashboard, brings key environmental information to the user’s desktop in a Yahoo!-style single sign-on (SSO) interface, providing the ability to drill into the data when a more in-depth view is needed.

“With our suite of diverse but well integrated products offered through an SSO, along with our stellar client list who manage environmental information in real time using Locus Cloud Computing software at over 36,000 sites around the world, Locus is well positioned to continue to lead the environmental software market,” added Dr. Duplan.

Thirteen years after Locus’ founding, environmental software has become a multi-billion dollar industry with new players entering almost daily. In its report, Groom Energy stated that more than $46 million in venture capital was invested in ECA startup companies in 2009, while large software companies like Microsoft and SAP also entered the market. The research also confirmed that the number of corporations disclosing GHGs increased significantly in 2009 and predicts that ECA software purchases will increase 600 percent by 2011. To distinguish Locus from competition, Locus offers a proven track record of delivering complex environmental information management and compliance solutions over the Internet for over 10 years.

The New York Times, in commenting on the Groom Energy Study, reports that the current ECA industry leaders are a mix of longtime software players and startups. The newspaper predicts that winners will be the companies that can integrate various applications that not only manage GHGs but also provide management of other, mission-critical environmental data and information, such as water quality and consumption management.

The analyst reports highlight Locus’ experience in Cloud Computing, not only for the company’s GHG emissions management, but also for its general leadership in the complex space of environmental sustainability software, including water quality management.

Locus is an industry leader in providing Web-based Cloud Computing information technology to help manage data and information related to water supply and quality to meet the growing need for clean water.

Any climate bill before the U.S. Congress is almost certainly to be delayed after the 19 January 2010 special election of Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown to fill the U.S. Senate seat of the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last December declared greenhouse gases a danger to public health. The “endangerment finding” announced by EPA will allow EPA to manage GHG emissions under the 1970 Clean Air Act, and opens up large emitters such as power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants and metal smelters to regulations that limit their output of carbon dioxide and other gases. Managing GHG under the Clean Air Act will be more costly to the industry. The biggest threat of huge new energy taxes and government controls right now comes not from cap-and-trade legislation, but from the existing regulation such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. As a result, the industry will focus on the broad spectrum of existing environmental compliance issues, all of which require specialized software and a deep knowledge of regulations, all of which Locus developed and deployed over the last 13 years.

Requirements for environmental compliance have existed for years. The Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule of September 2009 represents yet another element (and a relatively small one at that) in a long list of environmental compliance activities to which U.S. companies are subject. In particular, oil and gas companies are facing increased regulation and enforcement by the EPA.

As a result, many companies are revisiting their environmental, health and safety (EH&S) strategies and are looking for software applications not only to manage GHG or environmental data, but also to improve operational efficiency and reduce operating costs.

“Locus has served this market exceptionally well since 1997, and maintains the leading position in many of its segments,” noted Dr. Duplan.