Locus Technologies Announces Alfresco Enterprise Content Management and Collaboration Tools Integration With its ePortal Platform

Integration of the latest Web 2.0 technologies optimize environmental management and corporate social reporting

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 22 June 2009 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance, sustainability and GHG information management software, announced today a key release of their ePortal platform, which incorporates both enhanced corporate sustainability reporting tools and Web 2.0 collaboration tools, provided by Alfresco Software (www.Alfresco.com), the leader in open source enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. The addition of Alfresco’s ECM capability to Locus’ popular ePortal product enables distributed teams working online to securely share, track and manage environmental content, as well as automate reporting within and across companies.

Locus’ ePortal environmental management solution integrates its environmental management modules into a single software solution through a single sign on (SSO) for large and small enterprise applications. Locus’ ePortal automates environmental information management workflows, as well as compliance, sustainability and greenhouse gas reporting at the enterprise level through its environmental Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings. Locus’ enhanced release due this summer expands corporate sustainability and GHG reporting and adds collaboration tools powered by Alfresco.

“Corporate sustainability reporting is all about measurement, metrics and improvement as companies strive to be better stewards of the earth while conducting their business and lowering costs,” said Rick Bergquist, Chief Software Evangelist and former CTO of PeopleSoft. “By adding the power of collaboration using Alfresco, Locus’ ePortal can track sustainability progress, sharing best practices among far flung corporate divisions to further enhance a company’s return on investment. This is part of the key Locus vision to provide rich, easy to use, on-demand software tools that streamline environmental reporting and foster continuous improvements through active collaboration,” added Bergquist.

“Locus has provided online sustainability solutions since 2002, covering the core Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicators for environmental performance, labor practices and decent work,” said Locus President and CEO, Neno Duplancic. “Although GRI reporting can be complex, our system provides an easy-to-use multi language user interface that streamlines data entry and requires little or no user training,” said Duplancic.

“Locus’ inclusion of Alfresco into their solution provides a cost-effective way for organizations to address their environmental management and corporate social reporting requirements,” commented John Powell, CEO of Alfresco Software. “Alfresco has been designed to provide flexible collaborative content services well suited to the SaaS delivery model. ”

In addition to GRI-compliant sustainability reporting, Locus’ ePortal includes auditable and actionable compliance task-based tracking with automated notifications, environmental data management using a powerful online database, regulatory permit tracking, asset tracking and document management. Robust business analytics and on-board mapping with Google maps enable enterprise users to manage and track trends at divisional or corporate levels on configurable dashboards. Locus provides unprecedented access and environmental information control across all enterprise environmental content repositories, structured and unstructured. This functionality enables a new generation of solutions and modules that can intelligently leverage information to automate tasks previously requiring human action, providing significant ROI.

Locus and Ecotek Team to provide new Cloud Computing Platform for Greenhouse Gas Management

Upcoming changes to regulatory reporting requirements drive new solutions

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 27 April 2009 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance and information management software, today announced a development relationship with Ecotek, a leader in helping industry navigate the complexities of Federal and State air and greenhouse gas (GHG) regulation compliance reporting.

The environmental industry is at a critical point in determining how businesses, government agencies, and community organizations respond to unprecedented legislative mandates to reduce greenhouse gas to curb global warming. The California Air Resources Board recently adopted the proposed Scoping Plan for implementing AB32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act. And, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed the first comprehensive national system for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by major sources in the United States, the Federal Mandatory GHG reporting Rule.

Business will be required to provide the best possible environmental information and Locus and Ecotek are teaming to make that possible. Progressive companies should be acting now to prepare. Locus is a leader in cloud computing solutions for the environmental industry. Historically, Locus has emphasized environmental data management for complex analytical data with their Environmental Information Management (EIM) system, used by Fortune 100 companies to manage environmental data and risk. Locus’ ePortal is the industry’s first on-demand environmental software that automates environmental information management workflows, compliance, and reporting at enterprise level through Locus’ Software as a Service (SaaS) environmental software offerings. Locus’ ePortal already offers eEHS, a streamlined enterprise corporate sustainability and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) tracking application that includes Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions tracking and key Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) environmental and labor indicators. GRI is independent institution (started in 1997 by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) and became independent in 2002) whose mission is to develop and disseminate globally applicable Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The GRI is an official collaborating centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The GRI performance indicators are grouped under three sections covering the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability.

CSR, corporate sustainability and corporate governance collectively are shaping the identity of organizations and are therefore increasingly integrated into the business strategy of successful corporations. Consequently, the field of responsible business strategy and practice is becoming one of the most dynamic and challenging subjects corporations are facing today and possibly one of the most important ones for shaping the future of the world.

Ecotek is a key player in development and support of air emission and air regulatory reporting software and provides expert air compliance consulting services to a strong base of private sector companies and public agencies. Ecotek’s areas of expertise include EPA Title V and California Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Annual Emissions Reports (AER) and upcoming Greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations. Ecotek is a Climate Action Leader with the California Climate Action Registry and a founding member of The Climate Registry.

“Locus’ eEHS application, in use since 2004, was already tracking the Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions and GRI sustainability indicators as well as calculating carbon footprint for customers. It was natural to take the next step and round out the offering by covering the current (AB32) and proposed (Federal) air quality indicators and GHG reporting requirements expected later this year,” said Locus President and CEO, Neno Duplancic. “Locus selected Ecotek based on their superior qualifications and deep domain expertise in both old and new air regulatory reporting requirements and their excellent reputation with the California South Coast AQMD, as evidenced by their twelve year relationship providing support for that agency.”

“Ecotek is excited to work with Locus on enhancing their popular on-demand software suite,” said Ecotek President, Natasha Meskal. “We have long believed that the advantages of SaaS software applied to air emissions reporting was a perfect match and would offer a wide range of users subject to State and Federal regulations an easier and better way to comply with the current and future requirements, which are only getting more complex.”

“Business owners have so much on their plates to comply with requirements and keep up with regulatory changes, having an easy online tool to streamline that process for all their various reporting needs will be a huge benefit.” concluded Meskal.

 

ABOUT ECOTEK
Ecotek is a leading environmental engineering company providing environmental compliance consulting services and information technology solutions to a strong base of private sector companies and public agencies. Ecotek specializes in the design and implementation of strategies that provide practical compliance and emission reduction solutions that are not only cost effective, but also improve process efficiency and allow businesses to optimize their growth potential. Ecotek manages data to minimize the regulatory impact, by the development and implementation of a customized, proactive compliance programs, applying technological innovations. Ecotek is a Climate Action Leader with the California Climate Action Registry and a founding member of The Climate Registry.

For more information, visit www.locustec.com or contact Ms. Marian Carr at (650) 960-1640.

Locus’ Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) SaaS Module Offers Expanded Greenhouse Gas Tracking

Locus’ Enhanced eEHS Moves Corporate Sustainability Reporting Higher into the Cloud

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., December 22, 2008 — Locus Technologies, the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance and information management software, announced today the roll out of its updated eEHS on-demand environmental health and safety software, specifically designed to serve the multi-national marketplace.

The updated eEHS module enables enterprises to collect compliance information from any location at any time via a native Web 2.0 platform, using a simple, intuitive interface. eEHS enables customers to easily review and evaluate data, spot issues or trends, and create reports and roll ups on corporate EHS status. With eEHS, companies centrally manage and report in real time all governance, risk and compliance (GRC) data, including greenhouse gas (GHG), Sarbanes-Oxley, energy consumption and water and waste usage information.

In response to an increased focus on greenhouse gas reporting, environmental sustainability and GRC reporting, Locus revamped its eEHS application, enhancing environmental and sustainability indicator tracking and reporting. Key new features include the addition of a robust ad hoc query capability that produces boardroom quality reports with a single mouse click—all delivered through Cloud computing or SaaS. eEHS’s new multi-language capability significantly enhances the user experience and reduces training. Because eEHS is offered via the Internet, there is no software to install and no hardware to purchase, streamlining global roll outs and reducing costs.

One of Locus’ long term customers, Alstom, an international leader in equipment and services for power generation and rail transport solutions, recently deployed the enhanced Locus eEHS worldwide. Operating in more than 70 countries and employing some 76,000 people, Alstom is enjoying the improved work flow and ease of data collection offered by eEHS. Sustainable development is central to the Alstom strategy and Locus software is helping Alstom meet its strategic goals.

“Locus eEHS is elegant in its simplicity,” said Locus President and CEO Neno Duplancic. “Collecting and reporting KPI information from hundreds of global locations is a challenge faced by every company operating internationally. Locus’ eEHS solves this problem by offering a very targeted software application via the Web, making data collection painless.”

“Our web-based eEHS provides businesses instant access to global information at a fraction of the cost of any installed on premises system,” continued Duplancic. “With the new regulations dealing with global warming issues just around the corner, companies must manage EHS issues carefully to avoid the risk of non-compliance. Now Locus’ customers have an on-demand software tool that consolidates all reporting activities into a single platform and that carries no implementation risk.”

Locus Presents at GeoCongress 2008: Six Sigma Approach to Sustainable Institutional Environmental Data Management

GeoCongress 2008: The Challenge of Sustainability in the Geoenvironment.

Locus Technologies Receives Another Environmental Business Journal Business Achievement Award in Information Technology

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., February 20, 2008 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the world leader in on-demand environmental data and information management software, today announced that it has received a 2007 Business Achievement Award in Information Technology (IT) from the Environmental Business Journal (EBJ). This award recognizes Locus for achieving record sales to new Fortune 100 customers and for adding more than 30,000 new sites to its popular EIM database, representing a 600% increase over 2006.

Locus was also recognized for introducing the environmental industry’s first “software as a service” (SaaS) environmental portal (ePortal) to its Fortune 100 customers. Locus’ ePortal provides customers with a user-friendly interface to environmental information, business analytics and direct integration with Locus’ EIM environmental database. ePortal is based on next-generation portal technology that enables seamless information integration across multiple sources and includes sophisticated data mashups for enhanced environmental data visualization.

“We are honored to be recognized by the Environmental Business Journal for our sales and technical achievement,” said Neno Duplancic, President and CEO of Locus Technologies. “2007 was an outstanding year for Locus. We introduced an entirely new category of product for the environmental industry, and we significantly enhanced our Fortune 100 customer base who embraced our new offerings.”

Locus plans to keep the momentum going in 2008 with continued innovation in its products. According to Duplancic, “It’s no surprise that consumer social networking sites are driving business demand. After all, all the new Web 2.0 features people use everyday become so ingrained in our lives, we begin to demand the same features in business products.” Social Computing is radically changing today’s definition of collaboration and ECM (enterprise content management), prompting corporate environmental managers to reconsider how to make it easier for teams of environmental professionals to collaborate and securely manage content both inside and outside the organization.

After adopting the ePortal platform in 2007, Locus is perfectly positioned to add the features to ePortal that environmental customers are demanding, including enhanced collaboration and communication tools and more data mashups. Already in progress are enhanced linkages with Google Earth and GIS programs to extend ePortal’s mapping capabilities and enhanced business analytics to report enterprise environmental sustainability parameters.

“Business Achievement Award in Information Technology,” Environmental Business Journal, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., February 20, 2008 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the world leader in on-demand environmental data and information management software, today announced that it has received a 2007 Business Achievement Award in Information Technology (IT) from the Environmental Business Journal (EBJ). This award recognizes Locus for achieving record sales to new Fortune 100 customers and for adding more than 30,000 new sites to its popular EIM database, representing a 600% increase over 2006.

Locus was also recognized for introducing the environmental industry’s first “software as a service” (SaaS) environmental portal (ePortal) to its Fortune 100 customers. Locus’ ePortal provides customers with a user-friendly interface to environmental information, business analytics and direct integration with Locus’ EIM environmental database. ePortal is based on next-generation portal technology that enables seamless information integration across multiple sources and includes sophisticated data mashups for enhanced environmental data visualization.

“We are honored to be recognized by the Environmental Business Journal for our sales and technical achievement,” said Neno Duplancic, President and CEO of Locus Technologies. “2007 was an outstanding year for Locus. We introduced an entirely new category of product for the environmental industry, and we significantly enhanced our Fortune 100 customer base who embraced our new offerings.”

Locus plans to keep the momentum going in 2008 with continued innovation in its products. According to Duplancic, “It’s no surprise that consumer social networking sites are driving business demand. After all, all the new Web 2.0 features people use everyday become so ingrained in our lives, we begin to demand the same features in business products.” Social Computing is radically changing today’s definition of collaboration and ECM (enterprise content management), prompting corporate environmental managers to reconsider how to make it easier for teams of environmental professionals to collaborate and securely manage content both inside and outside the organization.

After adopting the ePortal platform in 2007, Locus is perfectly positioned to add the features to ePortal that environmental customers are demanding, including enhanced collaboration and communication tools and more data mashups. Already in progress are enhanced linkages with Google Earth and GIS programs to extend ePortal’s mapping capabilities and enhanced business analytics to report enterprise environmental sustainability parameters.

Locus Technologies Wins Environmental Business Journal’s 2007 Business Achievement Award for Information Technology

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., 9 January 2008 — Locus Technologies has won Environmental Business Journal’s 2007 Business Achievement Award, for achieving record sales to new Fortune 100 customers, adding more than 30,000 new sites using its EIM database, representing a 600% increase over 2006, and more than 20 million records, which constituted a 20% increase. In May 2007, Locus introduced what it claims is the environmental industry’s first “software as a service“ (SaaS) environmental portal (ePortal) to its Fortune 100 customers, providing them with a user-friendly interface to environmental information, business analytics, and direct integration with EIM. The ePortal is based on next-generation portal technology that allows seamless information integration across multiple sources. According to Locus, the facility gives users access to Web 2.0 features and allows customers access to important data and information in a single, customizable dashboard. Locus is poised to add another 10,000 EIM and ePortal sites and millions of additional records in early 2008 with existing signed contracts.

 

ABOUT EBJ BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
For more information on the EBJ Business Achievement Awards go to: www.ebionline.org.

Fortune 500 Chemicals Company Selects Locus Technologies SaaS for Environmental Data Management

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., November 19, 2007 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the market and technology leader in on-demand environmental data and information management software and services, today announced that Fortune 500 Chemical Company (The Company) has selected Locus’ award-winning Environmental Information Management (EIM™) on-demand system and ePortal environmental information portal to manage and organize their environmental information. The Company chose Locus’ SaaS EIM system to manage formerly inaccessible analytical laboratory data and will use ePortal’s strong business analytics to reduce overall environmental risk. As an On-Demand web-based solution, Locus’ EIM environmental database meets all project requirements for robust environmental data management, including quick deployment and multi-party access.

Established in 1912, The Company is a leading producer of specialty chemicals used in making a variety of products for home, office, and industrial markets. The Company joins more than 35,000 EIM sites of all sizes, industries, and locations now benefiting from Locus’ single centralized, comprehensive environmental data management solution, accessible at anytime, anywhere in the world.

With EIM, The Company can query and report a variety of data—visualize and spatially query environmental information through Locus Web 2.0 technologies, as well as create on-the fly Google Maps and boring logs all within an intuitive, user-friendly interface. The Company will also enjoy ePortal’s customized dashboards to display site-specific environmental compliance alerts. These advanced features will open a whole new world of environmental decision-making, as well as streamline existing business processes for The Company.

“Before EIM, The Company was using stand-alone systems and was unable to effectively share their environmental data or efficiently perform key business analytics or reporting. By putting the data back into the hands of the data owner, and providing a robust set of tools for environmental data management and visual analysis, The Company project managers and their suppliers will be able to quickly organize and share data on their projects, while significantly reducing the data management effort and cost,” said Neno Duplancic, President and CEO of Locus.

Republic Services Selects Locus’s EIM™ Software for Environmental Data Management

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., September 11, 2007  — Locus Technologies (Locus), the market and technology leader in on-demand environmental data and information management services, today announced that Republic Services, Inc., has selected Locus’s award-winning Environmental Information Management (EIM™) software to organize and manage data collected at their Countywide Services facility in East Sparta, Ohio. As an On-Demand web-based solution, EIM meets all their project requirements for environmental data management, allowing for quick deployment and multi-party access.

Republic Services, Inc., is a leading provider of solid waste collection, transfer, and disposal services in the United States. The company’s operating units are focused on providing solid waste services for commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential customers. The Countywide Services facility joins more than 35,000 existing EIM sites of all sizes, industries, and locations that comprise Locus’s customer base. Republic Services selected EIM as the best choice to meet stringent regulatory deadlines that require expedited sampling, analysis, reporting, and regulatory data submittals. The EIM environmental data management system played a pivotal role in complying with the regulatory requirements by providing a completely off-the shelf software solution and fast deployment. Locus’s skilled environmental data managers supported Republic Services to get multiple labs and project teams up and running in record time.

“Before EIM, Republic’s site did not have an environmental data management system that could be quickly deployed, and accept electronic submissions from analytical laboratories. EIM allows Republic Services to quickly share data on this fast-track project, while reducing the data management effort and cost.” said Neno Duplancic, President and CEO of Locus. “Republic Services chose EIM software, because it came equipped with what they needed, allowing direct upload of laboratory data, subsurface and air emissions data management, quick and easy export of data to regulatory agencies, and easy collaboration for a geographically disperse project team – all key elements of this project. By using Locus’s environmental software, this project is now on the cutting edge of technologies that use data visualization, mashups, automated data validation, and project collaboration tools which resemble popular social networking technologies that serve as the core to Locus’s Web 2.0 offerings. Locus is proud to be contributing to the success of companies of all sizes, in all industries, around the globe, including Republic Services, one of the nation’s largest waste management companies.”

Locus to promote seminar on carbon trading and finance in San Francisco

Greening of America Through On-Demand Software

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 2, 2007 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in Web-based environmental data and information management services, will join Global Change Associates and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP to promote a seminar on carbon trading and finance. The seminar will be held on July 17, 2007, at Pillsbury’s San Francisco office at 50 Fremont Street.

Led by carbon markets experts Peter C. Fusaro and Jay Gould, partner and co-leader of Pillsbury’s Investment Funds & Investment Management Team, the seminar, “Carbon Trading is the Missing Link in Clean Tech Investment,” will explore what role carbon trading plays in clean technology investment and how to establish a successful carbon hedge fund.

“This is the second in a series of clean technology investment seminars we are hosting with Pillsbury, which launched one of the first multidisciplinary climate change practices in the nation. We are very excited that Locus Technologies, the leader in environmental information management, will promote the seminar, as the information management component of carbon trading is an important factor to consider in implementing sound carbon strategy,” said Fusaro. “Our last seminar attracted more than 150 people as California continues to be the center of carbon market activity for the foreseeable future.”

“We see carbon emissions management as the next logical expansion of our highly successful LocusFocus environmental portal. Many of our Fortune 100 customers using LocusFocus for environmental data and information management will find it easy to expand in our on-demand portal to include management of greenhouse gases (GHG). Many of Locus’s customers are actively looking for the tools and advice to move forward and formulate real carbon strategies in advance of upcoming regulations. Once regulations are promulgated, companies could lose substantial dollars by not planning ahead for this change. Locus’s customers that are already engaged in this highly topical discussion and are prepared to adopt carbon management strategy at this time can leverage the LocusFocus environmental portal for GHG data management with minimal additional investment and provide their shareholders with transparency on this issue. This seminar is perfect forum to get up to speed and educated on this important matter, particularly for the companies with operations in California that will be subject to California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Assembly Bill No. 32 (AB32) relating to air pollution,” said Dr. Neno Duplancic, President and CEO of Locus Technologies.

The seminar will cover the basics of environmental trading, carbon trading and finance, some clean tech solutions, information management, how to implement a carbon reduction under the Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and the basics of how to build a carbon fund.

GHG management will impose additional burden for environmental information management. Establishing a comprehensive GHG inventory is the foundation for future GHG management and compliance strategy. However, performing the GHG inventory can be a challenging process for many organizations, particularly for data acquisition, validation, and real time reporting. To make intelligent decisions about GHG management, clean energy, and other factors affecting the quality and sustainability of life, businesses and government entities must have better tools to manage and interpret this information in real time. Robust environmental information management systems are needed to store and analyze this data, and the LocusFocus environmental portal is a solution.

“Carbon trading is a new asset class for hedge fund finance and investment,” said Gould. “Indeed a recent report by the National Venture Capital Association showed that while U.S. venture capital investments, as a whole, were down by 33 percent in 2006, compared to five years ago, investments in American clean tech companies were up 243 percent in that time–more than two and a half times the growth rate of the next strongest industry over that period.”

 

ABOUT GLOBAL CHANGE ASSOCIATES INC.
Global Change Associates Inc. is a leading edge consultancy on energy and environmental financial markets based in New York lead by Peter C. Fusaro. Peter is the best selling author of “What Went Wrong at Enron” and a leading proponent of market-based solutions for environmental remediation. He created the annual Wall Street Green Trading Summit in New York each spring, and is recognized as an international leader in clean technology and emissions trading. He co-founded the Energy Hedge Fund Center in 2004.