ibusinessservices Internet Business Services Initiative

OpenAir.com Adds Resource Management Module to Its Web-Native Professional Services Automation (PSA) Suite
Manages Staffing Needs Over Project Lifecycles, Boosting Utilization and Profits

December 6th, 2000, Anaheim, Calif. — OpenAir.com today announced at Project World Anaheim 2000 the upcoming addition of its resource management module, Resources, to its Professional Services Automation (PSA) suite. Resources makes it easy to cost effectively deploy staff throughout project lifecycles from initial estimate through completion. It is the sixth integrated module in a suite that already includes: Proposals, Project Tracking, Time Sheets, Expense Reports and Time Bills.

PSA solutions help Professional Service Organizations (PSOs) better manage both information and people. A PSO's most important assets are human and intellectual capital, so it is critical to accurately estimate staffing needs in proposals, deploy staff effectively and efficiently, and track their progress and utilization throughout an entire project. Fine-tuned and reliable resource management tools are a critical component of any PSO.

"Resources will be key to helping our users plan and organize projects," said Jeff Hunt, VP of Marketing for OpenAir.com. "With Resources OpenAir users will improve service quality by ensuring that all projects are appropriately staffed and will increase profits by optimizing employee utilization."

Employees at PSOs that use OpenAir.com can now enter their skills and project preferences into the OpenAir.com Web site. Project managers can easily search for specific skills and availability and allocate staff for each project without having to check personally with each individual. During the lifecycle of a project, a manager can instantly check the status of every active project for each person. At the end of a project, the financial manager can view utilization and profitability metrics for that project. OpenAir Resources helps a company increase both its revenue and the accuracy of its project bids by estimating and managing projects more effectively.

Resources will be available on December 19th.

All OpenAir.com services, including Resources, Proposals, Project Tracking, Time Sheets, Expense Reports and Time Bills, can be used individually, in any combination or as a complete suite of business services depending on a company's needs. The OpenAir.com Web-native delivery platform and ASP model make the system both affordable and immediately available.

To make the suite even more accessible for on-the-go professionals and to ensure accurate and real time data entry, OpenAir.com offers several data entry methods, including handheld PDAs using the Palm Computing® platform, WAP-enabled phones, and the OpenAir OffLineä thin client for use on a PC when it is not connected to the Internet.

About OpenAir.com
OpenAir.com, founded in 1999 as TimeBills.com, is the integrated suite of Web-native business tools that gives companies a more efficient way to win new business, optimize resources, deliver services and manage financial processes. These services allow professionals to allocate and manage resources, build and submit proposals, analyze employee time, report and approve travel expenses, track and bill time, create and deliver invoices and outsource payroll and expense reimbursement.

More than 45,000 professionals currently utilize OpenAir.com to increase profits. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, OpenAir.com supports all major Internet browsers and is easily accessed from any Internet-equipped computer. All data is backed up on state-of-the-art servers, encrypted, password protected and only accessible to the OpenAir.com user.

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