Water management problems capture more attention from environmental technology player Locus.
New EIM tool, LTMO, helps customers reduce groundwater well monitoring
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., November 23, 2009 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental software, announced today the release of its Long Term Monitoring Optimization (LTMO) software that helps customers cut the cost of groundwater remediation projects. LTMO is built-in to EIM, Locus’ web-based application for managing sampling, analytical and geological data associated with environmental projects.
Long term monitoring of contaminated groundwater is one of the biggest costs of many environmental projects, often requiring that hundreds or more wells be sampled at regular intervals, with each sample event costing hundreds of dollars. Over time, changes in site conditions may mean the number of sampled wells or the frequency of sampling can be reduced. A number of analytical tools and approaches exist to identify redundant wells and pinpoint opportunities for sampling and monitoring reductions. MAROS (Monitoring And Remediation Optimization System) software application, developed by the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment, is one of the most popular of these tools. With the LTMO tool, Locus has incorporated many of the techniques and methodologies of MAROS, including trend analyses and the Delaunay triangulation method.
The Locus EIM LTMO tool offers several distinct advantages over MAROS and other existing stand-alone or spreadsheet-based applications that perform similar analyses. First of all, there is no need to export data in a special format to another application. All analyses are performed under the umbrella of EIM. Secondly, robust integrated Web 2.0 graphical tools and reports provide a wealth of options for examining the results of the analyses, including extensive backup data that can be supplied to regulatory agencies as needed. Finally, the results of any analysis can be saved and easily pulled up for review or modification.
“We expect the incorporation of the LTMO tool into EIM to be extremely beneficial to our large enterprise customers that have thousands of groundwater sites. Instead of the analyses being performed on the desktops of their many consultants, long-term groundwater management data resides in a single, central, web-accessible database. LTMO is a very powerful tool that significantly reduces the cost of long term stewardship of groundwater contaminated sites,” said Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus.
“The recent $11 billion bill passed to fix California’s water infrastructure includes a provision for mandatory monitoring of the state’s groundwater, which is often used during times of drought and is most vulnerable to contamination. From the onset of the new bill, Locus’ LTMO tool will be there to help industry and government to optimize groundwater monitoring programs,” added Duplan.
Contact Locus today for a demonstration of this exciting new feature and see how Locus EIM can help you reduce your long-term sampling and analytical costs.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., August 24 2009 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental software, was recently chosen as NASA/Ames Research Center 2009 Small Business Subcontractor of the Year.
Locus, as a subcontractor to NASA prime contractors, provided industrial automation diagnostic and repair services to NASA’s automated Groundwater Treatment Systems. With its expertise in onsite and web-based industrial automation and controls, Locus successfully met aggressive budget and schedule constraints.
“Locus Technologies’ hard work, and excellent performance in support of the continued operation and maintenance of the Center Groundwater Extraction and Treatment System (GWTS) were completed within budget and the projected schedules,” wrote S. Peter Worden, NASA/Ames Center Director. “Your company’s ability to provide diagnosis and/or a report of various automated components in a timely manner, such that there has been minimal to no “down time” is important as it is considered a value added performance,” continued Worden.
“Locus is very proud to receive this honor from NASA/Ames Research Center for our expertise in groundwater treatment system automation services,” said Neno Duplan, Locus President and CEO. “Locus has a long history in treatment system automation and was one of the first companies to use the Internet to streamline monitoring and management of groundwater treatment systems.”
“Our work at NASA/Ames Research Center demonstrates our continued belief that strong environmental domain expertise, coupled with innovative online software services, is a powerful business model few if any other firms can match in the environmental space,” continued Duplan.
Locus has provided industrial automation services for the environmental remediation and water industries since it was founded in 1997. Locus’ Automation Services Group specializes in using automated and wireless sensors for remote monitoring, data collection, and control of water treatment systems. Locus’ automated systems are available onsite or online via Locus web-based ePortal, where customers can view, manage and report via the Internet, and mashup their environmental data and activities through ePortal.
“Interest in our water management software is strong, but not just for automating treatment plant operation or regulatory reporting. We see our clients moving toward an era of sustainable remediation that leverages environmental business intelligence,” said Duplan.
“Water treatment or air emission monitoring can be viewed as a key data source for lowering overall cost of operations, instead of simply as input for regulatory reporting. We help our clients use information gathered for environmental compliance to create an operationally competitive advantage,” Duplan stated.
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 Rated by Leading Analyst Firm
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 11 May 2009 — Locus Technologies (Locus) today announced that Gartner, Inc., the leading provider of research and analysis on the global information technology industry, has rated the company “Promising” in a recent report.
“Locus is very pleased to have received a Gartner Vendor Rating. Our current customers already know the value our Cloud Computing solutions bring to their environmental information management challenges” said Locus President and CEO, Neno Duplancic. “We believe Gartner’s coverage of our firm confirms our position in the market and our commitment to providing customers with cost-effective and innovative SaaS software solutions that meet their current and emerging environmental data and information management needs, including addressing upcoming GHG and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting.”
Locus’ flagship environmental data management system EIM is used worldwide to manage and report environmental data and information and is managing over 100 million environmental data records for some of the world’s largest companies. Locus’ ePortal provides the platform to bring together Locus’ modular applications into a single integrated solution that can be tailored for environmental compliance, greenhouse gas tracking, or environmental health and safety (EHS) tracking depending on a company’s individual need. Locus’ EHS module also provides GRI indicator tracking and reporting capabilities. All of Locus’ solutions are on-demand providing customers with cost-effective and timely implementation options to meet their business requirements.
VENDOR RATING DISCLAIMER
The Vendor Rating is copyrighted 21 April 2009 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Vendor Rating is an evaluation of a vendor as a whole and is based on Gartner’s assessment of the vendor’s vision and execution for a product or service, relative to Gartner’s analysis of clients’ requirements. It is not intended as a comparison relative to competitors in the market. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Vendor Rating, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Gartner “Vendor Rating: Locus Technologies” by Dan Miklovic, 21 April 2009
The complete report is available to Gartner clients at www.gartner.com.
For more information, visit www.locustec.com or contact Ms. Marian Carr at (650) 960-1640.
Join Locus at the EUEC 2009 Annual Conference & Expo in Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ., 1-4 February 2009 |Booth #827 —Locus will present a paper on Cloud Computing solutions for the EHS industry and display our newest cloud computing products (eEHS and eTask) as well as our flagship product EIM. Please visit us at Booth 827 and see the systems that are changing how environmental professionals manage, analyze, and report environmental data and information.
Is a large portion of your environmental data sitting in spreadsheets and home-built databases?
Robust enterprise databases are standard tools in other industries, but, for whatever reason, the environmental business has failed to fully embrace them. What happens to the sampling and analytical data generated from the investigations, cleanups, air emissions monitoring, or operation and maintenance of a company’s sites? For many, it is entered into spreadsheets, a commercial client/server database, or a home-grown database—with spreadsheets often being the most popular of these alternatives.
Let’s suppose a company has 10-million analytical records stored in spreadsheets and databases dispersed across multiple offices. Our research shows that the average cost to organize, manage, and report this data through independent systems over a 3-year period would be more than $2 million. Stop by Locus’ Booth #827 and let us demonstrate how using our Locus EIM on-demand data management system can drop your number by 85%—or more than a staggering $1.7 million.
Locus Presents | Cloud Computing Solutions for Global Environmental Sustainability Reporting, by Marian Carr and Robert Albo | Session G5: EMIS and EHS | Tuesday, 3 February 2009 1:40 pm
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.”
Retooled and revamped, notification and messaging layer, rounds out Locus’ environmental solutions suite
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., October 6, 2008 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance and information management software, announced the release today of eTask, a comprehensive task management module, rounding out Locus’ award-winning on-demand environmental compliance software portal suite.
Armed with eTask, executives in companies responsible for Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), now have a powerful tool to support Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) regulatory compliance. eTask provides automated notifications of task initiation, management and completion, spanning all of Locus’ portal suite applications. Locus’ eTask streamlines and automates daily environmental compliance activities through key features such as asset level tracking and compliance activity reminders.
With the proliferation of new regulations such as greenhouse gas requirements, managers must track EH&S carefully and on time. eTask simplifies the job by graphically monitoring key performance indicators (KPI) through dashboard reporting. eTask employs a graphical interface based on Web 2.0 technology that immediately notifies appropriate personnel of critical actions, ensuring the company stays in compliance, potentially saving both dollars and reputation.
eTask tracks a permit’s status relative to regulatory requirements and generates associated task assignments. It provides automated graphical ticklers and e-mail notification, logs when tasks have been completed and sends alerts when tasks are pending or overdue. These requirements can be linked to corporate assets or entities, or to any other vertical application such as EIM or even third party applications. Compliance status management reports can be rolled up to any level within the organization and are fully auditable and verifiable by eTask.
While many businesses analyze corporate performance by looking in a rear view mirror—crunching historical data to link results with causes and resolving problems after the fact, Locus software enables its users to proactively manage environmental compliance. Because Locus’ software suite helps analyze EH&S performance and operations in real time, organizations can more effectively capitalize on opportunities and reduce cost.
eTask features a robust database and reporting engine along with a high degree of user customization. Users can create assets, place assets in groups, assign single or grouped assets to tasks, and assign tasks to multiple staff with configurable notifications based on customer specific workflow.
As with other Locus solutions, eTask is offered as Software as a Service (SaaS), so customers do not need to install any software, or buy and maintain specialized servers to run the application. When purchased with ePortal and eSite modules, eTask includes the compliance dashboard for user-profile based views of actionable compliance tasks and status. eTask can be used for single sites or over an entire portfolio of sites.
“Locus eTask is the ‘action engine’ of our ePortal,” said Locus President and CEO Neno Duplancic. “eTask software aggregates information from distributed assets or permit submittal requirements and keeps responsible parties informed of necessary actions. It gives businesses insight into which compliance events will have the greatest operational impact so they can focus their resources to seize opportunities and mitigate risks” added Duplancic.
Environmental Industry Software: A Growing Data Management Challenge
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, SILICON VALLEY, Calif., 9 April 2008 — Bay Area based Locus Technologies is in large part responsible for the creation of an emerging technical sector— the storage and management of environmental industry data. Even conservative estimates project rapid growth in the environmental information arena, with an increasing need for software tools to store, manage and manipulate data. Such data includes the massive amount of complex information collected during environmental cleanup projects, air emissions, greenhouse gasses monitoring, and other activities, which in past practice was stored in various distributed locations from spreadsheets to PDAs to field notebooks. Locus stores environmental industry data in an online central database, making it accessible via the Web and available for analysis, visualization, and reporting, leveraging Web 2.0 technologies such as Service Oriented Architecture, mashups, and vertical searches.
ABOUT DR. DUPLAN
Carnegie Melon alumnus Dr. Neno Duplan is the founder and CEO of Locus Technologies where he has
pioneered the application of an Internet based on-demand computing model for data management in the
environmental industry.
Dr. Duplan is the author of more than 30 technical papers on the use of technologies in the environmental
industry. As a research associate at Carnegie Mellon in the early eighties, he developed the first prototype system
for environmental and geological data management and display using microcomputers. This early work led to the
development of numerous database management systems at some of the nation’s largest contaminated sites, and
ultimately to the formation of Locus Technologies in 1997.
Dr. Duplan earned a Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon, Master’s and
Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Zagreb, Croatia, and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil
Engineering from the University of Split, Croatia. He attended Stanford University’s Advance Project Management
program, and has taught classes at Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkeley, and the University of Wisconsin.
Organize, Display and Report Geo-Data with eGeo
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 24, 2008 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental data and information management services, announced today the expansion of its award winning ePortal software with a new module, eGeo, which organizes geological and geotechnical data on the web.
eGeo is available to Locus’ existing Environmental Information Management (EIM) customers immediately and free of charge.
eGeo eliminates the need for third-party borehole log applications, fence diagrams, or CAD drawings and for yet another disconnected database application, login and software license. eGeo is fully integrated with Locus’ award winning EIM Web 2.0 analytical data management system and with the Locus ePortal, providing users with single sign-on access to a powerful set of geo-data management tools.
Geological site investigation processes generate tremendous amounts of data, including geological quality and geotechnical properties. Field investigation results such as borehole drilling, geophysical testing, Cone Penetrometer Testing (CPT) and Standard Penetration Testing (SPT) all must be collected and analyzed. This information needs to be validated, managed, reported and preserved. Ironically, while companies invest millions of dollars to collect their data, rarely is it well-organized or readily accessible.
Previously, geo-data, such as borehole logs, were entered into expensive stand-alone software applications, spreadsheets or CAD systems that had little or no data analysis capability. Users could not easily retrieve this content or correlate it with similar geological and analytical chemistry data. Data had to be downloaded, merged and analyzed as precious time was lost and consulting hours piled up.
Locus’ eGeo, an integrated module in Locus’ ePortal, is a web-based application that instantly delivers, sorts, and assembles geo-data into highly nuanced reports, boring logs, CPT logs, SPT Logs, cross sections, charts, and maps—including raster image overlays, and mashups with Google Maps and pictures. As a result, geological information can be quickly visualized and analyzed.
“eGeo and our other software tools meet a huge need in the field of geotechnical and geological data management,” said Locus President and CEO, Dr. Neno Duplancic. “By offering up graphical, mapping, and other applications in our portal, users are able to view, download, and print information from each application in a uniform manner,” continued Duplancic. “This exciting new functionality comes without the need to store large image files on the server end, minimizing storage and Internet traffic requirements.” said Duplancic.
“Our tools give corporate managers something new, a means to quickly view and click through any aspect of the environmental status of their sites from within a single application. Geologists, geotechnical and environmental engineers, and site owners can use eGeo to look at their data with the same ease that oil companies use multi-million software applications to visualize and map underground oil reserves,” said Duplancic.
“Information management technologies based on Web 2.0 technology can help businesses and governments characterize environmental problems faster and more easily so that valuable resources can be spent designing solutions instead of searching for information or synchronizing disconnected applications, spreadsheets or databases.” Duplancic said.
Locus Technologies
299 Fairchild Drive
Mountain View, CA 94043
P: +1 (650) 960-1640
F: +1 (415) 360-5889
Locus Technologies provides cloud-based environmental software and mobile solutions for EHS, sustainability management, GHG reporting, water quality management, risk management, and analytical, geologic, and ecologic environmental data management.