PlanSoft Readies for Launch In June, PlanSoft took a giant step toward becoming the long dreamed about ‘meetings industry communication solution’, when it announced completion of restructuring and refinancing. Powerhouse partners have been added to the already prestigious group that created PlanSoft. Original Partners included ASAE, MPI, Sheraton, Marriott, Hyatt, and Conferon’s President Bruce Harris who is the founder and originator of the concept. A few of the additions to the group are: GES, the nation’s largest trade show and event services contractor; IDG, a world wide leader in technology publications and education; and four well known and highly respected venture capital and investment banking companies. This group has committed $11.25 million to the PlanSoft initiative. PlanSoft’s web network has already become the most comprehensive meetings research site on the web. Hotel chains are choosing this site to market to meeting planners across North America. Planners are excited to find hotels with as many as 60 photographs (20 of which offer 360º views) and floor plans which can be enlarged to fill the entire computer screen. PlanSoft’s search engine is so powerful that Conferon will use it as part of its search routine. Currently, every hotel/resort in North America that has a ballroom of 5,000 square feet or more can be found at the site. In the coming months, Conferon will be switching to the PlanSoft Ajenis meeting planning software. This software cost over $3 million to program and is far and away the most comprehensive planning software in the industry today. During the rollout of Ajenis, each of PlanSoft’s original hotel partners will install Ajenis in approximately 35-40 of their hotels. At these Hyatts, Marriotts, and Sheratons, the hotel’s convention service managers will be able to transfer all meeting information electronically--thus avoiding the costly delays and mistakes which occur during data entry. Ajenis will also be installed in computers of 3,000 planners nation-wide who have been selected to receive this software for free during PlanSoft’s initial year. In late August, these lucky planners will begin using this software in a controlled rollout environment. The product will be open to all planners in late Fall of this year. Planners need to have the correct equipment to support this software. Basic requirements include; Windows 95 or NT 4.0, Internet Explorer 3.02 (or higher), IBM compatible PC with Pentium processor of 133 mhz (or higher), a minimum of 32 Megabytes of RAM, 150 MB minimum of available hard drive space, SVGA video card with at least 1MB of RAM, 800 x 600 resolution (with 16 bit color display), 28.8 kbps modem, and Internet access. For network applications, a Microsoft NT, Microsoft Peer-to-Peer, or Novell network is required. The addition of PlanSoft’s products to the meetings industry will provide time savings like we have never experienced before. The excitement of year 2000 is starting over a year early for meeting planners.