ORLANDO, FL (HITEC - June 27, 2001) - Aptech Computer Systems, Inc.  today announced Interstate Hotels will roll out this week the application service provider (ASP) version of Aptech's back office software, Profitvue®, to the first of half a dozen properties this year.  Providing value to hotel owners via greater productivity, decreased costs, savings of personnel expenses and man hours plus the ability to achieve 100% standardization throughout Interstate's properties were cited as factors behind the decision to adopt an ASP model. 

Profitvue ASP, a full featured accounting system that includes accounts payable, general ledger, statistics and financials,  resides on a central server at Aptech.  It enables real-time local and remote web access from a thin client or PC at the property or corporate level.  With this type of centralized accounting model, properties are responsible for corporately controlled levels of data input and processing, but have no hardware and limited software responsibilities.  Each property uses the Internet and a thin client version of Profitvue  that does not require Citrix®.  Interstate's corporate office controls the data.

"Our intent in 2002 is to roll out the Profitvue ASP version to a greater number of properties instead of buying hardware and software upgrades,"  said Greg Smith, Interstate's Vice President and Corporate Controller.  "Because of our strong fiscal commitment to our owners, the criteria for new technology we adopt is 'Does it favorably impact the bottom line?'  In this case, the answer is 'Yes.' "

Jack Wolford, Interstate's Director of Information Technology, cited specific instances where deploying the ASP model saved time and resources. "We push for 100% standardization of our properties," said Wolford. "If we want to track a change in our chart of accounts, it used to take up to 30 days. With the ASP model it now takes two hours."  Also,  because all the processing takes place on a central server, Interstate can "compute an entire financial in less than one minute.  At the property level it took up to 20 minutes."   According to Wolford the ASP model also streamlines the consolidation process into Execuvue®, Aptech's business intelligence application.

For business-critical applications like back office, ASP is a win-win model, says Jay Troutman, president of Aptech. "Everyone benefits. Hotel owners gain with less capital outlay; hotel controllers benefit with faster processing speeds and eliminating IT functions from their "to do" lists; management companies win because they can take new properties online quickly without waiting three weeks for the hardware order."

Aptech's hosted back office solution is available today on a monthly subscription basis. The service includes Aptech's core back office system Profitvue, server time, maintenance, support, and software upgrades.  Pricing is available upon request.

About Aptech Computer Systems, Inc.

Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, leads the Hospitality industry in leveraging change by valuing human relationships and applying technology to solve business problems for people.  Incorporated in 1970, Aptech is a financial and operations technology solutions and service company whose products include two state-of-the-art back office and business intelligence products: Profitvue and Execuvue. Over 700 users, including very large chains, multiple-property management companies and single site hotels, utilize Aptech solutions to manage their financial and operational data.  By offering the hotel industry a solid resource of hospitality professionals, including staff and customers, and through its proven ability to evolve technology offerings as the market dictates, Aptech is proud to have earned 100% customer loyalty. 

For more information, visit booth numbers 1025/1027at HITEC, or contact: Aptech Computer Systems, Inc. 135 Delta Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238; (412) 963-7440; FAX (412) 963-9799; or access their Web site at www.aptech-inc.com.

Execuvue and Profitvue are registered trademarks to Aptech Computer Systems, Inc.  All other trademarks are owned by their respective holders.