Expense Partnerships Strengthen

<B> Expense Partnerships Strengthen</B>

By Mary Ann McNulty

In the latest wave of partnering in the expense reporting space, outsource vendor Gelco Information Network Inc. is teaming with expense software developer Extensity, while Intuit turns to On The Go Software to develop and market its Quicken ExpensAble, with the latest release out today.

In an exclusive partnership with Extensity, Gelco Information Network is relying on this Emeryville, Calif., software developer to provide its Java expense application for Gelco's outsourced ExpenseLink offering, rather than building its own software.

Extensity will continue to market, license and support Extensity Expense Reports to corporations that want to handle the process internally. However, Gelco is the only company that will use Extensity's software on an outsourced basis. For its Windows-based customers, Gelco will continue to offer its homegrown solution. For the even less technically sophisticated, it will continue to support processing via paper and touch-tone phone.

The partners expect to deploy the software to Gelco customers in January 1999, after Extensity completes 14 enhancements to its product. Among the enhancements are split processing, mileage tracking and payment scheduling. The enhanced version of Extensity also will be deployed to corporations that have licensed Extensity for use internally.

Gelco doesn't plan to customize Extensity for its clients, but gradually expects to see the software--from the Windows-based expense application to reporting--take on a single look and feel.

As part of the "strategic transformation" of Gelco, company executives last year identified the technical requirements that customers had for a browser-based expense reporting application. "We completed the entire design phase of our browser piece, but then made the decision to buy" one instead, said senior vice president Jim Prebil. The company looked at six products, but found only one with an application that worked and could be deployed to customers.

"What impressed us about Extensity," Prebil said, "is that it is really steeped in enterprise- wide software solutions. That's a big deal with us. We have to make this work for a lot of clients."

As part of the indefinite agreement, Gelco will continue to provide all support for its client base, including calls for technical assistance on Extensity.

Beyond this partnership, Gelco is looking for an online booking vendor--or a series of them --with which to partner in offer ing customers end-to-end automated travel solutions.

"We haven't been a strong alliance partner in the past; we want to be in the future," Prebil said. With a new president on board (see story, page 3)), Prebil declined to project when such a partnership might be forged, but indicated that it is a definite priority.

Meanwhile, On the Go Software of Newport Beach, Calif., today released Quicken ExpensAble 98, a major upgrade--with more than 25 enhancements for users and the corporate enterprise--to the product developed by Intuit. Topping the list of changes is the redesign using 32-bit architecture that makes the software much more reliable and compatible with Windows '98 applications and a built-in Web browser.

In addition, the software offers wizards for travel, hotel and currency to help travelers zip through report preparation. And, through partnerships with Hewlett-Packard and Casio, On The Go is distributing ExpensAble on travelers' palmtops or personal digital assistants.

For the corporation, On the Go added a server-based administration module accessible from the Web or by company intranets. Using the ExpensAble InSite module, companies can establish travel policy guidelines and set preferred vendors that travelers must use. "Using InSite, a travel manager can broadcast to all travelers the policy information, as well as business relationships," Wolcott said. The changes are updated the next time the traveler logs in on the corporate network or Web site, he added.

The module allows administrators to set either soft or hard warnings on policy violations and flag various expense type violations. Managers can generate some reports within InSite and export data to other software.

ExpensAble 98 includes a built-in Internet Explorer 4.0 browser, bookmarked to more than 10 We sites that On The Go selected to offer value-adds to travelers. On the Go is currently in negotiations with these sites, ranging from an online booking engine to currency converters and weather. ExpensAble 98 retails for $49.95, which includes a free InSite server license for up to 25 users. Licenses for additional users can be purchased.

The new release is the first of what is expected to be a series of applications designed "to empower the traveling professional," according to On the Go Software founder Jim Wolcott. Key to all the products will be an intuitive interface that masks the power on the back end, he added. The program uses an envelope metaphor, opening a new one for each trip or category and stuffing in receipts.

On the Go gained the right to develop and market Quicken ExpensAble in January, after Intuit determined that it couldn't support the product features that midsized and larger companies were demanding. Intuit's primary market is consumers, for whom it launched ExpensAble in 1995. Then, it acquired a company called On The Go--headed by Robert Crumpler--that had designed an expense product for both consumers and corporations. Incorporating Crumpler's technology into ExpensAble, Intuit released a new version in mid-1996. Last year, it forged a relationship with Wolcott's company, Global Business Solutions, to support the corporate market.

When Intuit decided to divest ExpensAble last October, Crumpler, Wolcott and others reformed On The Go. Intuit will continue to handle retail distribution and manufacturing of the software, and On The Go will develop and market it to corporations. Last month, On The Go completed the first round of investment financing, raising $3.5 million from a group headed by Alpine Venture Partners and including the Edgewater Funds. Intuit holds a minority position in the company.

ExpensAble has more than 500,000 individual users. Workgroups in 300 corporations are using the product, though the company has site licenses with only 55 corporations.