Pittsburgh, PA - H.I. Development Corp. selected web-enabled enterprise business intelligence and accounting solutions from Aptech Computer Systems, Inc. to centralize data and enable side-by-side comparison of vital statistics for its 13 properties, Aptech announced today. The Tampa, Florida-based company will install Aptech's Execuvue® business intelligence application at corporate headquarters, and web-based Profitvue® and Webvue® back office systems for each of its properties.

"Hospitality leaders are cautiously optimistic with the nation's economy growing almost 1% faster than expected during the second quarter," said Jay Troutman, president of Aptech Computer Systems. Troutman based his comments on market news and his company's half-dozen brisk enterprise system commitments since HITEC last June. "Holding value through the effective reduction of expenses is still the acknowledged new measure of operating success in our industry. Capturing and analyzing operating costs to better manage expenditures can reduce the expenses on a company's P&L and instantly increase profitability."

Installation at H.I. Development properties will begin the early part of the fourth quarter and completed before year-end.

"H.I. Development's goal is to be a state-of-the-art company, and business intelligence technology will propel us toward that goal," said David H. Callen, President of H.I. Development Corp. Callen noted the expanding company operates a variety of different properties and flags throughout the Southeast United States and the Caribbean. "We will use Aptech's hospitality business intelligence system at corporate headquarters to centralize our hotels' operating data so that we can compare property performance side-by-side. This is vital to competing in the future." Callen praised the software's adaptability, which he stated is "Crucial to meeting the needs of our different types of properties."

HI Development Corp., founded in 1959, has properties that encompass midscale business and leisure hotels to resort and luxury destinations such as the Carnegie Hotel & Spa, an East Tennessee landmark. The majority of H.I.'s properties are located in Puerto Rico and Florida, and include the high-volume Miami International Airport Hotel located at the hub of the airport's busy international terminal. H.I. Development positions each property to outperform their competition in occupancy, average daily rate, guest satisfaction and profitability. With the new business intelligence application, H.I. Development's corporate staff will be able to access critical measures driving their business, identify problems when they are small, not large, and assess trends as they develop, not when they have passed.

"Our clients are able to look at daily operating data, peer property trends, cost-per-occupied room comparisons, and Smith Travel Research comp sets on a real-time basis," said Aptech's Troutman. "Exceptions are highlighted and may be easily routed to the right decision makers each day. Business Intelligence is making its users better informed, more efficient operators and owners."

Execuvue® is an enterprise business intelligence tool for large and small hotel companies that quickly attaches to and organizes any combination of operational, accounting, labor, front office, and industry data, including Smith Travel Research (STR), with drag and drop simplicity. Execuvue is also available in a mobile format, deployed to a PDA, allowing executives to receive notification of user-defined benchmarks and giving access to key performance indicators and exception reports. Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Concord Hospitality, Host Marriott, Highpointe Hotels Corporation, American Property Management and other successful companies use Execuvue business intelligence.

Aptech, with over 700 installations, recognizes that professionals in the hospitality industry each view accounting differently. The company delivers customized, Web-enabled solutions that can fit any requirement, including distributed accounting, centralized accounting, regional accounting or any combination needed to meet a company's unique operation.

About HI Development - H. I. Development has nearly a half-century of experience in every aspect of hospitality management and development. Focused on hotel real estate and innovative management, the company is one of the nation's leading privately owned hotel management, development and consulting companies. Its primary goals are realizing superior guest services and bottom-line profitability for every franchised as well as independent hotel and resort in the H. I. Development portfolio. For more information visit .

About Aptech - Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., a leading provider of financial and operational software and services, is known for valuing human relationships and evolving technology offerings as the market dictates, a commitment that has earned the company 100% customer loyalty of its more than 700 users. For 30 years Aptech has led the hospitality market in leveraging change by valuing human relationships and applying technology to solve business problems for people. All of its applications are supported seven days a week, 24 hours each day by experienced hotel industry professionals. For more information about Aptech and its products, please call (800) 245-0720 or email [email protected].

Danielle Vaughan
(412) 963-7440x294