Palo Alto Software Information

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Company Background

Summary

Palo Alto Software—The Planning People—develops, publishes, and markets software products for use with personal computers. Its products offer task-oriented, "know how" solutions for small-business and home-office entrepreneurs, professionals, and middle managers. The company is a privately-owned corporation in Eugene, Oregon.

Palo Alto Software's Windows products include Business Plan Pro® and Marketing Plan Pro®. For over eight years, Business Plan Pro has led its category (according to NPD Intelect, formerly PC Data), outselling all of its competitors combined.

Palo Alto Software maintains a profitable Internet presence. The company website, www.paloalto.com, provides product information and sales, product support, and online registration and updates.

Information on business planning and marketing planning can be found at www.bplans.com and www.mplans.com. These sites include sample business and marketing plans and scenarios, practical advice on planning, and a panel of experts who have answered more than 1,400 questions. Bplans.com has won awards as a valuable "plain talk" resource.

Palo Alto Software's founder and president is Tim Berry, a renowned planning expert. He is listed in the index of "Fire in the Valley", by Swaine and Freiberger, the history of the personal computer industry. Tim's biography is at www.timberry.com

Mission Statement

Palo Alto Software develops, publishes, markets, and supports personal computer software that incorporates task-oriented tools, techniques, and know-how in practical, easy-to-use products. We make a fair profit that respects our customers; fairly compensates our owners, employees and authors; and supports on-going development of more great products. We maintain a stimulating, creative, respectful, friendly, and fun work environment that encourages ideas, diversity of thought, hard work, uncompromising product quality, and dedication to providing good value and good service to every customer.

Company History

Palo Alto Software, Inc., was founded in Palo Alto (CA) in 1983 as Infoplan, a sole proprietorship. In 1988 it was incorporated in California as Palo Alto Software. Palo Alto Software moved to Oregon in 1992 and was subsequently merged into Palo Alto Software, an Oregon corporation.

During the 1980s, the company focused mainly on consulting and market research, with clients including Apple Computer, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Lotus Development Corporation, Ashton-Tate and others. Its forecasts of the personal computer market in Mexico became the standard source in that market until Select S.A. was established in 1988. Founder Tim Berry developed annual business plans for Apple Latin America from 1984 through 1987, during which time sales quadrupled, and for Apple Japan from 1991 to 1993 as sales increased tenfold.

The business plan product evolved from extensive consulting in business planning for large and small companies. In 1984, Infoplan published a business plan template, which accompanied a book published by Oasis Press; and in 1988, the original version of Business Plan Toolkit was published.

Since its release in 1995, Business Plan Pro has seen favorable reviews by numerous business and high-tech magazines and Internet sites. It is regularly on Amazon.com's top 10 list of best-selling business software. Business Plan Pro has won many honors, and customized versions have been developed for corporations; regional version are available in Canada and the United Kingdom. The most recent versions, Business Plan Pro 11.0 and Business Plan Pro 11.0 Premier, were released in November 2007.

Marketing Plan Pro was first released in 1996 and the current version, version 9.0 appearing in 2006. Advertising Plan Pro became available in November 2001.

Business Plan Pro UK Edition