InformationWeek

November 10, 1997

Portable Stands Alone-For Now

By Charles Waltner

hen Curt Castill o of Guardian Industries began looking for a solution to expense management two years ago, he found only a few offerings on the market. Even Portable was still developing the first version of XMS. But since, Castillo learned, Portable's product was the only standalone, non-proprietary client-server product, he waited for its release in mid-1996. He says Portable still stands out as the only enterprise solution of its breed. "They are kind of it, at this point," Chris Selland, research director of the Yankee Group in Boston. "Portable is doing the missionary work now."

But that may change rapidly. Travel expense management has long been ignored as companies tackled higher-profile enterprise issues. But the global economy and a mobile work force are sending more employees out from corporate headquarters, Selland says.

As a result, Portable will likely soon face competition from finance or enterprise resource management software vendors who recognize the potential in this market, says Dan Sholler, a senior research analyst with Meta Group in Stamford, Conn. Already, American Express, various travel agencies, and some service bureaus offer expense management services. But these products offer less flexibility than Portable's product and typically tie a company to a particular charge card.

Portable's own success could also attract competition. The privately held company, which doesn't reveal its finances, acknowledges 400% revenue growth this year. Moreover, it now has 60 clients, including Anheuser-Busch, Parmacia & Upjohn, and Fujitsu Computer Products of America. It also has 13 sales/engineering offices around the U.S. and one in London. That should make Portable an excellent prospect for its own product.

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