InformationWeek

June 21, 1999

Aspirian 4.0 Helps Manage IT Projects Over The Web

Software will help increase efficiency

By Jennifer Mateyaschuk

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spirian Inc. last week introduced project-management software that works over the Web and is aimed at the semiconductor, software, computer-system, networking, communications, systems-integration, and financial-services industries. Aspirian 4.0 lets IT managers share knowledge via the Internet, identify best practices, monitor the progression of projects, review employee skills, and maintain a portfolio of a project's business case and expectations.

Denver semiconductor company Cirrus Logic Inc. is implementing Aspirian's new software. Skip Taylor, VP of professional audio products at Cirrus, says his developers have resisted using project-management software because it usually involves learning a new program environment. Because Aspirian 4.0 works over the Web, it's easier to use, Taylor says.

Aspirian 4.0 will help businesses speed IT projects' time to market by up to 15%, says Michael Hackworth, Aspirian president and CEO. "Our customers are faced with increased competition and shrinking product-cycle windows, as well as an IT skills shortage, budget constraints, increased product complexity, and the globalization of their organizations," Hackworth says. Aspirian 4.0's ability to track projects, budgets, and employee skills will help IT organizations improve efficiencies, he adds.

Cirrus is counting on improving the execution time of its IT projects from 5% to 15%, says Taylor. "To meet customer demands and requests, we need to deliver a timely product and better align our products with customer needs. This software will help us manage that."

Aspirian plans to offer customized versions of its project-management software to other industries, including pharmaceuticals. Pricing for Aspirian 4.0 starts at $125,000 for 100 users.