Pantzer Properties, tech pioneer.

Pantzer Properties Inc., of Saddle Brook, N.J., will become the first Integrated Business Systems client to roll out version 10.01i of the firm's property management and accounting system across a geographically diverse wide area network, announced Robert Entin, IBS president.

Based in Fairfield, N.J., IBS provides real estate business solutions. IBS software addresses virtually all property management, accounting and construction management tasks. In early 2002, the firm launched the effort to browser-enable its system to meet the future needs of its user base.

Following a two-year, multi-million dollar development, IBS 10.01i represents a major advancement in the new system's functionality, according to Entin. It includes full commercial, residential and accounts receivable modules. The previous packet, version 10.0i, included the prospect database system that was successfully alpha tested by another IBS user.

An IBS client since 1983, Pantzer Properties is one of the largest privately held owners of multi-family real estate in the mid-Atlantic corridor. The firm currently maintains a 10-building portfolio of 5,000 apartment units in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Panco Management, provides management services for Pantzer Properties' holdings.

"The IBS accounting and general ledger package has always been the best out there," said Edward S. Pantzer, president of Pantzer Properties. "The browser-enabled product has enhanced the interlace by providing a user-friendiy, attractive front end with easy, point-and-click navigation. We think it is going to be terrific."

The system provides the ability to query, and search across portfolios and drill into a tree structure on any specific portfolio segment. All reports generated from IBS data can be presented for review in Excel, HTML or Adobe Acrobat formats--suitable for e-mailing. The prospect database program tracks prospective tenants and leasing activity and provides instantaneous access to information on apartment availabilities for qualified applicants.

"The new IBS system allows for much wider access to information for all of our employees, including senior management," Pantzer said. "Our leasing agents in the field will now have fully secure, real-time access to our portfolio data and will provide management with unprecedented access to marketing and traffic data. It will improve our efficiency and our ability to maximize marketing dollars by enhancing our understanding of Pantzer Properties' target audience."

At the same time as the version 10.01i implementation, IBS is expanding and upgrading Pantzer Properties' existing wide area network.

"The VPN tunnels already in place are being improved, as needed, to provide high-speed connections between each property and the company's headquarters," Entin said. "IBS will now operate as an intranet within Pantzer Properties' network, and employees also will be able to access the system securely via the Interact. This configuration will enable the simplest possible deployment of our application."

According to Pantzer, the IBS system will be a significant asset for his growing firm. "We expect to expand our portfolio by $250 million within the next 24 months," he said. "The browser-enabled version of IBS has the potential to revolutionize the multi-family industry. It truly is a complete product, providing information on, literally, everything. As one of IBS's first customers more than two decades ago, it is gratifying to see that the company is still on the cutting edge."

IBS 10.01i is a J2EE-compliant model that adheres to industry standards. The product can be run as an intranet within a firewall and corporate network or over the Internet via an Application Service Provider model. It has been designed so that it can be configured in a variety of ways, with as many systems and web servers as needed for the individual user.

The product will be fully functional by mid-2004.