Montreal, January 26, 2004. HMS Software, a leading provider of project management and enterprise timesheet solutions, announces the release of TimeControl, version 4.3. This major update to HMS' most popular enterprise project timesheet system includes significant new features designed to make TimeControl clients even more effective.

"We've put a lot of thought into TimeControl 4.3," says Chris Vandersluis, president of HMS Software. "The functionality we've included is a direct result of feedback from clients on how we can help them become more efficient."

The many enhancements in this 4.3 version include:

TimeControl Schedule Service

The all-new TimeControl Schedule Service is an automated service designed to perform certain TimeControl functions as regularly scheduled events. The Schedule Service installs at the server level as a timed service and allows scheduled events to be executed on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis or at a pre-determined moment in time. Version 4.3 includes two services that are schedule-service enabled: automatic email notification and the Timesheet Posting function. The TimeControl Schedule Service is a new feature in the TimeControl Enterprise and TimeControl Professional editions.

XML export

TimeControl's extensive linking functionality has now been enhanced to include the ability to generate XML structured exports. Virtually all of TimeControl's standard tables are available for export. In addition to the ability to create XML structured files, the export can now also embed a link to an XML Style sheet. This effectively allows XML reporting to be generated directly from TimeControl.

Active Directory and LDAP support

TimeControl now supports direct links with Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and Windows authentication including Active Directory and NT Authentication. Support for these services allows an organization to manage a password in a single location on a single centralized server. TimeControl now optionally supports each user being defined as having a password stored in the TimeControl system or in the authentication server of choice. An authentication server can be defined for the entire organization as a default or for each individual user. If a user's logon is defined as authenticated using this method, there is no need to store a password in TimeControl. User tables will still need to be maintained in TimeControl to track user profiles and numerous other functions but passwords can be authenticated through the automated service.

Validate User-defined fields

TimeControl now includes the ability to create a list of pop-up values for user-defined fields and to determine if the field requires a mandatory entry. TimeControl has always been remarkably flexible in the area of customized fields. An unlimited number of such fields can be added to literally every table within the system and then automatically recognized for security, reporting, filters and even screen layout. In previous versions, such fields were free-form and would accept any entry. Now TimeControl allows either a free-form field or can link a field either to the internal table for a list of pop-up values or to an external table, which could come from virtually any source. For example: a link for a department table in TimeControl takes its source data directly from an external table in the corporate Human Resources system.

Enhanced control over User-defined fields

Functionality of the user-defined fields on the timesheet interface itself has now been enhanced to allow it to work with the standard User Profiles. TimeControl's User Profiles feature has always had field-level access control; the most extensive access and configuration control in the industry. Now timesheet user-defined fields can be configured to be visible, invisible or read-only on a role or user-by-user basis. This type of functionality allows TimeControl to be used in very different ways by various groups of users within the same enterprise system.

Link Performance

TimeControl's links to external systems are one of its hallmarks. Clients who have been using TimeControl for over 10 years have generated such high volume of data that link performance became a concern. The links to and from project management systems and to and from external files have now had their performance improved by an order of magnitude. "The links are now easily ten times faster than in previous versions," says Stephen Eyton-Jones, HMS Software's Director of Technical Services. "For clients working with tens of thousands of project tasks and millions of timesheet lines, we've brought the link time down from 30 minutes to 2 minutes. It's a significant improvement for clients with larger systems."

"We've had almost 10 years experience with TimeControl and over 20 years experience with enterprise timesheet systems," says Vandersluis. "Our long-standing position in the market is evident by the depth of functionality and flexibility in the product. We have some clients who have been using TimeControl continuously for 10 years. Our very first TimeControl client is still using TimeControl with about 1000 users who have been entering their timesheets in the system every week for over 500 weeks. The functionality we've put into TimeControl 4.3 will assist both our existing and new clients to be even more effective."

TimeControl can be deployed on its own or in conjunction with a project-planning tool such as Microsoft Project and link to virtually any finance system such as SAP or Oracle Financials. "The ability to have TimeControl link to both project management and finance systems simultaneously is one of TimeControl's strengths," says Eyton-Jones. "There's nothing else to buy, no special training required. TimeControl Administrators typically create the interface themselves using the standard TimeControl functionality."

TimeControl 4.3 is available for immediate shipment. Existing clients with a current support and maintenance contract will receive the new version free of charge. Pricing for new systems varies according to volume - from $50 to $160 per license.

About TimeControl

TimeControl was originally released in 1994. It was immediately successful in the project management sector and today is recognized not only as a project management solution, but also as an enterprise timesheet solution in use by companies worldwide. TimeControl is designed to serve the needs of both Finance and Project Management simultaneously. It includes features such as flexible user structures to allow for multiple levels of timesheet authorization and an open data architecture, which makes the product ideally suited for integration with existing data systems in any organization. TimeControl's flexibility allows it to be deployed for use as a time and attendance, time and billing, project time and flex-time system. TimeControl has both a Web and Windows interface.

About HMS Software

Based in Montreal, Canada with offices in Toronto, HMS Software has been a leading provider of project management and enterprise timesheet systems since 1984. HMS Software's first customized timesheet application was written in 1984. With the launch of TimeControl as a commercial application in 1994, HMS Software began servicing clients worldwide. HMS Software's client list reads like a who's who of business. It includes Alcan, CAE Electronics, Cirque du Soleil, EDS, Ericsson, L3 Defense (formerly Bombardier Defense Systems), General Motors, IBM, Credit Suisse/First Boston, Dofasco Steel, Mercury Marine, Motorola, the American Red Cross, Weyerhaeuser and hundreds of others

HMS has representatives or distributors in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, the UK, and the U.S.

HMS Software has numerous alliance partners. It has been a Microsoft Project Solution Provider since 1995 and is also part of the Primavera, Welcom and Oracle partner programs.

For further information, please visit the TimeControl Website at www.timecontrol.com

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