Contact: McKinstry/essention, Inc.
Karen Little, (206) 268-9810
klittle@essention.com  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

McKinstry/essention, Inc. and WPS Announce Joint Partnership for Web-Based
Emergency Planning Services

Alliance integrates premier commercial property management system with leading emergency response platform

SEATTLE, WA (Oct.2, 2001) – McKinstry/essention, Inc., a Seattle-based application service provider of property and facility management solutions, and WPS, a leading developer of online facility emergency response and recovery programs, today announced a strategic partnership that allows customers to utilize the services of McKinstry/essention and WPS to provide better communication and emergency response planning/recovery for tenants.

 InfoCentre offers a powerful Web-based workflow management, preventive maintenance and digital archiving solution in conjunction with a 24x7 customer service desk, providing a means for tenants, managers, vendors and technicians to easily communicate.

 WPS supplies its customers with planning and execution of a highly detailed five-step crisis program for commercial facilities. The program provides step-by-step instructions and training ranging from a detailed plan for each facility to corporate emergency preparation to a disaster recovery plan.

 By combining InfoCentre with WPS’ emergency response program, commercial facility and property management professionals can easily implement and manage emergency plans and procedures online, while being able to quickly communicate in case of a disaster. WPS’ enhanced emergency and disaster recovery plans can be readily accessible for joint customers from the primary InfoCentre user interface.

 According to Dean Allen, President and CEO of McKinstry/essention, the necessity of providing emergency planning and training for all building tenants makes McKinstry/essention’s InfoCentre and WPS a natural fit.

 “With InfoCentre, facility and property managers can digitally archive their emergency plans and procedures, along with building drawings that can be particularly useful to emergency personnel,” Allen said. “WPS sets the standard for enhanced crisis management and training programs, so a partnership between our two companies makes great sense for us and our customers. By combining our efforts, McKinstry/essention and WPS can provide the best in online emergency planning and communication.”

 With emergency planning and disaster recovery forefront in people’s minds, many property and facility managers, as well as building owners, are re-evaluating their disaster plans to make sure they are up to date and that the communication line with all tenants is clear and effective.”

 “It is crucial that tenants know how to react during an emergency,” said David Strang, President of WPS. “By partnering with McKinstry/essention, we make it easy for tenants to know what to do when a crisis occurs and for management to be able to get their businesses up and running as soon as possible following an emergency situation.”

 CarrAmerica, one of the largest owners, managers and developers of office space in the U.S., acknowledged the importance of proper planning following the recent attacks in New York and Virginia.

 “On September 11th, InfoCentre helped us successfully evacuate thousands of people from our buildings,” said Richard W. Greninger, Managing Director, Property Operations, of CarrAmerica, which uses InfoCentre throughout its portfolio. “And afterwards, InfoCentre proved invaluable in communicating with our tenants about what was happening within the buildings and how daily operations and security were being handled.”

 Now, more than ever before, companies are working to ensure that they are prepared for a crisis situation. Phase Management Inc., a full-service management company that plans operational strategies and offers implementation assistance for a number of office buildings in the Pacific Northwest area, is currently deploying McKinstry/essention’s InfoCentre Web-based property/facility management solution in conjunction with WPS’ enhanced emergency program.

 "The unfortunate events we have recently witnessed at the World Trade Center remind all of us of the importance of disaster preparedness,” said Elizabeth Gessel, President of Phase Management Inc. “In the event of a crisis situation, we hope our conscious effort to educate and remind our tenants of the proper procedures will not only help our tenants handle situations better, but potentially save lives as well.  We felt the best way to accomplish this was to utilize the enhanced communication tools of InfoCentre and the expertise of WPS."

About McKinstry/essention
McKinstry/essention, Inc. is a real estate application service provider (ASP) that offers Web-based property and facility management solutions. Headquartered in Seattle, WA, McKinstry/essention develops and markets InfoCentre, a highly scaleable technology that addresses property and facility management inefficiencies and unifies service information. With over 50 million square feet of occupied space either already operating or currently contracted in numerous major metropolitan markets across North America, McKinstry/essention’s clients include those that own or manage substantial property portfolios as well as Fortune 1000 organizations with large or geographically dispersed buildings. For additional information, visit www.essention.com or email media@essention.com.

About WPS
WPS Emergency Planning has been developing site-specific emergency response programs for more than 21 years. Services offered by WPS include facility emergency response planning; corporate emergency response planning; facility resumption and recovery planning; emergency response training; and evacuation signs, tactical response maps and tenant/occupant handouts. The range of services offered by WPS represents a comprehensive and site-specific solution for buildings and facilities.

With offices in Langley, B.C., and Bellevue, WA, WPS has completed more than 3,300 facility emergency response plans throughout North America. The unique combinations of consultants that make up the WPS team have the capability to develop programs for hotels, industrial facilities, commercial office buildings, schools, hospitals, university complexes, and residential complexes. For more information about WPS, visit www.allmyplans.com or www.wps-plan.com.

McKinstry/essention is a registered trademark of McKinstry/essention, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.