Oakland, CA – April 28, 2003 – ViaNovus, a leading provider of program management solutions for the construction industry announced today Michael Ciocia as its new President and CEO. Ciocia was recently Vice President of Shaman Corporation and was former President of Sterling Software’s Desktop Integration Division. Ciocia has the expertise, operational skills, and technological vision to provide management software products and services to the construction program management industry. Ciocia believes, “ViaNovus provides the solution for many in the construction industry who need to reduce costs, share documents, improve productivity and monitor schedules. Paragon is the single tool that allows owners to integrate these point solutions with its own critical project information.”

Paragon Program Management System allows users to adjust budgets and track their evolution through documented changes, thereby maintaining a true project history that is easily accessible. It helps clients save money by posting early alerts of variances in cost versus budget and minimizing cost overruns. “This economy leaves no margin for error. The potential for cost overrun is too great and its effects too damaging to not be properly managed in the construction industry,” said Ciocia. Paragon is the only software solution that allows the fiscal management of complex multiple funding sources.

Companies providing software for the construction industry offer point solutions to address very specific aspects of the construction process. Paragon differentiates from the competition by providing fiscal managers with the ability to summarize and integrate an unlimited number of programs, projects and contracts on a real-time basis. “Many of our clients have been able to recoup their initial investment within six months,” said Darrell Garrett, founder and Senior Vice President of ViaNovus.

Owners are much more focused on retrofitting old facilities and building new facilities than ever before, but they are taking on these new projects with a new sense of exposure and risk awareness. Not only are they concerned about the ultimate stability of the facilities, but they are also aware that these facility projects must be completed within whatever parameters or constraints that exist. The most specific constraint that most owners have to contend with today is diminishing project funds. Risk management and tight cost and schedule control is a requirement of any selected software system. “Owners want a software provider that has survived in an economic downturn and continues to deliver in the long term. Capital improvement programs can extend for decades,” said Garrett.

Paragon, now in version 6, is a proven and widely deployed product to owners and construction managers throughout the world. Customers include: City of Long Beach, Department of Veteran Affairs, CalFed Bay Delta Program, Bechtel, Salt Lake City Olympic Committee, Bay Area Toll Authority, San Francisco Airport, Chicago Transit Authority, Richmond Airport, KJM, Dallas Area Rapid Transit. ViaNovus customers currently manage over 1500 projects and programs with a combined program value of over $85 billion.

About ViaNovus
ViaNovus, with headquarters in Alameda, California, is the leading provider of Web-based construction program management software and services that introduce the concept of project intelligence into the traditional management process. Its premier product, Paragon Program Management System, starts at the program level and delivers owner-focused project intelligence on an unlimited number of projects and their related contracts. Hosted on the ViaNovus 24/7 network or available as a client/server solution, Paragon provides clear solutions to cost management, schedule adherence and communications accountability by linking all such information about the program in an integrated environment. Paragon is being used nationwide in construction programs worth more than $85 billion.