Tobin Enterprise Land Looks Ahead to Version 3.2
Upcoming features and current implementation stories were among the big topics at the Tobin Enterprise Land (TEL) Executive Advisory Board Committee Meeting, held April 22 at P2's Houston office.
Representatives from more than 15 companies that are using TEL or Tobin Land Suite were in attendance in person or via WebEx.
P2 President and CEO Bret Bolin kicked off the meeting by talking about the great momentum behind Tobin Enterprise Land and the new companies we've signed. He also spoke about P2 as a whole: we now have 650 clients between our software and data products, and we have set a goal of 1,000 by 2012.
Version 3.2 Enhancements
Product Manager Christina Saldivia and TEL Sr. Director of Development Sathiya Namasivayam talked about some coming enhancements in versions 3.2 and 3.5. Version 3.2 is scheduled for release this summer, and it will include:
- Grid columns (personalized and saved)
- Personalized screen views (grid only or grid and details, according to the choice of the user)
- Personalized navigation pane
- Query manager enhancements (running queries in the background, and the ability to cancel queries)
- Tract legal narratives
- Overlapping net acreage and vertical depth reporting
About the Tobin Enterprise Land Executive Advisory Board: The EAB was created as a forum for Tobin Enterprise Land customers and P2 to come together and discuss TEL's roadmap, P2 company objectives, software projects and land management software best practices. The TEL EAB brings together those from all sizes of oil & gas, mineral and renewable energy companies who all face the same land challenges and changing trends. During these meetings P2 Energy Solutions provides transparency into the TEL product roadmap, company objectives and software projects. Clients openly discuss current implementations, future plans, industry topics, software and business needs as well as advising and guiding each other with various challenges. Contact Land Product Manager Christina Saldivia with questions at csaldivia@p2energysolutions.com.
Quality Assurance Testing
Sathiya also explained the extensive quality assurance testing that is going on right now. His team has done an incredible amount of work based on valuable feedback from our TEL clients. P2 is very customer-focused, working closely with our clients regarding TEL releases and the roadmap. Versions 3.2 and 3.5 will contain enhancements that reflect cases and requests from those customers.
Off-the-Shelf, Commercial Software
It's clear that TEL continues to be a key product for P2 - Sathiya revealed that P2 has invested approximately $12 million into the TEL product from the beginning. That investment continues to make TEL a sustainable, adaptable, off-the-shelf solution for any company to implement. This is a key differentiator for TEL in the marketplace; we continue to invest in a sustainable technology supporting TEL to ensure that upgrades can occur with minimum headache.
Consider this example: If you are on Oracle 10x with land software that has several modifications, upgrading to Oracle 11x cannot occur without a lot of planning and service work by your software provider which results in cost to you.
TEL, on the other hand, is built as standard commercial software. While upgrading always carries a certain amount of testing, the associated upgrading cost with TEL will likely be far less than a customized solution. Tim Wadle, the product manager for our Excalibur financial management software, wrote an article about customized vs. standard software in the last Excalibur newsletter if you'd like to read more.
Implementations
Mike Kennedy, Sr. Director of Professional Services, gave updates on some new client implementations and migration projects that are going on. Implementations and migrations always spark discussion, with current clients sharing their experience with others on how to best handle the process.
Industry Presentation: Land Staffing and the Generational Shift
Finally, a industry-oriented presentation from James Newcomb of Ensley Properties, Inc. was another popular topic.
James talked about the generational shift in workforce within the oil and gas industry, and specifically spoke about its effect on the land side of the business. According to James, it is imperative that those who are experienced in the energy industry actively engage the next generation, so we don't lose them to other industries. He discussed the difficulties of finding new land department personnel, and where companies can look outside of the E&P realm, suggesting that paralegals, teachers, and accountants all make good candidates for the land admin side of the business.
ASCEND Excitement
The meeting ended on a positive note with Bret mentioning our great new conference, ASCEND 2010, to be held this November in San Antonio. We're planning great sessions around TEL and Land Management. The conference will also feature a lot of product training and industry workshop opportunities. Plus, it will be held at the beautiful new JW Marriot Hill Country Spa and Resort. Click here for more about ASCEND and learn about some great incentives to register early.
