Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2010

(Contact: Danielle Laffey, Marketing Director, at 515.333.4677 or dlaffey@ricssoftware.com)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 22, 2010) – RICS Software has been recognized as one of the 2010 Indiana Companies to Watch, an awards program presented by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, its Small Business Development Center network, Purdue University and the Edward Lowe Foundation.

Forty-one companies from Indiana will be honored as outstanding second-stage companies during the third annual Indiana Companies to Watch awards program, held on Aug. 26 in Indianapolis.

Companies to Watch is an awards program that celebrates Indiana privately held second-stage companies, typically those businesses that are past the startup phase, are considered to be established, and face issues of growth, not survival.

Companies honored range from traditional businesses involved in manufacturing, financial services and retail trade to high-tech companies working in the life sciences, information technology, telecommunications, and aerospace industries.

Among the 41 honored companies in 2010 is RICS Software.

About RICS Software: RICS Software (RICS) provides point-of-sale and retail management tools to the footwear and apparel retail market. A group of local investors, led by technology entrepreneur David Becker, acquired the “lifestyle” company based in Des Moines, IA in the fall of 2006. The company had been around more than 20 years. After the acquisition, headquarters was moved to Indianapolis and the staff has since tripled.

The investors purchased RICS with the plan to rewrite the retail software, moving from an in-house, turnkey product to an enterprise level software-as-a-service (SaaS) model delivered via the web. The company has implemented the software in more than 440 retail stores in the United States and Canada.

Since its launch RICS Enterprise has signed national agreements to partner with franchise and licensed groups, such as The Athlete’s Foot, New Balance and Life is good®.

RICS Enterprise software gives the independent retailer the power and infrastructure of a Wal-Mart style data system for a few hundred dollars per month. RICS Enterprise product enables retail companies to significantly cut costs in both their inventory and IT departments while enhancing their relationships with the end customer via online CRM tools and an integrated gift card program.

For more information, visit www.ricssoftware.com.

About Indiana Companies to Watch: Companies to Watch firms must employ between six and 150 full-time equivalent employees, have between $750,000 and $100 million in annual revenue or working capital in place, and demonstrate the intent and capacity to grow based on employee or sales growth, exceptional entrepreneurial leadership, sustainable competitive advantage or other notable strengths.

This year more than 300 Indiana companies were nominated for the Companies to Watch program. The number of applicants was narrowed to 141 businesses. From that pool, 100 finalists were selected, and 41 companies emerged to become the 2010 Indiana Companies to Watch.

This awards program is unique because of its focus on second-stage companies. The impact of these companies on Indiana’s economy is immense. During 2006-2008 Indiana’s resident companies averaged more than 33,000 second-stage establishments according to YourEconomy.org, an online resource of the Edward Lowe Foundation. Those second-stage companies employed more than 784,000 workers.

Looking at the contributions of these companies from a different perspective, from 2006-2008 only 9.5 percent of Indiana’s resident establishments were in the second-stage category, however, they generated nearly 37.1 percent of net new jobs.

Indiana Companies to Watch is a collaboration among the Indiana Economic Development Corp., through its Small Business Development Center Network, Purdue University and the Edward Lowe Foundation.

This program would not be possible without the generous support of Premier Capital Corporation as well as Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Katz, Sapper & Miller, KeyBank and Ivy Tech Community College. The program is also supported by media sponsors BizVoice magazine and Inside Indiana Business.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2010

(Contact: Danielle Laffey, Marketing Director, at 515.333.4677 or dlaffey@ricssoftware.com)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 25, 2010) – RICS Software, a provider of real-time retail management solutions, announced Life is good, Inc. selected the RICS Enterprise platform as its preferred retail software for its corporate stores and Genuine Neighborhood Shoppes.

In 2006, the Life is good Company began using RICS Software in numerous Genuine Neighborhood Shoppes, independently owned retail stores solely dedicated to the Life is good® brand. After finding success with its initial roll-out of RICS products, Life is good moved to extend the RICS Enterprise platform to all corporate locations and make it the preferred retail management platform for all 106 Genuine Neighborhood Shoppes in over 35 countries worldwide.

"We're confident the RICS Enterprise platform will create a greater opportunity for us and for our independent shop owners to improve the health of our businesses," said Bert Jacobs, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Optimist of Life is good, Inc..

The RICS Enterprise retail platform solution provides the corporate office visibility to inventory and point-of-sale data across all stores. Best seller reports and sell through data allow the Life is good production team to ensure the right merchandise hits store shelves at the right time.

Store owners also reap the benefits of on-demand access to management data. Since all transaction details are stored in real-time by RICS, accurate reports can be run any time of the month on any date range. "It’s of great value to me to be able to access the real-time information from RICS Enterprise at anytime, anywhere," said Shelly Cady, owner of Jake’s on Balboa Island, a Life is good Genuine Neighborhood Shoppe located in California. "I used to have to call my employees to ask questions about my store when I was away. With real-time access via RICS Enterprise, not only can I get access to the data from anywhere, I can also react and make changes immediately."

With minimal up-front costs, the RICS Enterprise Software as a Service (SaaS) model provides retailers with access to the application while reducing the dependency of onsite retail IT personnel. "RICS Enterprise allows store owners to focus on their business, not IT infrastructure," said David Becker, President and CEO of RICS Software. "And the business Life is good has built – based on an infectious grin and a positive message – is tremendous. We feel privileged to be a part of the Life is good success story."

About Life is good, Inc.: In 1989, brothers Bert and John Jacobs designed their first t-shirts and hawked them on the streets of Boston. Twenty-one years later, Life is good, Inc. has gone from a homespun dream to big business, having recently passed $100 million in sales. Based in Boston, MA, Life is good spreads a fresh outlook on life with its colorful collection of apparel, its quality accessories, and its optimistic cultural hero with the huge smile, Jake. For more information on Life is good, visit www.lifeisgood.com

About RICS Software: RICS Software is dedicated to helping retailers develop a competitive advantage with RICS Enterprise, an on-demand retail platform that includes point-of-sale, customer relationship management (CRM) and inventory control functionality. With a low cost of entry, RICS Enterprise delivers powerful, actionable reporting capabilities through an easy-to-use interface, while the Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery method ensures rapid system scalability.

Founded in 1983, RICS Software has more than 2,500 customers in over 75 countries and is headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. For more information, visit www.ricssoftware.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2010

(Contact: Danielle Laffey, Marketing Director, at 515.333.4677 or dlaffey@ricssoftware.com)

Keynote speakers include leading social marketing expert and author of “Twitter for Dummies” Kyle Lacy, search engine optimization specialist Aaron Aders of SlingShot SEO and retail industry analysts Ritchie Sayner and Paul Erickson from RMSA

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – RICS Software, is a provider of retail management solutions, announced the agenda for the 3rd Annual 2010 RICS Software User Conference, which will take place May 10-12, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. This year’s User Conference, entitled Evolution, focuses on the business results that can be achieved with social media and one-to-one digital marketing using point-of-sale and inventory management data. It will feature keynote addresses from Kyle Lacy, a social media expert and author of Twitter for Dummies, along with award-winning search engine optimization (SEO) specialist Aaron Aders of SlingShot SEO and retail analysts Ritchie Sayner and Paul Erickson of RMSA.

Each year, the RICS Software User Conference brings together RICS Software customer partners and invited prospects for two days of education, networking and discussion. The Conference content is designed for owners, merchandisers, marketers and IT professionals using RICS Software solutions within their organizations to revolutionize their internal inventory operations and their external go-to-market channels and campaigns. The annual User Conference offers attendees an opportunity to learn about the application of technology to dramatically accelerate their retail sales and customer satisfaction.

"Thanks to everyone at RICS for making the User Conference something to remember. We all had a blast and learned so much that has helped and will continue to help our retail business," stated Tracie McNeece, participant of the 2009 RICS User Conference.

Participants will have the opportunity to share ideas and learn how to deliver increased visibility on inventory costs, marketing results and value. Panelists discussions include case studies and proven retailer success strategies from respected peers.

About RICS Software: RICS Software provides point-of-sale and retail management solutions to the footwear and apparel retail market deliver via the web. The RICS Enterprise product enables retail companies to significantly cut costs in both their inventory and IT departments while enhancing their relationships with the end customer via online customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Additional information on RICS Software is located at www.ricssoftware.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Contact: Danielle Laffey, Marketing Director, at 515.333.4677 or dlaffey@ricssoftware.com)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – RICS Software held its 2nd Annual User Conference in May 2009 in downtown Indianapolis. The three-day event kicked off via a welcoming reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for all participants, where RICS users were able to network with other RICS users and RICS Software staff.

After a warm welcome from President Mike Fitzgerald, the sessions commenced an packed full with information for RICS users, covering topics such Data Driven Management of Your Sales People, Uncover “Sleeping Dollars” and Re-invest into the Right Merchandise, Free-Up Time & Money Through Effective Inventory Management and Strengthening Your Position with Your Suppliers. The conference allowed attendees to ask questions and share best practices in an intimate environment. Many RICS users spent one-on-one time with a RICS staff member for a private, personal consultation on their retail business.

Conference partners Start Micronics and Card Marketing Services gave presentations regarding the use point of sale equipment and importance of gift and loyalty card programs. Featured keynote speakers Paul Erickson and Ritchie Sayner spoke about Your Inventory Heart, giving numerous examples and suggestions on how to cut costs on and properly stock your inventory to make your business more successful.

Attendees enjoyed an evening out at Jillian’s Eat. Drink. Play. in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. Many participated in a basketball shoot off, while others played skee-ball and video games, all after a tailgate buffet that left no one hungry.

The annual user conference furthers RICS Software’s commitment to retailers by providing continued education and training to our clients. The RICS User Conference for 2010 will be held May 10th through the 12th in Indianapolis.

About RICS Software: RICS Software provides point-of-sale and retail management solutions to the footwear and apparel retail market deliver via the web. The RICS Enterprise product enables retail companies to significantly cut costs in both their inventory and IT departments while enhancing their relationships with the end customer via online customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Additional information on RICS Software is located at www.ricssoftware.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Contact: Danielle Laffey, Marketing Director, at 515.333.4677 or dlaffey@ricssoftware.com)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – RICS Software announces the release of RICS Enterprise, a web-based fully hosted and managed retail management platform delivered via a Software as a Service (SaaS) method. Leveraging over 25 years of retail inventory management and point-of-sale software development experience, RICS Software engineers have created this new system from the ground up, furthering our commitment to the unique needs of the soft goods retail industry.

With this fully comprehensive system, users can remotely administer and manage every aspect of their retail business in real-time. Users have the advantage of downward visibility throughout their entire business. This is acheived through a centralized database that enables immediate access to data anywhere, anytime.

About RICS Software: RICS Software provides point-of-sale and retail management solutions to the footwear and apparel retail market deliver via the web. The RICS Enterprise product enables retail companies to significantly cut costs in both their inventory and IT departments while enhancing their relationships with the end customer via online customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Additional information on RICS Software is located at www.ricssoftware.com.