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September 1, 2005
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- a la mode, inc., for 20 years a leading force in the real estate software and online services industry, is providing substantial relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
As a leading developer of appraisal, agent, mortgage, and inspection tools, a la mode enjoys substantial numbers of clients in the areas affected. Knowing that it will be quite some time before life returns to normal, a la mode is deferring all fees and payments of any kind for its thousands of clients in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, for as long as is necessary.
The company also announced that it has matched the August 30 REALTORS® Relief Foundation donation of $150,000 in cash, split equally among the disaster recovery operations of the state REALTOR® associations in the three states. The REALTORS® Relief Foundation was created to provide assistance for housing related needs of victims of disasters like Katrina.
“Katrina has been the worst disaster in history as far as the number of REALTORS® affected. Thousands of our members have lost their homes and will have a difficult time getting back on their feet,” remarked Steve Cook, Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Association of REALTORS®. “We are tremendously grateful for a la mode’s support.
“The National Association of REALTORS® and a la mode both encourage other businesses and participants in the real estate industry to give generously as well,” Cook said. Information on the National Association of REALTORS’® efforts for Katrina relief can be found at the organization’s website, www.realtor.org.
In addition, a la mode’s founder and Chairman, Dave Biggers, indicated that he will ask all of the company’s clients to donate to the American Red Cross through the a la mode website, www.alamode.com/katrina, and will personally match the total contribution up to $250,000.
“These are our clients, our neighbors, and our friends, and we intend to do all we can to help. I truly hope our users donate as much as possible, so I can give the entire $250,000,” he challenged. “And if the response is overwhelming, I’ll be happy to go farther. Living in Oklahoma City, through bombings as well as devastating tornados, I know what sort of hospitality the nation, and this industry, extends during a disaster.”
Details of how to donate the funds to be matched will be provided to a la mode’s clients directly in a separate announcement.
On a positive note, approximately 25 percent of a la mode’s appraiser clients in the affected states were using the company’s automatic Internet-based “Vault” file backup solution, which stores the files at a la mode’s data center in Oklahoma City and at other redundant locations. As a result, even if computer systems, paper records, and backup tapes were destroyed, those appraisers will be able to reconstruct all their lost files, invoices, client lists, and even digital workfile copies of the notes used to complete their appraisals.
“Appraisers will play a vital role in the long-term reconstruction of the area, and that data loss is the single most significant issue facing businesses after a disaster,” commented Scott Kinnaird, a la mode’s CEO. “Being able to get back to business quickly with no data loss, when the time comes, will be a boon to those clients using the Vault, and to the local housing industry as a whole. That’s why we built the system in the first place, and this just proves its real value even on a macro basis.”
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