Palo Alto Software, Inc., was founded in Palo Alto (CA) in 1983 as Infoplan, a sole proprietorship. In 1988 it was incorporated in California as Palo Alto Software. Palo Alto Software moved to Oregon in 1992 and was subsequently merged into Palo Alto Software, an Oregon corporation.

During the 1980s, the company focused mainly on consulting and market research, with clients including Apple Computer, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Lotus Development Corporation, Ashton-Tate and others. Its forecasts of the personal computer market in Mexico became the standard source in that market until Select S.A. was established in 1988. Founder Tim Berry developed annual business plans for Apple Latin America from 1984 through 1987, during which time sales quadrupled, and for Apple Japan from 1991 to 1993 as sales increased tenfold.

The business plan product evolved from extensive consulting in business planning for large and small companies. In 1984, Infoplan published a business plan template, which accompanied a book published by Oasis Press; and in 1988, the original version of Business Plan Toolkit was published.

Since its release in 1995, Business Plan Pro has seen favorable reviews by numerous business and high-tech magazines and Internet sites. It is regularly on Amazon.com's top 10 list of best-selling business software. Business Plan Pro has won many honors, and customized versions have been developed for corporations; regional version are available in Canada and the United Kingdom. The most recent versions, Business Plan Pro 11.0 and Business Plan Pro 11.0 Premier, were released in November 2007.

Marketing Plan Pro was first released in 1996 and the current version, version 9.0 appearing in 2006. Advertising Plan Pro became available in November 2001.

Tim Berry (President):

Tim Berry, president of Palo Alto Software, says he started creating his own software for business planning and forecasting to bridge what he calls “the know-how gap” that exists between what personal computers can potentially do for business people and what they are actually doing.

“At Stanford in the late 1970s, we took an entire course to learn how to do a business plan,” he recalls. “Nowadays personal computers have made all of that much easier, but only when people know how to use them. I don’t mean simple computer or software training, but the management techniques like cash flows, financial analysis and forecasting models. What we do is share and explain the thinking tools as well as the technical tools.”

Berry’s work history in business planning includes:
1988-present…..President and principal product author, Palo Alto Software, Inc.
1990-present…..Adjunct professor Lundquist School of Business, University of Oregon
1991-1993…..Consultant, Apple Computing Japan
1988…..InfoPlan dissolved; Palo Alto Software incorporated
1984…..Publishes first business software product, consultant to computer and software clients
1980s…..Author of books on business planning and spreadsheets
1983…..Founding of InfoPlan, predecessor of Palo Alto Software
1983…..Consultant, Borland International
1982-1987…..Consultant, Apple Computing Latin America
1981-1983…..Vice-president, Creative Strategies
1979-1981…..MBA program,Stanford University and consultant for Creative Strategies International

Education
MBA, Stanford University
MA (Journalism), University of Oregon
Undergraduate degree (magna cum laude), University of Notre Dame
He has also consulted on business planning and forecasting for IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Ashton-Tate, Lotus Development Corporation, DataQuest and others.
Berry’s first business plan software product was published in 1985. Since 1993 he has concentrated mainly on building Palo Alto Software’s product business.