Jumeirah Signs Global Business Partnership with SoftBrands


DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 30 / -- SoftBrands, Inc. (AMEX:SBN) a global supplier of enterprise application software, today announced that it has entered into a business partnership with Jumeirah, the Dubai-based dynamic and fast growing luxury hospitality group and member of Dubai Holding, to install SoftBrands' Core Central Reservation System, Epitome Business Intelligence and Epitome Property Management System in properties in Dubai and around the world.

Jumeirah properties are regarded as among the world's most luxurious and innovative and have won numerous prestigious international travel and tourism awards. Jumeirah currently manages luxury hotels and resorts in three of the world's most exciting destinations; Dubai, London and New York, and is well underway to achieve its ambitious expansion plans to grow its portfolio to 40 luxury hotels by the end of 2009. The group's portfolio of luxury hotels includes the renowned Burj-Al-Arab, the world's most luxurious hotel; multi- award winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel; Jumeirah Emirates Towers; Madinat Jumeirah; Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai; Jumeirah Essex House, one of New York's most prominent and historic luxury hotels; the Jumeirah Carlton Tower; and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London.

"We went through a very comprehensive, in-depth and competitive evaluation process with various hospitality vendors," said Guy Crawford, Chief Operating Officer for Jumeirah Group. "SoftBrands' prevailed as our choice because of its innovative technology, which offers flexibility, scalability as well as ease of deployment to support our worldwide business operations and growth. Importantly, SoftBrands has demonstrated a clear understanding of our global business needs and are willing to partner with us in achieving our future business growth plan."

Crawford added, "Through the deployment of this new web-based technology we will be able to further enhance the personalised customer experience within our hotels whilst at the same time securing a more cost effective distribution platform for our hotel inventory."

"I credit the process Jumeriah undertook to select SoftBrands as their next-generation technology supplier as the most rigorous and comprehensive I have ever participated in during my 18 years as a consultant," commented Ted Horner, Managing Director, E Horner & Associates Pty Ltd. "Another important element in the decision was the involvement of senior management across the group, and with this level of ownership, it augurs well as the rollout commences in 2007."

Jumeirah will automate their operations with the Epitome Property Management System and Core Central Reservation System. The Epitome Business Intelligence solution will gather, analyze and distribute information to management across Jumeirah's global operations. When deployment of the systems is completed, the group will have easy access to centralized information, thereby enabling near real time monitoring of the properties performance to make pro-active decisions that will impact revenue and respond quickly to the rapidly changing marketplace.

"We are honoured to have been selected by Jumeirah and Dubai Holding to provide next-generation technology that will play a central role in Jumeirah's global growth plans. Together Epitome PMS, Epitome BI and Core CRS offer a complete solution that will help increase operational efficiency, improve guest service and increase yields," said Harbans Singh, Softbrands, President, Hospitality, Asia Pacific. "With the centralized database, Jumeriah can now better manage guests, rates and availability."

About Jumeirah

Jumeirah properties are regarded as among the most luxurious and innovative in the world and have won numerous international travel and tourism awards. The Dubai based luxury international hospitality group encompasses the world renowned Burj Al Arab, the world's most luxurious hotel, the multi-award winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa.

The group's activities are however, not restricted to hotel and resort management. The Jumeirah Group portfolio also includes Wild Wadi, regarded as one of the premier water parks outside of North America and The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, the region's only third level academic institution specializing in the hospitality and tourism sectors.

Jumeirah has also expanded internationally and manages the Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London's Belgravia.

Building on this success, Jumeirah Group has become a member of Dubai Holding, a collection of leading Dubai based businesses and projects, in a step that aims to initiate a new phase of growth and development for the group.

As of January 15th 2006, Jumeirah has assumed management of the Essex House, one of New York's most prominent hotels.

About SoftBrands

SoftBrands, Inc. is a leader in providing software solutions for businesses in the manufacturing and hospitality industries worldwide. The company has established a global infrastructure for distribution, development and support of enterprise software, and has approximately 5,000 customers in more than 100 countries actively using its manufacturing and hospitality products. SoftBrands, which has nearly 900 employees, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., with branch offices in Europe, India, Asia, Australia and Africa. Additional information can be found at softbrands.com/ .

Contact Information
Christina Lanier
813 949 4153
Public Relations
Christina.Lanier@softbrands.com

Anne Bleeker
971 4 314 3762
Director of Public Relations & Communication
Anne.Bleeker@jumeirah.com

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