Optims and Lufthansa Systems North America Form Strategic Alliance - Alliance Represents Optims' Official Launch In The United States

Based on the terms of the agreement, LSNA will market Optims' two premier products - Optims.Hotel, a solution designed for independent hotels and City.Optims, which addresses the needs of hotel chains and groups - to the North American market. The alliance represents Optims' official launch in the United States and Canada. In addition, these two IT solution leaders will be joining forces to develop other value-added marketing and technology offerings for the hospitality industry.

According to Optims CEO Antoine Medawar, "The American market is an especially strategic one for Optims, with its broad range of high quality independent establishments and hotel chains. We are very excited to be teaming up with Lufthansa Systems North America in meeting the critical Revenue Management needs of this important region. We are expecting our union to be a successful and profitable one."

Lufthansa Systems North America's CEO John Meier-Funke is equally optimistic. He states, "We have long followed a policy of aligning with organizations whose product lines, target markets, and customer service philosophies are synergistic with ours. Optims is an outstanding company with a proven track record meeting within the European hospitality industry. We are confident that the Company's high performance Revenue Management solutions will be well-received in the U.S. and Canada."

Last October, Optims signed a distribution contract with Lufthansa Systems Berlin (Germany) for the marketing of its Yield Management solutions within the German speaking regions of Europe (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). This development was followed by Lufthansa Systems Berlin's formation of a Hospitality Department, fully dedicated to the distribution of Optims solutions. The recent strategic alliance between Optims and Lufthansa Systems North America, which is part of the Lufthansa Systems Group, is further evidence of the strengthening ties between these two organizations.

Revenue Management solutions are revolutionizing the way businesses in diverse industries are calculating their optimal product and services sales prices. Using scientific calculations, the optimal price can be established thereby giving way to quantifiable increases in profit margins. The hospitality industry has, in particular, embraced revenue management having noted its effectiveness in the airline industry during the 1980s. Today, 80% of all airline companies are equipped with revenue management solutions. Within the hospitality industry, only 10% of companies currently apply revenue management systems. However, industry observers are projecting that many chains and sophisticated independent hotels will soon be investing heavily in this technology.

… About Optims

Optims develops and implements Information Technology solutions dedicated to optimizing management methods and revenues. For the past decade, Optims has been serving the hospitality, tourism, catering, transport and travel industries with three complementary technologies. They include a Property Management System (PMS) ; Yield Management Solutions known as Revenue Management Systems ; and a Central Reservation System (CRS). Optims is now the leading European developer of IT solutions for the hospitality market. The Company has over 3,500 customers in more than 55 countries, with its revenue management solutions enjoying an installed base of over 200 customer sites worldwide. Among Optims' prestigious clientele are Accor, Forte, Fram, Nouvelles Frontieres, Radisson and Savoy. Optims issued its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Nouveau Marché in the Paris Stock Exchange in June 2000 (SICOVAM code: 7652).

… About Lufthansa Systems North America

Lufthansa Systems North America is a leading provider of advanced Information Technology (IT) solutions for airlines, airports, cargo/freight handlers and general corporate/industrial institutions. As part of the 18-business unit, Lufthansa Systems Group, Lufthansa Systems North America has access to a full range of high performance IT solutions for Baggage Reconciliation, U.S. Customs Interface for cargo operations, Electronic Logistical Warehouse Information Systems, Planning, Operations, Flight and Crew Scheduling Systems, Airport Management, Data Collection, Application Development and Revenue Management, among others. Drawing from its extensive portfolio of products and the broader resources of the Lufthansa Systems Group, consisting of a 4,500-member team and annual revenues of $700 million, Lufthansa Systems North America is effectively meeting the needs of the U.S and Canadian markets. The Company also offers professional IT Consulting, Network Design and Integration, Help Desk and Desktop Network Services from its East Meadow, New York headquarters.