Advantage Signs Strategic Partnership

Advantage Signs Strategic Partnership With Leading Latin American Systems Integrator
Advantage’s New Strategic Partner, SONDA, opens the door to
Latin American oil industry

Auckland-Tuesday October 3 2000: Advantage Group Limited’s (NZSE: ADV) retail solutions business has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Latin America’s leading systems integrator, SONDA.

Advantage and SONDA have engaged in a long term distribution agreement giving SONDA the rights to promote, sell and support Advantage’s retail oil products in several Latin American countries.

SONDA is Latin America’s leading systems integrator, with revenue of $US250 million in 1999.

Through SONDA, who already has preferred supplier status with many of the major oil companies, Advantage will target a market of over 45,000 service stations in Latin America, including ExxonMobil, Shell, BP and the local state companies.

In the last financial year Advantage’s Retail Solutions business reported revenue of $20 million generated from African, Asian and Australasian markets. The Latin American market is bigger than all of those markets combined.

Advantage provides SONDA with a track record of innovation within the e-commerce environment that complements SONDA’s demonstrated experience in their local market.

"Our new relationship with SONDA is an example of our intention to spearhead growth into the fast developing Latin American oil market," says Greg Cross CEO of Advantage Group

"SONDA is a perfect partner for us, with excellent contacts and an exceptionally high profile in the Latin American IT and oil community. In particular, there are increased prospects for MAX, which is our software solution for service station automation featuring integrated fuel pump control, point of sale functionality and management reporting modules," says Cross.

Raul Vejar, vice president and general manager of SONDA Argentina, says the new relationship with Advantage will bring together new opportunities for growth with both companies.

"There is clearly potential in the convergence of both companies’ technologies to capture segments of the world’s oil market,” says Vejar.

Ricardo Maldonado, vice president Advantage Retail Solutions Inc. in Boca Raton, Florida, USA, says it’s exciting that SONDA has chosen to partner with Advantage.

“SONDA is obviously an expert in technology, therefore it’s a compliment that they have recognised Advantage’s expertise in this area of software development. We’re all looking forward to the business prospects this new relationship will bring,” says Maldonado.

About MAX
MAX is a New Zealand designed and developed software system which is leading the world. Through MAX service station operators control fuel pumps and process point of sale transactions, obtain comprehensive management reports and potentially participate in e-procurement, and other e-commerce activities. Its strength is in its open architecture and its ability to integrate with clients' other systems cost-effectively.

About Advantage
Advantage Group Limited, an NZSE 40 company, is a leading supplier of e-Services throughout the Asia Pacific region. Advantage employs over 400 full time people supporting customers in 15 international locations. For more information, visit http://www.advantagegroup.co.nz.

About SONDA
Established in 1974 in Chile, SONDA is one of Latin America's largest suppliers of computer technology and Internet based products and services.
SONDA has experienced strong organisational growth, through its focus on providing integrated IT systems to newly modernised State Service organisations, and large corporates in the finance, industries, banking and telecommunications sectors.
SONDA is headquarted in Santiago and employs over 2000 people, with offices in eight Latin American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Perú, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
It is 60 percent owned by the large Chilean telecommunications company, Compañia de Telecomunicaciones de Chile, which is itself controlled by the international telecommunications' company Telefónica de Epaña.

SONDA has an extensive distribution channel throughout Latin America and established supplier relationships with major companies in Latin America. For more information, visit http://www.sonda.com
ENDS

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