April 8, 2002

ERNEX DISHES OUT REAL-TIME LOYALTY PROGRAM TO THEME-RESTAURANT PIONEER RESTAURANT ASSOCIATES; TECHNOLOGY DELIVERS REWARDS TO MEMBERS VIA STANDARD INTERNET CONNECTION

REPORTER'S SUMMARY

Ernex , a provider of real-time marketing solutions, announced that well-known theme-restaurant and foodservice provider Restaurant Associates has chosen Ernex to deliver its new real-time loyalty program dubbed "Inner Circle." The Inner Circle program is designed to further enhance the dining experience of Restaurant Associates' customers by offering them incentives, special offers and promotions at the point-of-sale, simply by paying for their meals with their standard credit card or an Inner Circle card. By "registering" a credit card with any of the five participating Restaurant Associates eateries, members have the option of not having to carry their Inner Circle card to earn points.

The implementation was aided by an Ernex partnership with Arizona-based rPower Restaurant POS (www.rpower.com) that now provides Restaurant Associates' eateries with Internet-based transaction capabilities from the existing rPower point-of-sale to Ernex's real-time loyalty database. rPower is a member of the Strategic Alliance Program (see release entitled "Ernex's new partner program perpetuates community of electronic-marketing & loyalty solutions" - www.ernex.com/press_releases/2001_06_26.asp). By utilizing Ernex's technology, Restaurant Associates is able to increase the convenience for members to accumulate points through their credit cards, track points and personalize offers to members in real-time at Internet speed and operate the program with existing point-of-sale systems and infrastructure.

STRATEGY

As competition between eateries for a limited customer base continues to rise, and a weakening economy affects consumer spending, restaurants are increasingly challenged to cost-effectively market to their customers to extend their brand and keep customers loyal. Ernex , recognizing this challenge, has developed a variety of real-time marketing solutions that interact with customers at the point-of-sale through loyalty programs, personalized offers, instant sweepstakes campaigns and other frequency and retention campaigns. Used strategically, these marketing programs are designed to help restaurant operators cost-effectively identify, reward and retain their loyal customers and increase customer profitability.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAM AND PARTICIPATING INNER CIRCLE LOCATIONS

As an incentive for members to register their credit cards, the participating Restaurant Associates eateries will offer a one-time 500 points bonus for registering American Express credit cards and 250 bonus points for VISA, MasterCard, Diners or Discover cards. As members spend on meal and beverage purchases, they will be awarded one loyalty point for each $1 spent. Members can redeem their points at any time while dining at a participating restaurant as a cash credit against meals - at a rate of $1 per 10 points earned.

Restaurant Associates is offering the Inner Circle program to customers at any of the following New York eateries:

• The Sea Grill: Located at 19 W. 49th Street (Rockefeller Plaza), the Sea Grill showcases Chef Ed Brown's talent for exquisitely prepared fish and seafood.
• Rock Center Café: Located in the basement level of internationally renowned Rockefeller Plaza (20 W. 50th Street), Rock Center Cafe offers a full steakhouse menu accented with Italian flavors.
• Café Centro: Located at 200 Park Avenue, Café Centro, with it's art-deco setting that boasts a glass-enclosed display kitchen, a magnificent hearth rotisserie and a beer bar, serves up a contemporary French menu with Moroccan accents and an array of microbrews.
• Tropica Bar & Seafood House: Located in the MetLife Building at 200 Park Avenue, the Tropica Bar & Seafood House sizzles with its Caribbean-inspired fish and seafood "fusion cuisine".
• Brasserie: Located at 100 E. 53rd. Street, Brasserie serves casual French cuisine including classic Parisian brasserie favorites and the innovative specialties of Chef Lou Dimnet and Pastry Chef Martin Howard.

ABOUT ERNEX

Ernex is a provider of innovative real-time marketing solutions for merchants, credit card and bankcard issuers, and large membership organizations. Its solutions include loyalty programs, stored-value gift card programs, reward fulfillment services and loyalty database hosting services. For more information, contact Ernex at 877-GO-Ernex or visit www.ernex.com.

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INTERVIEW CONTACTS:

• Ernex executives are available for interviews on this announcement and/or to provide comment on other electronic marketing solutions.
• Analyst references are available on request.
• Partners and Customers are available to speak with the media.

Please Contact:
Marketing & Public Relations Manager
Ernex
604-415-1500
pr@ernex.com

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