Prestigious Pousadas de Portugal Selects MICROS OPERA Enterprise Solution

COLUMBIA, Md., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MICROS Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRS), a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, is pleased to announce that Pousadas de Portugal, owned and operated by The Pestana Group, the largest Portuguese tourism and leisure organization, has implemented the MICROS OPERA Enterprise Solution.  The solution, which includes MICROS OPERA Multi-Property Management System (OPMS), OPERA Reservations System (ORS), OPERA Web Services (OWS), and the MICROS 9700 Hospitality Management System (HMS), has been successfully deployed at all of Pousadas' 39 properties located across Portugal.  MICROS has also begun the international expansion of its solutions to the Pestana properties located in other parts of Europe, Africa, and South America.

Pousadas of Portugal features luxury properties situated in castles, monasteries, fortresses and places of special natural beauty.  The OPERA deployment to Pousadas de Portugal constitutes the third phase of MICROS-Fidelio Portugal's IT strategy with the Pestana Group, which recently unified three other regional OPERA Property Management System (PMS) multi-property Data Centers into one Lisbon Datacenter that now supports Pestana's 25 properties in Portugal, UK and the Republic of Sao Tome.

The Pestana Group is also finalizing the implementation of MICROS ORS/OWS, powering the reservation functionality on both www.pestana.com and www.pousadas.pt.  By combining the power of integration with an innovative array of functionality, Pousadas de Portugal and Pestana Hotels and Resorts reservations agents and global sales staff have the tools to maximize bookings and optimize revenues.

"Since The Pestana Group took over management of the Pousadas de Portugal in 2003, we have relied on MICROS's technologies to strengthen the superior guest experience for which both the Pousadas de Portugal and Pestana Group are best known," stated  Jose Theotonio, CFO of the Pestana Group based in Madeira.

"We are very pleased with The Pestana Group's decision to deploy the OPERA Enterprise Solution and MICROS 9700 HMS throughout the Pousadas de Portugal," stated Kaweh Niroomand, President of MICROS Europe, Africa, and Middle East.  "We have successfully aligned our technologies with the Pestana Group's operational objectives and we look forward to continuing our successful deployment of OPERA and MICROS 9700 HMS throughout its entire enterprise."

About the Pousadas de Portugal

The Pousadas de Portugal had their origin in the 40's, when the first Regional Pousadas were built to provide visitors with board and accommodation in keeping with the style and traditions of each region.   In the fifties a new concept of a Pousada was created: the Historic Pousada, located in carefully restored monuments.

It is a tourist option with a difference and one that keeps the flame of Portuguese hospitality alight. Situated in castles, monasteries, fortresses and places of special natural beauty from the North to the South, in the Azores and now also in Brazil, the Pousadas de Portugal are real treasures of Portuguese history.   A privilege always assured by the respect shown in the restoration of Portuguese national architectural heritage, which has been adapted to modern demands of comfort and well-being. Places that offer a fascinating journey through the Portuguese culture, its traditions and arts.  In the Pousadas there is always a story or a secret to tell, a legend or a tradition to recount.

About The Pestana Hotels & Resorts

Group Pestana was founded in 1972 and mainly operates in the field of tourism. Besides the Pestana Hotels & Resorts chain, the group operates charter flights (euroAtlantic airways) and runs travel agencies, golf courses and casinos, among others.

The group has invested more than R$ 250 million in eleven hotels since it arrived in South America at the end of 1999, located in strategic cities in Brazil and Argentina - Rio de Janeiro, Angra dos Reis, Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Salvador and Natal, as well as Buenos Aires and most recently Caracas, Venezuela.

Currently, the group is the leader of the tourism sector in Portugal, with 85 units and over 7,000 guest rooms, located in Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Mozambique, South Africa, Sao Tome e Principe, Cape Verde and most recently the United Kingdom. This also includes Pestana Management of the prestigious Pousadas de Portugal.

New projects are being studied for expansion in Brazil, neighboring countries in South America and Europe and new openings have already been announced for Berlin (Germany) and Miami (USA). 

About MICROS Systems, Inc.

MICROS Systems, Inc. provides enterprise applications for the hospitality and retail industries worldwide. Over 310,000 MICROS systems are currently installed in table and quick service restaurants, hotels, motels, casinos, leisure and entertainment, and retail operations in more than 130 countries, and on all seven continents. In addition, MICROS provides property management systems, central reservation and customer information solutions under the brand MICROS-Fidelio for more than 25,000 hotels worldwide, as well as point-of-sale, loss prevention, and cross-channel functionality through its MICROS-Retail division for more than 90,000 retail stores worldwide. MICROS stock is traded through NASDAQ under the symbol MCRS.

For more information on MICROS and its advanced information technology solutions for the hospitality industry, please contact Louise Casamento, Vice President of Marketing at (443) 285-8144 or (866) 287-4736. You can also visit the MICROS website at www.micros.com or send an email to [email protected].

The MICROS logo is a registered trademark of MICROS Systems, Inc. All other product and brand names are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE MICROS Systems, Inc.