Telecom Retail Chain: India's Essar Group Succeeds With Aggressive Four-Month Implementation Of JDA Software Solutions To Launch Unique, New Telecom Retail Chain

JDA® Software Group, Inc. today announced that Essar Group, one of India's largest conglomerates with an asset base in excess of US$6 Billion, successfully achieved an aggressive four-month implementation of JDA solutions to launch a new nationwide network of companyowned and managed stores. With plans to open up to 750 Essar Telecom Retail Ltd stores in the next three years, Essar Group selected JDA's proven, functionally-rich software applications after a rigorous review that included SAP and Oracle solutions. Essar Telecom Retail will use JDA's merchandising, store, CRM, planning, replenishment and analytic applications to integrate business processes across departments onto a single enterprise-wide information system.

Commenting on Essar Group's selection of JDA, Mr. Rajiv Agarwal, CEO of Essar Telecom Retail, said, "While we considered a broad range of factors, we weighted functional fit, time scale for delivery and our confidence in the vendor's ability to deliver benefits as the most important. JDA outscored SAP in these and other categories to secure our business." "We believe that JDA solutions will enable us to integrate business processes across departments onto a single enterprise-wide information system. We expect that the immediate benefit from implementing JDA systems will be reduced operating costs, such as lower inventory control cost, lower inventory carrying costs, higher inventory turns and lower help desk support costs," said Mr. Agarwal.

Noting recent reports that a new mobile subscriber is added in India every second, Rod Talbot, JDA's regional vice president for Asia Pacific, said, "Essar Group is transforming the way that Indian consumers buy mobile products and services. We are proud to partner with them as they leverage this explosive opportunity. We are committed to helping Essar Telecom Retail realize top- and bottom-line results as they implement additional JDA applications and expand their business."

Essar Group Succeeds with Aggressive Four-Month Implementation of JDA Software Solutions
Essar's Initial Go-Live Two Weeks Ahead of Schedule The Essar and JDA team, with implementation and post-go-live support from strategic implementation provider HCL, recently went live with the first phase of its implementation. Committing to an aggressive four-month timeframe, the team went live — two weeks ahead of schedule — with the integrated Merchandise Management System™ (MMS®) and Win/DSS® store software at 15 sites for complete host-to-point-of-sale coverage.

Rating the overall project management from JDA as "excellent," Mr. Vijay Mehra, Group CIO of Essar, says the team maintained strict control over quality, timeline, budget and risk by testing the applications' business process readiness, operability, performance, resilience and user acceptance.

"To achieve every planned milestone on budget and in less time than we had allotted is a truly outstanding accomplishment," said JDA's Mr. Talbot. "We are proud to be part of such an exemplary implementation and congratulate all of those involved from Essar Group and HCL."

Now that the initial stores are operational with JDA applications, Essar will next rollout additional functionality and applications at the 150 stores planned to be open by the end of March, 2007.

In addition to MMS and Win/DSS software, Essar Group licensed the following JDA products: Portfolio Customer Relationship Management™, Performance Analysis by IDEAS™ data warehouse, JDA Enterprise Planning™, Space & Category Management solutions including Space Planning by Intactix®, Floor Planning by Intactix® and Intactix Knowledge Base™, and replenishment solutions including Advanced Warehouse Replenishment by E3® and Advanced Store Replenishment by E3®.

About JDA Software Group, Inc.
JDA® Software Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:JDAS) is the enduring demand and supply chain partner to the world's leading retailers, manufacturers and suppliers, helping more than 5,500 customers in more than 60 countries realize real demand chain results. JDA has solidified a unique marketplace position, in that only JDA can offer a complete vertically-focused solution with the depth and breadth of capabilities necessary to enable the Customer-Driven Value Chain. JDA software solutions enable high-performance business process optimization and execution to achieve a connected view of the customer from raw materials flowing into production to end-consumer products at the shelf. With offices in major cities around the world, JDA employs the industry's most experienced supply and demand chain experts to develop, deliver and support its solutions. For more information, visit www.jda.com, e-mail info@jda.com or call 1-800-479-7382.