The Resort Group Selects BIW to Help Deliver GBP82m (EUR100m) Cape Verde Island Resorts


LONDON, December 15 /PRNewswire/ --     International property developer The Resort Group has selected BIW
Technologies (BIW) to deliver Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications to
support design and construction of two luxury resort developments - Tortuga
and Dunas, worth a total of EUR100m (GBP82m) - on the island of Sal in the
Cape Verde Islands. The web-based platform will support communications across
a multinational team of consultants spread across the UK and Spain, as well
as contractors working on the sub-tropical island in the Atlantic Ocean off
West Africa.

"We are essentially creating new towns on what are currently sand dunes
next to the sea," says Rob Jarrett, chairman of The Resort Group. "These
schemes will set a standard for future developments in Cape Verde and, as
well as being creative and innovative in our design and construction, we
wanted to demonstrate technological excellence in the project management
systems we use. BIW will help us coordinate information and manage key
business processes and costs in real-time, introducing the concept of
web-based working to this developing market."

Construction of the beachfront Tortuga Resort, set in a 75,000m(squared) 
plot situated on the south-west coast of Sal, is due to start after a
ground-breaking ceremony in early January 2009. The development includes 52
luxury three- and four-bedroom villas, 306 two-bedroom apartments and a
five-star hotel, all set in extensive landscaped grounds. Facilities will
include a 150-seat restaurant, a wine bar and piano bar, courtesy and lounge
areas, luxury spa and gymnasium, two communal pool areas and a variety of
shops.

Also starting on site in early 2009, the neighbouring Dunas development
is on a 147,000m(squared) plot, almost twice the size of Tortuga, allowing a
slightly lower density of accommodation. The scheme has some 695 luxury
properties, including 67 detached villas and 628 apartments with a choice of
one, two and three bedrooms, plus communal pools and relaxation areas.

A five star hotel, bars and restaurants, spa and gymnasium, tennis courts
and shops will augment Dunas' tourist resources.

Cape Verde has few natural resources: only four of the ten main islands
support significant agricultural production, and so its economy is
service-oriented, with the government keen to welcome foreign investors and
develop tourism opportunities.

However, says Darren Lees, The Resort Group's construction director,
building new resorts on a remote island presents a number of major
challenges:

"First, we have to ensure that our developments have excellent
sustainability credentials. We are working closely with Birmingham-based
sustainable development consultant EmissionZero to ensure that delivery and
operation of our resorts won't harm some of the unique natural
characteristics of the islands - which include beaches where sea turtles come
to lay their eggs. Our designs include sophisticated grey water recycling,
photo-voltaic arrays and state-of-the-art approaches to ventilation."

The Resort Group's project team also includes principal consultant HCP,
architect SpaceStudio and quantity surveyor Locus (both based in Birmingham),
engineer Halcrow Yolles, mechanical and electrical engineer Hulley &
Kirkwood, and contractors San Jose and Loid Engenharia.

"Second," Lees continues, "it is vital that our developments help create
sustainable communities. We will be helping fund new infrastructure including
roads, power generation and distribution, telecommunications, and waste
management, working with the Sal islanders to create manufacturing and
services businesses, and looking to build a legacy of local construction
skills and expertise - including IT know-how - that can be employed on future
developments in Cape Verde.

"Finally, these developments have to stack-up financially. Our investors
come to us with high expectations and we are committed to creating the
resorts on time and on budget and to the high specifications we've set out.
The BIW platform gives us great auditability and control, so we can
constantly monitor the projects' progress and ensure they are completed on
time and on budget."

Tortuga is due to be completed in 2010 and Dunas in 2011.

BIW chief executive Colin Smith says:

"I am delighted that BIW has been entrusted with these projects. Clients
like The Resort Group who are committed to changing the way in which projects
are delivered, and to working with us to develop new cutting-edge
functionality, skills and expertise, are helping change the international
face of sustainable design and construction."



Notes to editors

About BIW

- Project collaboration services from BIW Technologies (
      http://www.biwtech.com) were first employed in 1999 on UK construction
      projects for Sainsbury's. BIW believes it is the European leader in 
      web-based collaboration systems for the construction and property 
      industry, measured by numbers of users, usage and volume of data. It is 
      supporting projects in more than 20 countries across Europe, the Middle 
      East, Asia and Australasia. BIW opened an office in Dubai in 2006 and a 
      base in India in October 2007.

    - The BIW platform is a sophisticated web-based supply chain integration
      technology, designed specifically for construction projects or 
      programmes. Each client is provided with a unique, web-based project or 
      programme-specific environment created around a knowledge database. 
      With this, data can be made available securely to every team member - 
      from the earliest concepts, through detailed design, buildability 
      studies, pre-fabrication, construction, maintenance, operation and 
      improvement to the eventual demolition or dismantling of the facility.

    - BIW customers include United Utilities, Sainsbury's, BAA, housebuilders
      Crest Nicholson and the Peabody Trust, Marks & Spencer, the UK Ministry 
      of Defence, the Wellcome Trust, Mace, Bovis Lend Lease, ISG, Kajima, 
      Gleeds and Fitzpatrick, and developers Argent, Land Securities, 
      Ballymore, Dandara, Garbe and - in Dubai - Nakheel.

    - To date, the BIW system has supported over 10,000 projects. It has over
      116,000 registered users in nearly 12,000 different organisations. In 
      the year to 30 September 2008, BIW earned GBP7.3m in revenues, 
      generating a profit of GBP1.1m.

    - BIW is a registered trademark of BIW Technologies Ltd.



About The Resort Group

- The Resort Group (http://www.theresortgroupplc.com) is a Gibraltar
      based PLC with representative offices in the UK, Cape Verde, Canada and
      Spain.

    - The Resort Group is a developer that also has a very strong sales
      distribution network of financial advisors and property agents. It has
      enjoyed international property sales of over EUR0.33bn over the past 
      four years, and its 2008 sales have been even stronger than in 2007.

    - The group has an international property fund (The Resort Group Enhanced
      Security Fund PCC) that is EU registered, regulated by the Financial 
      Services Commission in Gibraltar and audited by Deloitte.

    - The Resort Group is an official partner of Everton FC.



A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA 
Photowire. It can be downloaded from http://www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or 
viewed at http://www.mediapoint.press.net or http://www.prnewswire.co.uk.

More information from:
    
    - BIW - Paul Wilkinson, BIW head of corporate communications,
    - tel: +44(0)1483-712620 or mobile +44(0)7788-445920,
    - email paul.wilkinson@biwtech.com .



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