BLUE MINE GROUP ENTERS STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH AUTOMATION ASSOCIATES, INC. (AAI) Partnership grants exclusive worldwide rights to market and sell AAI’s Restaurant Modeling Studio™

San Diego, CA. – February 13, 2006 – Blue Mine Group, a firm specializing in the rapid growth of emerging technology companies, today announced it has entered a strategic alliance with Automation Associates, Inc. (AAI), a leading provider of simulation solutions for the global supply chain. AAI has granted Blue Mine Group exclusive, worldwide rights to market and sell its Restaurant Modeling Studio™ (RMS) simulation software product. Blue Mine Group will be responsible for product market strategy, product management, marketing, sales and business development for the product, which is currently in use by several major quick service restaurants (QSRs), including Starbucks and Yum! Brands, the holding company for Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Long John Silvers, A&W and Taco Bell. AAI will continue to manage product development, implementation and customer support.

Blue Mine Group has worked closely with AAI since 2004, providing a wide range of strategy, business development and marketing services. Blue Mine Group was instrumental in helping the 17 year-old, then privately held, company effectively reposition itself for a successful acquisition by TranSystems, a $100 million dollar architectural and engineering firm serving the transportation industry. Now a wholly-owned subsidiary of TranSystems, AAI needed a strategic partner to continue creating business development opportunities for its Restaurant Modeling Studio while it aligns its focus more closely with its parent company in the supply chain transportation consulting, planning, and engineering business.

"Blue Mine Group has been a long-standing partner and thoroughly understands our business and product offerings. Through this new alliance, we can leverage their integrated strategy, sales and marketing practice areas to continue building market share and awareness of our Restaurant Modeling Studio, while we draw upon our skills in product development, training and technical support for current and prospective customers,” stated Randall R. Gibson, founder and president of Automation Associates, Inc.

Restaurant Modeling Studio is an innovative simulation modeling solution for the QSR and casual dining market segments, providing operations executives the ability to accurately predict and evaluate critical performance metrics such as productivity, capacity and level-of-service. Used as a strategic planning tool to simulate real world scenarios, Restaurant Modeling Studio can help test and validate operational changes affecting capital expense decisions, price and menu alterations, staffing plans and facility layouts – before any funds are expended.

“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Automation Associates and apply our turnkey go-to-market services at a whole new level,” remarked Michael Lurie, Blue Mine Group President and CEO. “This partnership provides further validation that our innovative go-to-market model offers unique value to emerging technology companies wishing to grow beyond their current market size.”

About Automation Associates, Inc.
Automation Associates, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of TranSystems Corporation, is the leader in applying simulation-based analysis tools to help clients solve complex problems in the most critical components of the global supply chain: production, distribution, transportation and point-of-service. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company has served more than 500 clients over the past 17 years in a variety of markets, including healthcare, manufactured goods, postal & packaging handling, restaurant operations and transportation. For more information, please visit www.AutomationAssociates.net or call (888) 481-6050.

About Blue Mine Group
Blue Mine Group specializes in go-to-market program development and execution for emerging technology companies. Our experienced teams integrate strategy, marketing and sales best practices to deliver results-driven programs that meet each client's specific business needs. We've worked collectively with over 100 technology companies to grow revenue efficiently through their defining market focus and value proposition; acquiring and growing customers; building partnerships; securing investment capital; and building awareness among targeted media, analysts, and interest groups. For more information, give us a call at (858) 792-2633 or visit www.blueminegroup.com.

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© 2006 Blue Mine Group. All rights reserved. Restaurant Modeling Studio is a trademark of Automation Associates, Inc.